BOOKMARK
FOOD SHORTAGE AROUND THE CORNER
December 3, 2007
FOOD CRISIS IMPENDING - increasing demand for agrofuels such as ethanol is hitting the poor and the environment. A “perfect storm ” of environmental and social factors appear to be the magnitude, threatening a large number of people to food shortages and price increases.
The era of cheap food is over. World commodity prices of sugar, milk and cocoa have soared, prompting the BIGGEST PRICE INCREASES RETAIL FOOD IN THREE DECADES in some countries. “Meat, too, will cost more because the chicken and pigs are fed mainly on grain. “The world price [corn] has doubled. 850 million people worldwide are already undernourished. There will soon be more because the price of food aid has increased by 20% in just one year. In the United States, where nearly 40 million people are below the official poverty line, the Ministry of Agriculture recently predicted a 10% increase in the price of chicken. The price of bread, beef, eggs and milk grew by 7.5% in July, HIGHEST MONTHLY RISE IN 25 YEARS.
Reports suggest that one third of ocean fisheries are collapsing, two thirds will be the collapse in 2025, and all major ocean fisheries can be practically disappeared in 2048. 15% of the world ‘this food supply, where 160 million people depend, are grown with water from underground springs, quickly deplete or rivers that dry. In large parts of China and India, the water table has dropped dramatically. In Britain, the recent floods will lead to a shortage of vegetables such as potatoes and peas and cereals such as wheat.
This comes in addition to a 4.9% rise in food prices during the year to May and 9.6% rise in the prices of vegetables. Rain dependent on agriculture could be reduced by half by 2020 as a result of climate change. “Anything even close to 50% reduction in yields would obviously pose enormous problems. “” The competition for grain between the world ‘800 million motorists who want to maintain their mobility, and its two billion of the poorest people, who are simply trying to survive, is becoming a real problem. “It is not going to get better. The UN ‘World Food predicts that the demand for biofuels could increase by 170% in the next three years.
Another report from the OECD, the club of the world ‘30 richest countries, suggested a rise in prices of food products between 20% and 50% during the next decade. This time last year, there were fewer than 100 ethanol plants across the United States, with a total production capacity of 5 billion gallons. There are now at least 50 other new plants under construction and more than 300 more are planned. Even if half of them are finished, they will contribute to the rewriting of food policy in the world.