Could we really run out of Food?

Could we really run out of Food?

finance.sympatico.msn.ca

As if a bear market, U.S. credit crunch, energy crisis and city financing emergency were not enough for one year, experts say the world is now facing down the barrel of the worst catastrophe of all: famine.

The very idea that the modern world could run out of food seems ludicrous, but that is the flip side, or cause, of the tremendous recent increase in the cost of raw wheat, corn, rice, oats and soybeans. Food prices are not escalating because speculators have run them up for sport and profit, but because accelerating demand in developing nations, biofuel production and poor harvests in some areas have made basic foodstuffs truly scarce.

In energy circles, folks who warn about the beginning of the end of cheap fossil fuels talk about "peak oil" as a point we have dangerously and expensively crossed. Likewise, you can now add "peak wheat" to your political and investment lexicon. And it's a lot worse.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is becoming more and more serious. I just posted a thread a month or so ago of how the farming industry has actually DIMINISHED over recent years in terms of people producing crops of food. The prices are going up, up and away, and supply cannot keep up with demand. This is something that everyone better be paying close attention to. Start up your own gardens ASAP.

finance.sympatico.msn.ca
(visit the link for the full news article)

The global wheat supply is also being squeezed by a virulent fungal infestation known as UG99...An apparent escalation in spore-migration made the BBC Radio 4 news this evening so this could be a significant cause in any future famine for nations dependant on wheat

Experts fear deadly fungus in south Asia wheatfields

A wheat-killing fungus has spread from Africa to Iran and may already be in Pakistan, which depends crucially on wheat to feed its population, New Scientist magazine says.The killer pathogen, known as Ug99, emerged in Uganda in 1999, spread to Kenya in 2001, to Ethiopia in 2003 and then leapt to Yemen, its spores blown by Cyclone Gonu in June 2007.

The fungus has now been found in Iran "and may already be in Pakistan," the British weekly says in next Saturday's issue."If so, this is extremely bad news, as Pakistan is not only critically reliant on its wheat crop, it is also the gateway to the Asian breadbasket, including the vital Punjab region."

Billions at risk from wheat super-blight

"This thing has immense potential for social and human destruction." Startling words - but spoken by the father of the Green Revolution, Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, they are not easily dismissed.

An infection is coming, and almost no one has heard about it. This infection isn't going to give you flu, or TB. In fact, it isn't interested in you at all. It is after the wheat plants that feed more people than any other single food source on the planet. And because of cutbacks in international research, we aren't prepared. The famines that were banished by the advent of disease-resistant crops in the Green Revolution of the 1960s could return, Borlaug told New Scientist.

The disease is Ug99, a virulent strain of black stem rust fungus (Puccinia graminis), discovered in Uganda in 1999. Since the Green Revolution, farmers everywhere have grown wheat varieties that resist stem rust, but Ug99 has evolved to take advantage of those varieties, and almost no wheat crops anywhere are resistant to it."

[edit on 13-3-2008 by citizen smith]

Yes, yes we could run out of food. The war on food has been going on for a long time now, and seems to be reaching it’s end game. Hungry people are compliant people.

news.yahoo.com...

www.nationalexpositor.com...

No I don't believe we could truly run out of food.

However, the government wants us to run out of food. I mean think about it. Producing virgin seeds for our fruits and vegetables. Countries holding food on barges till it rots. Cloning our meats and feeding the clones to us when we have no idea what it is truly doing to us. Making sure all our meats have some type of disease. Mad cow, bird flu. You name it the government is ruining our foods.

To me they are trying to cause a World Wide Famine. So yes we can and will run out of food thanks to the government.

link

Originally posted by DimensionalDetective
I just posted a thread a month or so ago of how the farming industry has actually DIMINISHED over recent years in terms of people producing crops of food.

Yeah that's because the government has been paying ranchers and farmers for decades to NOT grow crops and NOT raise cattle. They do this so that specific corporative interests are in control of our food supply.

You heard it right: the American farmer and rancher is paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to NOT grow crops.

Why would they do this besides to create a monopoly on the market? They do this so that when the economy crashes there is no hope of a readily available supply of food.

[edit on 13-3-2008 by NewWorldOver]

This is actually good news for British Farmers. As Australia and others are unable to meet demand, due to whatever reason, British Wheat farmers are making a small killing at the moment. They are currently ramping up planting of Wheat and other crops, so this year could be a bumper year.

I would imagine France would also benefit, as they get £30 Billion a year in EU subsidies via the CAP so they don't produce. There is an awful lot of capacity left to meet global demand, we just need to bring the farms back on stream after years of non-production.

A barrel of oil for a barrel of grain.I know I read that somewhere.The fake oil crisis will be the downfall of OPEC.All their money won't save them when their people are starving and revolt.

reply to post by NewWorldOver


So, I guess the farmers and ranchers will be able to buy food.

