2009 Will Be Year of Global Food Crisis

Originally posted by VelmaLu
There's a couple of things you have to realize. "Starvation" does not always equate with death (it will eventually), it means not getting enough calories. Currently, it is estimated that something like 700 million people worldwide are starving.

About 30% of US grain is diverted to making biofuels. We have no more stockpiles, that's why food banks are hurting. There are no more warehouses stuffed with cheese or silos full of wheat.

We export enormous amounts of grain to Japan, Europe and South America. Japan would never be able to grow it's own food, doubtful that Europe could as well given the climate.

There was a worldwide rice shortage in 2007 and 2008, people were rioting. The majority of the world's population subsists (and I mean subsists) on rice. So if grain from the US was not available, then it is likely that Japan would start relying on rice more. It has a trickle down effect, with demand increasing cost and even a few pennies increase would result in starvation of the poorest of the poor. When your diet consists of one bowl of rice a day and a few vegetables, it's difficult to cut back.

In developed countries, the same thing happens. Imagine a perfect storm of more people needing help, a reduction in social systems and an increase in food prices. While many can afford to cut back, the poorest of the poor cannot.

There is the societal code of conduct which we agree that crime is bad and should be punished, but when people resort to theft to feed themselves or their children, the issue becomes less clear. People who would never think of stealing a car would have no problem breaking into your home to get food. We're going to see an increase in crime.

What happens when this global drought means the US stops exporting say half it's usual shipments? What do governments do when millions are starving and there's no way to feed them?

I think we all know the answer, because it's exactly what we do to protect our fuel resources.

You have some amazing points. I'm upset this issue is simply put on the side burner. Our government should be taking proactive measures to divert this crisis.

I'm assuming this hyperinfation theory will soon be reality. Ive havent done the numbers on farming acerage VS biofuels but it wouldnt be good. Corn is a precious resource.

The few of us that have stocked up on grain and rice will be better off but the masses have no idea.

I agree crime will be rampant, those without will most lkely kill to feed their children.

They are finding new ways to limit people from growing their own food. I read yesterday that if an idividual raises a few chickens our homeowners insurance will get cancelled considering those to be farmers. The key is to say it's a hobby.

It appears that most in the US and EU may resort to only eating one bowl of rice a day and no vegetables.

FDIC said recently, that if every American ate 4 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day there isnt enough NOW. I figured that would wake some people up to the severity of this issue.

It's quite alarming!

I'm not so sure the government isn't driving this issue.

Food is just one scarce resource, but the loss of it is devastating and there is something deeply disturbing about people not having enough to eat. In the US, it is doubtful we'll ever really die of starvation, given that the average farmer grows enough food for about 140+ people.

We would just stop exporting.

However, when you take this issue and put it in context of all the dwindling resources -- water, arable land, food and especially oil, you get a different picture of the problem.

Oil = Food.

The US currently consumes 25% of the world's oil production. Our strongest competitors are emerging nations that are industrializing their economies and also need more and more oil. . . India and China. Notice how these two nations are now more important politically. They also have much larger populations that require food, so either their oil goes toward industry or food production.

We talked about what happens when the cost of rice goes up a few pennies -- people starve, but what happens when oil goes up a few dollars a barrel? Well, if you're a rice eating peasant living in rural China, you don't hardly notice. But if you're a middle-class American, you feel it. And while we don't die of starvation if we can't drive our cars, a prolonged price increase would bring the US economy to it's knees.

I suspect the food "shortage" is nothing more than our part is the global economic cold war which is being waged right now. Without imports of oil, many Americans would die, simply because our lifestyles are so heavily dependent on energy and making the transition to an agrarian society would be next to impossible. Yes, we can grow plenty of food, but it has to be harvested and transported using oil.

And if we did stop exporting, what would other countries do? What do WE do to protect our oil? Do we have any expectation that other countries wouldn't want to protect their food supply?

This issue is just part of the bigger puzzle being played out on the global stage. We are reaching critical mass and something needs to give -- we need a massive die off. It's too late to curb the population because we're over carrying capacity and any corrective measures would only effect future generations.

The only solution to this problem is to get rid of millions of people through war, man-made disaster (melting polar ice caps anyone?), disease (pandemic) or starvation. I believe the US has opted for the latter and this is why it is attempting to control food production.

There may be a decrease of living standard, but a food crisis is very unlikely.

Last time I checked, the crop production is absolutely enough, roughly 1kg per person per day for everybody on earth. No sure meat and vegetable production though.

Definitely, many people won't have enough just as usual

Originally posted by VelmaLu
I'm not so sure the government isn't driving this issue.

