Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
Quote:
In Africa, food riots have swept across the continent, with recent protests in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Senegal. In most of West Africa, the price of food has risen by 50 percent—in Sierra Leone, 300 percent. Last week, African finance ministers warned the rise in international food prices “poses significant threats to Africa’s growth, peace and security.” Other protests have been held this past week in countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Egypt. In Haiti, at least five people have died in riots over 50 percent price hikes for rice, beans and fruit since last year. The demonstrations continued Monday outside the national palace in Port-au-Prince.
Last month, the World Food Program issued a rare appeal for an additional $500 million in funding. For its part, the Bush administration has reduced emergency food aid. Last month, the US Agency for International Development said that a 41 percent surge in prices for wheat, corn, rice and other cereals over the past six months has generated a $120 million budget shortfall that will force the agency to reduce emergency operations.
... one of the major issues is, of course, the price of oil. I mean, one of the problems with the way our food reaches us today is that it is industrial, it is very fossil fuel-intensive, not just to the distance the food travels, but also in the fertilizer. You know, fossil fuel is required to produce fertilizer, pesticide, these sorts of things. And so, when the price of oil is over $100 a barrel, that combines with all the other factors to make a perfect storm where food prices are absolutely beyond the means of the poorest people.
Joined: Aug 11, 2005 Posts: 725 Location: Eastern NC
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
Good on our part about cutting back,
From now on, food support without aggressive contraception support is just further moral hazard. It only insures that more will suffer latter
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:24 pm Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
Quote:
The crisis is widespread and the result of numerous causes a kind of "perfect storm" leading to panic in many places:
* In Thailand, farmers are sleeping in their fields because thieves are stealing rice, now worth $600 a ton, right out of the paddies.
* Four people were killed in Egypt in riots over subsidized flour that was being sold for profit on the black market.
* There have been food riots in Morocco, Senegal and Cameroon.
* Mexico's government is considering lifting a ban on genetically modified crops, to allow its farmers to compete with the United States.
* Argentina, Kazakhstan and China have imposed restrictions to limit grain exports and keep more of their food at home.
* Vietnam and India, both major rice exporters, have announced further restrictions on overseas sales.
* Violent food protests hit Burkina Faso in February.
* Protesters rallied in Indonesia recently, and media reported deaths by starvation.
* In the Philippines, fast-food chains were urged to cut rice portions to counter a surge in prices.
* Millions of people in India face starvation after a plague of rats overruns a region, as they do cyclically every 50 years.
* Officials in Bangladesh warn of an emerging "silent famine" that threatens to ravage the region.
According to some experts, the worst damage is being done by government mandates and subsidies for "biofuels" that supposedly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and fight climate change. Thirty percent of this year's U.S. grain harvest will go to ethanol distilleries. The European Union, meanwhile, has set a goal of 10 percent bio-fuels for all transportation needs by 2010.
"A huge amount of the world's farmland is being diverted to feed cars, not people," writes Gwynne Dyer, a London-based independent journalist.
Oh, and by the way. This is an off-topic discussion.
Nothing related to Peak Oil or Depletion Economics here...
Tyler_JC _________________ "I eat the pretzel, it get stuck in the throat and I pass out..." - George W Bush
March 7, 2007 Remarks by the President to Political Appointees
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:39 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
We are one bad harvest away from total end of world chaos with a billion dead. Even without a bad harvest we are in for some troubling times. I think is fair to state the the Earth is at max capacity right now. And I mean Right Now. For every person born today someone somewhere must die to make room.
Joined: Jul 04, 2007 Posts: 2045 Location: The U.S.S.A
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:43 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
Novus wrote:
We are one bad harvest away from total end of world chaos with a billion dead. Even without a bad harvest we are in for some troubling times. I think is fair to state the the Earth is at max capacity right now. And I mean Right Now. For every person born today someone somewhere must die to make room.
I think we reached max capacity 50 years ago. We shouldn't be packed togther like sardines.
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:19 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
My wife mentioned to me that she felt bad that these famines are sweeping the globe and we eat so well here. And we were only sitting down to maybe a ten dollar pot of homemade broccolli cheese soup. I would have much preferred a $40 french onion and prime rib dinner, with some creme broule for dessert.
I agree with you guys this is not only a big issue, but it is also a smoking gun for peak oil. There is not other reason why supply would lag like it is under such strong demand except that they simply can't do it. Simmons is taking alot of heat now from the oil majors, insults are being cast and he is firing right back. I am real proud of the stand he is taking right now, because he is right. The oil majors are in liquidation and men of such high morals and intestinal fortitude that they will sit back and watch the world starve to death rather then tell the truth, peak oil is here now.
'The rich man's money is his high tower' Proverbs
And yes I agree with what my wife's conscience was implying, this is a social justice issue on a global scale. _________________ I return to you now at the turning of the tide.
Joined: Apr 08, 2006 Posts: 1334 Location: Somewhere there
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:53 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
Novus wrote:
I think is fair to state the the Earth is at max capacity right now. And I mean Right Now. For every person born today someone somewhere must die to make room.
MUST, does not mean WILL. I dont know what u mean by max capacity, but there is plenty of forest left to burn to make some more human biomass. I 'd say we'll see 7, or even 7.1 billion. Pretty soon.
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:01 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
The problem is not that we are packed like sardines but that each person has a global impact of 10 acres or more. In that regard the world was over populated in 1800. I have been reading some of the comments on the BBC about the food crisis and few understand what is going on here and what is going to happen long term.
There is a strong relationship between poverty and state weakness. Poorer countries tend to be weaker ones, in part because they are more vulnerable to conflict. The United States must complement the Millennium Challenge Account's focus on "good performers" with parallel strategies to reduce poverty in the world's most challenging states.
Joined: Oct 24, 2006 Posts: 115 Location: Pacific Northwest
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:52 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
So I read through the table posted by gw... and no where do I see the US on it? Are we afraid to hold up the mirror and recognize where we are in that mix? Or did I just miss it the two times I was glancing through?
Edited to add: Never mind... just saw it was "developing states" only. _________________ Check out Our Modern "Victory Garden" - http://www.freewebs.com/kitsapfreedomgardener/
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:56 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
I wish it were possible to take account of the "robustness" of that strong state index. Will it really take that much to cast Mexico up the chart, so to speak? _________________ Nature is complete because it does not serve itself.
The sage places himself after and finds himself before,
Ignores his desire and finds himself content.
He is complete because he does not serve himself. -Lao Tze
Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:23 am Post subject: Re: Food Riots Break Out Across the Globe
Except for the countries fighting civil wars, you could grow food and survive in most of the other bottom countries. But most of the countries have bought into the World Bank bullshit of mono cropping and sending that to some other country. Then buying packaged food sent from thousands of miles away. Get used to the riots they will soon be coming to a city near you.
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WWhat? I was buying decent rice for 10 cents a kilo in RETAIL with 21% of sales tax included in the price.2002-2003