Has anyone checked the price of "seeds" lately?

I bought some not long ago and they were outrageous.

This world is in a sorry condition.

My Mother and Grandmother used to say "people will starve in a land of plenty".

I didn't know what they meant by that but I sure do now.

reply to post by stumason


It may be good news for some farmers, and there's no doubt that it's great news for ADM, but it's certainly bad news for the consumer. I'm glad that I've got a couple dozen potato plants coming up, and the beans will be going in soon. Self sufficiency people, get used to it.

Originally posted by daddyroo45
A barrel of oil for a barrel of grain.I know I read that somewhere.The fake oil crisis will be the downfall of OPEC.All their money won't save them when their people are starving and revolt.

Yeah? Well, what happens when the rest of the world demands OPEC to stop using our declining US dollars to price oil, and OPEC agrees, and they stop accepting declining worthless US dollars for oil too, and suddenly oil will cost us $500 a barrel after a currency conversion, and our farmers can't afford that to run their farms, which doesn't really matter because nobody can afford food anyhow, because all our businesses go under because they too can't function on $12 a gallon gas, who will starve then?

No one with an acre of land and a hand full of seeds and a good rifle is going to starve, if things happen to the US economy that look like might happen, you might get shot trying to defend your garden, but you won't starve

The worlds population wont run out of food but just like oil there wont be any affordable food left . However there is a way out this jam GM crops look set to be the future and there has been plenty of research in this area.

First world country's need to put economic rivals aside and poll there resources in order to avoid future problems . Africa was the bread basket of the Roman Empire and if government leaders take the right steps it could be a bread basket once more.

3 years ago I would of laughed at the prospect of something like this. Now I see the big picture and the picture doesnt look to bright.

reply to post by xpert11


Egypt provided significant quantities of grain to Rome itself, but describing Africa as the empire's bread basket is a bit far fetched.

having said that, Zimbabwe was Africa's breadbasket until Mugabe decided the land was better farmed by incompetent black peasants as opposed to the commercial farms previously. The same is happening all over Africa. Countries once able to feed themselves and export to many other's are now facing famine due to mismanagement and racism.

There is no reason why this planet cannot feed everyone. I read once that Earth could potentially support twice the population (some 12 Billion), but mismanagement, war and corruption prevent that.

Originally posted by stumason
Egypt provided significant quantities of grain to Rome itself, but describing Africa as the empire's bread basket is a bit far fetched.

No argument here that was my mistake I meant to say North Africa was the bread basket of the Roman Empire. Thanks for clearing up that historical nugget. Anyway no matter where we intend to produce the worlds food supply action has to be taken to avoid future problems such as limited food and water supplies causing more armed conflicts.

reply to post by NewWorldOver


well actually the way I understand it is that the government pays farmers not to overproduce so that there is no surplus of food. a surplus drives prices down which might seem great for us but it can end up in a disaster for the farmers because if everyone does it then the prices are too low to keep it all profitable.

this arose early in the 19th century IIRC when farmers were beginning to use more mechanized tools the the mechanical reaper and such. this increased productivity and the supply being provided. it also caused prices to hit rock bottom and caused some problems with the farmers.

if the government subsidizes it and makes it so that it's more sensible to NOT overproduce, then no one will overproduce and prices will stay at a comfortable level (assuming all else stays the same).

no conspiracy here.

reply to post by Divinorumus


I guess in that case we would have to drill for oil in the anwar reserve.They estimate several billion barrels there.Any questions?

reply to post by daddyroo45


WOW. I just did a quick bit of research on the anwar reserve and I must say I'm impressed. we should begin taking advantage of this immediately!

unless there's some sort of catch?

Originally posted by FinalSonicX
reply to post by NewWorldOver

 

well actually the way I understand it is that the government pays farmers not to overproduce so that there is no surplus of food. a surplus drives prices down which might seem great for us but it can end up in a disaster for the farmers because if everyone does it then the prices are too low to keep it all profitable.

this arose early in the 19th century IIRC when farmers were beginning to use more mechanized tools the the mechanical reaper and such. this increased productivity and the supply being provided. it also caused prices to hit rock bottom and caused some problems with the farmers.

This is what was done at one time, but not now. Not for maybe the last 10 years.

if the government subsidizes it and makes it so that it's more sensible to NOT overproduce, then no one will overproduce and prices will stay at a comfortable level (assuming all else stays the same).

no conspiracy here.

Now we get what is called a deficiency payment. The government basically says we know you are going to lose money planting this crop so here is some money to help you make it through the year. There is a limit on the amount of money that a farmer gets. Just ask any farmer if he could survive without these payments.