Food is just one scarce resource, but the loss of it is devastating and there is something deeply disturbing about people not having enough to eat. In the US, it is doubtful we'll ever really die of starvation, given that the average farmer grows enough food for about 140+ people.

We would just stop exporting.

However, when you take this issue and put it in context of all the dwindling resources -- water, arable land, food and especially oil, you get a different picture of the problem.

Oil = Food.

The US currently consumes 25% of the world's oil production. Our strongest competitors are emerging nations that are industrializing their economies and also need more and more oil. . . India and China. Notice how these two nations are now more important politically. They also have much larger populations that require food, so either their oil goes toward industry or food production.

We talked about what happens when the cost of rice goes up a few pennies -- people starve, but what happens when oil goes up a few dollars a barrel? Well, if you're a rice eating peasant living in rural China, you don't hardly notice. But if you're a middle-class American, you feel it. And while we don't die of starvation if we can't drive our cars, a prolonged price increase would bring the US economy to it's knees.

I suspect the food "shortage" is nothing more than our part is the global economic cold war which is being waged right now. Without imports of oil, many Americans would die, simply because our lifestyles are so heavily dependent on energy and making the transition to an agrarian society would be next to impossible. Yes, we can grow plenty of food, but it has to be harvested and transported using oil.

And if we did stop exporting, what would other countries do? What do WE do to protect our oil? Do we have any expectation that other countries wouldn't want to protect their food supply?

This issue is just part of the bigger puzzle being played out on the global stage. We are reaching critical mass and something needs to give -- we need a massive die off. It's too late to curb the population because we're over carrying capacity and any corrective measures would only effect future generations.

The only solution to this problem is to get rid of millions of people through war, man-made disaster (melting polar ice caps anyone?), disease (pandemic) or starvation. I believe the US has opted for the latter and this is why it is attempting to control food production.

Yes an increase in fuel prices will definitely cause higher food prices, especially for perishable goods that need to be shipped in refrigerated trucks.

Ive already noticed the prices gouges. It affects everything else too. The amount of land available to farmers is now decreasing at an alarming rate.

Back in 2007 the UN was warning that the worldwide food reserves are at their lowest in 35 years. Supply and demand have become unbalanced.

We now have farmers that have quit making cereal and have chosen to grow biofuels. Did you notice a couple years ago that the cost of cereal jumped at least 25% maybe more, in one year.

Plus we have a growing demand from China and India. It’s all out of whack.

I’m surprised we aren’t hearing more about it! When you say “the latter”,,do you mean pandemic or starvation. I happen to think both.

What's up? You may have a point on the driving forces.

Originally posted by bluepanic
There may be a decrease of living standard, but a food crisis is very unlikely.

Last time I checked, the crop production is absolutely enough, roughly 1kg per person per day for everybody on earth. No sure meat and vegetable production though.

Definitely, many people won't have enough just as usual

I have to agree that there will be a decreased living standard with the global population and not just the poorest countries.

It's out there but for some reason it quit making news headlines.

After the elections I felt compelled to stock up on canned foods, juices, powdered milk, flour, sugar, salt, rice, beans and pastas just in case. Who knows what will happen in the future. And if the most recent newsworthy commentary is any indicator, a moderate lack of trust in anyone but myself for my future comfort is wise.

I tried my first garden in 2 4'x8' wooden planters last year. Since it was my first and I have no experts to guide me, the results were only fair. Reading about gardening and canning is one thing, actually making a success of it is quite another. Besides, the chemtrails seem contribute to less sunny days than years gone by. I think because of them, some of my vegetable plants suffered some type of moldy infection.

I'm trying another garden this year with the only difference being, I'm probably going to have to resort to chemicals to keep them alive.

I appreciate the OP posting this info and am looking forward to and appreciate all replies on this subject. S&F!

Originally posted by Hazelnut
After the elections I felt compelled to stock up on canned foods, juices, powdered milk, flour, sugar, salt, rice, beans and pastas just in case. Who knows what will happen in the future. And if the most recent newsworthy commentary is any indicator, a moderate lack of trust in anyone but myself for my future comfort is wise.

I tried my first garden in 2 4'x8' wooden planters last year. Since it was my first and I have no experts to guide me, the results were only fair. Reading about gardening and canning is one thing, actually making a success of it is quite another. Besides, the chemtrails seem contribute to less sunny days than years gone by. I think because of them, some of my vegetable plants suffered some type of moldy infection.

I'm trying another garden this year with the only difference being, I'm probably going to have to resort to chemicals to keep them alive.

