Posted on Mon, 03/31/2008 - 17:38 — by shays
Due to a number of related pressures and factors, a new threat is quietly emerging to threaten government stability in places all around the world. Some of the factors involve overpopulation, population resettlement from rural to urban areas, development pressures to plow up productive farmland, switching from staple (low-priced) crops to lucrative cash crops, and climate change resulting in changes in the amounts of water available (sometimes not enough -- droughts; and other times, too much -- floods).
The problem is a growing rice shortage (and grains, in general). The price of rice -- a staple in the diet of nearly half the world's population -- has almost doubled in world-wide markets in the last three months. The price of rice is increasing because there are shortages of the staple grain. High prices and shortages in local marketplaces are causing all sorts of troubles. Food riots have occurred in Yemen, Uzbekistan, Senegal, Morocco, Mexico, Mauritania, and Guinea since January. Rice exporting countries -- attempting to stabilize supplies and prices for their domestic market -- drove prices even higher last week, and this has increased worries in rice-importing nations. In the Philippines, the government has instituted policies to prohibit rice hoarding, and is taking action to track down those who hoard. Vietnam is cutting rice exports by a quarter. India banned the export of almost all varieties of rice that it grows. Egypt announced it is imposing a six-month ban or rice exports beginning April 1. Cambodia banned all private rice exports.
Other grain shortages are causing problems in other countries, as well. Check the price of bread and flour-related goods in this country. No riots yet, but we'll have to see what happens when the market finally finds its bottom. In Pakistan, thousands of troops have been deployed to guard trucks carrying wheat and flour. Protests have erupted all over Indonesia over soybean shortages. China has placed price controls on cooking oil, grain, meat, milk and eggs.
When one factors in the chronic water shortages that are starting to pop up all over the world, it starts to look a little less reassuring that we still have taken very few steps to limit population growth within our species.
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Joined: Jul 2005
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Report shays
Some want to blame this rising crisis on environmentalists ... at least in this country. While environmentalist demands for healthier approaches to farming, ranching and dairying certainly force those in the agricultural sector to spend more money to comply, I think most of us are happier knowing that our meat is not injected with steroids and antibiotics, that the animals producing our meat and meat by-products aren't jammed into tiny cubicles and whose stress at such conditions possibly influences the quality and healthfulness of the food products they create.
Then again, most food in Safeway is grown on Safeway owned ranches and farms (Safeway is the largest land-owner in California the last time I checked). Small, independent farms are rapidly becoming dinosaurs, and ma and pa operations cannot compete with the corporate world. This is because the corporate ranch knows no political or climatic borders, and spans the globe! Until we realize that the trade-off for having ripe tomatoes (sort of) available 24-7 is increasing centralization of ownership, less competition, and increasing prices (not to mention less closely monitored business practices ... how can you be sure that the Chilean tomatoes you purchase are as safe as those picked in the Salinas Valley?)
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Report BazookaJoe
Good comments about rice hoarding and animal herding. I often worry about all the problems we are bound to encounter because of over population. It seemed before you could just say it was other country's problems, like China, but now I think we are starting to experience its effects in our communities. I try to buy USA stuff, but sometimes I get confused if the importer is listed as being USA based, but the product comes from somewhere else. Like that honey I brought home from the dollar store. It said honey on the outside but I think it was pancake syrup on the inside. I should have been more suspicious of it's quality but it wasn't until I got home I noticed it came in a plastic bottle shaped like a lemur.
Joined: Jul 2005
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I like that ... lemur shaped pancake syrup (bet they haven't seen too many maple trees in Madagascar) being sold as "honey". Guess somebody is trying to make a monkey out of us.
Q: How do you know there's a lemur in your refrigerator? A: (used to be you could smell the bananas on his breath) You can smell the maple sap on his fingers.
But I make jest of a serious problem. The economy has become so global since Ronald Reagan began the process of dismantling the regulatory and financial system of this country. Where do you think the plastic bottle that contains the "honey" was manufactured?
As Kurt Vonnegut used to say: Putuweet!
Joined: Oct 2007
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Report Clayton
I think I commented on this issue on a different thread, but the global food crisis/overpopulation is not a problem that is “sneeking up”. It has been predicted for quite a while now. No one was listening then, now they are whining about higher food prices that they created. The factors are pretty clear, and the biggest is overpopulation—which frankly neither you or I, or even America, can not resolve. Secondarily the amount of food being produce is dropping. In large part that is because the government, Federal State, and local is the largest land owners and yes because of environmentalists this land is producing less food. Then again, most food in Safeway is grown on Safeway owned ranches and farms (Safeway is the largest land-owner in California the last time I checked). So who or what did you check with? Carrs/Safeway is a retail chain whose operations do not include food production; according to their annual report. The California Department of Agriculture backs up this statement since it does not list Safeway, ( or Carrs/Safeway) as an agricultural producer, water user, or pesticide user. http://countingcalifornia.cdlib.org/matrix/c64.html Just as a footnote, are you not now citing sources without references, just as you accused Osho of doing?
Some want to blame this rising crisis on environmentalists ... at least in this country. Clearly yes I do blame environmentalists, regulations have reduced the quality of food produced because less can be produce at an effective cost. An example I used most recently is Contra Costa. Food production in Contra Costa is decreasing and acreage devoted to food production is decreasing. At the same time land taken, sometimes without just compensation, for public open space is increasing. It is not the largest use of open land in Contra Costa. My point in a previous thread is that if you voted for open space in Contra Costa, you deserve to pay more for food, because you are the reason less food is produced. So what is your solution, o wise one? Eliiminate “corporate farms”? Small farmers are less efficient, as you point out, and actually less easily regulated. Food prices will increase dramatically and still less food will be produced. Standards will be harder to enforce because of the myriad of locations for food processing. Move people from urban areas to rural areas and force them to farm? China tried that, as did Cuba; and in both cases the result was not more food but untold millions of human right violations. Put more people on farms Reduce the population forcibly?( I think this is known as genocide and is practiced in Africa as we speak). Just awaiting your wisdom, with complete referencing of course.