I appreciate the OP posting this info and am looking forward to and appreciate all replies on this subject. S&F!

I find that very funny. Lots of people stocked up after the elections and were scared to death. I also stocked up then.

I also stocked up for Y2K, Daylight saving time bug and the day Lehman fell and the stock market dropped 777 points. This last time I had 2 full pallets delivered. I may have over reacted but better safe than sorry. It costs a lot of money when panic sets in but a good solid investment is how I see it.

You are wise to trust that only you can provide for yourself. I'm the same way. Having children that depend on me is more cause to prepare.

I have seen a couple friends go from living the high life to applying for food stamps. If the majority of the population thinks they can fall back on government assistance they are in for a rude awakening.

I'm not surprised chemtrails have had an effect on other things as well. I hope you have better luck with your garden this year.

I think the government has opted to allow starvation. The situation is that we need energy to keep the US going. It doesn't matter if it's a wasteful society, environmentally damaging, etc. If we do not have energy, we can't keep going.

You can't kill off everyone but the farmers because our economy is interdependent. The farmer needs equipment, fertilizers, transportation, credit and everything else that makes the US go. So if the US fails, the world starves.

I believe that what is happening is that we're diverting crops to biofuels to create a greater demand for food, and to increase food prices. The US no longer manufactures anything of significance, but it still grows food. It's all we have left.

By using food to fuel our economy, we create greater demand for our products through orchestrated scarcity. Of course, the result is that some people starve.

Regarding gardening, I would like to share the results of my research.

It is virtually impossible to grow all the food you need to live on anything less than 20 acres, and it will almost certainly be more expensive than what you can buy in the store.

However, you can grow some things eocnomically and trade them, or can them.

From what I have learned, fruit and nut trees are the most economical way to do this. They require less inputs, you buy them only once, and they produce large amounts for years that can been canned or frozen. I also include asparagus, figs and grapes in this group. If you have limited space, you can buy dwarf or super-dwarf trees and plant them in containers. They will produce on balconies or patios.

Beyond that, growing vine plants is not as good as fruit or nut trees, but might save you some money overall. You'll have a large amount of produce and much of it can be canned. Produce like peppers, squash, strawberries, melons, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers can be grown in containers as well.

The lest economical are row plants that require a lot of space, such as carrots, onions, broccoli, wheat, corn, beets, turnips, etc. This is because you only get one per plant, and you have to replant each year and fertilize. They require a lot of care and work and it's almost always cheaper to buy in the store.

There are exception to this, such as if you have a lot of land with rich soil, plenty of water and free fertilizer.

Another way to save money on gardening is to start composting using worms. And yes, this can be done if you live in an apartment or condo as well.

While reading this thread it brought to mind a grocery warehouse/distributor in Little Rock that just had to file bankruptcy and close it's doors after 53 years of business.

While looking for the story about it I ran across something else and I thought I would share it here. It might be beneficial to some folks located in the US who want to buy locally grown meats/produce.

LocallyGrown.Net

LocallyGrown.net gives the internet's advantages to Farmers' Markets.

Whether you manage or sell at a traditional farmers' market with many other vendors or use a small email list to market produce off your farm, LocallyGrown.net is for you!

Not only is it good for local farmsers but it makes the produce/meat/etc from these local farms available to the general public who might otherwise have not known they even existed. If you click on "Our Markets" on the top of the page it brings up a google map of the US with pins indicating areas where there are local markets. Check it out! If something like this can grow and expand across the US it might help, not only local economies, but keep people from going hungry when/if the grocery trucks stop running.

Originally posted by VelmaLu
I think the government has opted to allow starvation. The situation is that we need energy to keep the US going. It doesn't matter if it's a wasteful society, environmentally damaging, etc. If we do not have energy, we can't keep going.

You can't kill off everyone but the farmers because our economy is interdependent. The farmer needs equipment, fertilizers, transportation, credit and everything else that makes the US go. So if the US fails, the world starves.

I believe that what is happening is that we're diverting crops to biofuels to create a greater demand for food, and to increase food prices. The US no longer manufactures anything of significance, but it still grows food. It's all we have left.

By using food to fuel our economy, we create greater demand for our products through orchestrated scarcity. Of course, the result is that some people starve.

Good point. If we also consider the chances of having drought conditions or a natural disaster wiping out our crops. We have another catastrophe and more starvation.

Thanks for bringing up gardening. Yes even people in apartments or Condo's can grow food in containers. Tomato plants are also easy to do. They don’t take up a lot of space.

[edit on 8-5-2009 by wonderworld]

Originally posted by cnichols
While reading this thread it brought to mind a grocery warehouse/distributor in Little Rock that just had to file bankruptcy and close it's doors after 53 years of business.

While looking for the story about it I ran across something else and I thought I would share it here. It might be beneficial to some folks located in the US who want to buy locally grown meats/produce.

LocallyGrown.Net

LocallyGrown.net gives the internet's advantages to Farmers' Markets.

Whether you manage or sell at a traditional farmers' market with many other vendors or use a small email list to market produce off your farm, LocallyGrown.net is for you!

Not only is it good for local farmsers but it makes the produce/meat/etc from these local farms available to the general public who might otherwise have not known they even existed. If you click on "Our Markets" on the top of the page it brings up a google map of the US with pins indicating areas where there are local markets. Check it out! If something like this can grow and expand across the US it might help, not only local economies, but keep people from going hungry when/if the grocery trucks stop running.

Thanks for the link, that was an eye opener. I was surprised to see only a couple in Washington State. We have local markets all over but they arent listed on the map.

I do expect our local farmers to increase food prices do to rising costs. I agree that farm fresh eggs and locally grown meat will be beneficial to our communities.

I also worry about these local farmers if the grocery store trucks stop running. Theft will increase. We may see farmers in their fields with shotguns to protect their produce and steer. I expect a lot of poaching, as well.

I agree that if the trucks stop running things are going to get hairy. I'm in a unique position to know this, as I am a truck driver and I know exactly how "JIT" (just in time) shipments work and how crucial they are to the supplying of stores, etc.

And yes, if things get that bad (i.e. trucks stop running) the farmers are going to be in a bad position, but all I can do is hope that people are smart enough to realize you can't kill the goose and still expect golden eggs. Although I don't hold much hope for that.

If you know of local farms/markets by all means spread the word about that website, as it's fairly new and just getting started.

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To the poster who stated ....

It is virtually impossible to grow all the food you need to live on anything less than 20 acres, and it will almost certainly be more expensive than what you can buy in the store.

While it may be difficult to start, it can be done with some dedication, on much less than 20 acres of land. When it comes to survival there are really only a few things you "need" to survive. One or two acres will be more than sufficient to grow enough food to feed multiple families.

Even just a handfull of large containers on a porch can supply a large quantity of food that can keep you alive and healthy. For example ...

Container 1 - Plant Peanuts in the center towards the front and plant a vining plant of beans or squash in the back. (assuming you're not allergic to peanuts!) The peanuts can be used to make a number of things, #1 being organic peanut butter! The vines you plant can be any type of vining plant from green beans to zuchini squash.

Container 2 - Plant tomatos in the back of the container and plant green peppers, lettuce, celery, broccoli, or any other low growing vegie. (This can be your "salad" container!)

This is just a small idea of what can be grown in containers. If you're not sure what type of vegetables can be grown with others visit this webpage (which I obtained on another thread under the survival forum)

List of Companion Plants

As far as soil goes, composting is a great way to get soil that is healthy, rich and full of nutrients for veggies. And while it takes some time to get compost going, it's well worth it in the long run.

--------

We can NOT depend on the government to feed us, we must learn to feed ourselves. The government doesn't care about the people when it comes to feeding us. If they did they wouldn't encourage companies like Monsanto to produce unhealthy GMO food, foods grown in pesticide cacoons, or meats pumped full of antibiotics and grown in unsanitary conditions.

Someone mentioned that the US farmers produce enough to feed 140+ people each. Do you really want to eat GMO foods alone? Blech. Besides which, alot of those farms don't grow "edible" veggies. Corn and soy beans grown for biofuel are doused with chemicals because they are not grown for human consumption.

Anyway, the only way I can see for us to diminish the impact of the coming food shortage on ourselves is to become less dependant on what comes out of the grocery store.

Reply to post by cnichols

I also worry about the goose laying the golden egg. This is one reason China and Russia havent came after us yet. What happens when the golden eggs stop? Know what I mean?

I still find your name interesting since Ive had that genealogy mystery of this dead guy named C Nicholes. Very cool!

Back to the subject; your right we must only depend on ourselves but try to convince others of this and they think it's gloom and doom talk.

Thanks for the useful container gardening tips. That will help lots of people that may wish to try it.

The just in time thing is scary. Do you have a "not on time delivery"? I could see this possible if there was a mass panic and a rush on the grocery stores.

[edit on 8-5-2009 by wonderworld]

[edit on 8-5-2009 by wonderworld]