The Spreading Food Crisis Thread (U.S. & World)

joelcolorado · Intermediate Crude Joined: May 25, 2008 Posts: 683

Probably going to be some real famines and loss of life the way it looks. What a horrible world we live in. If everyone could get along, we could sustain our population but I spose then, the population would skyrocket with ppl not using birth control and then you are back where we are now.

I dont get it that overseas ppl have so many children when they dont have food. QUIT having sex duh....

Same here, there needs to be an intelligence test for parenthood.
Seems like the dumbest, poorest ppl have the most kids.Shame.
Two is PLENTY for anyone. GET a vasectomy.

Ludi

joelcolorado · Intermediate Crude Joined: May 25, 2008 Posts: 683

I suppose, but in many parts of the world they DO. Its ignorance alone in those places. NO ONE needs 4 kids. I know, I will get hate mail now, but in a world of decreasing resources, you must take personal responsibility for your actions.

Either get fixed or quit having sex. DUH. Like I said, the poor and dumbest ppl have the most kids which only leads to more of the same generation after generation. Welfare families have a hard time breaking out of that mold.

Poor ppl have poor ways.

Ludi

joelcolorado · Intermediate Crude Joined: May 25, 2008 Posts: 683

And with TWO kids you can fit in a compact car and dont NEED an SUV or Van which uses too much gas. THINK of all the savings with fewer children? Health care, schooling, food, insurance, clothes, sports, dental, oh..and for some bonding them out of jail....hhahahah

DefiledEngine · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 19, 2004 Posts: 292

Ludi

OilFinder2

Things are looking up for the Australian wheat crop, though much still depends on decent September rains.

--> Australia Grain-Wheat gets rain boost as prices fall<--

wisconsin_cur

If I can tip my hand a bit,

The time will have to wait for a more detailed argument but according to the USDA world meat production (beef, pork, sheep and poultry) went from 154,000,000 tons in 1992 to 193,000,000 by 2003 (I am still looking for later statistics) or a growth of ~25%. During this same period of time Chinese and Indian production each doubled, the largest net gain being china (~33,000,000) which produces 10x as much meat as India.

I would import a graph here but I have yet to figure out a reliable way to get that job done.

American production remained stable, fluctuating in a 6% range from year to year.

All of that additional (39 million tons) production of meat requires a lot of grain (details to come). I will assert now what I will make an argument for later (mid-august) that a marginal increase in grain production will not change the situation until there is a level of demand destruction when it comes to meat. This is liable to have a magnified effect since every pound of meat not produced releases many pounds of grain for human consumption.

I expect we will need to see prices passed through to consumers (I have no idea what nations have price controls on meat but it appears as if China is among them. I also believe Argentina and Venz. also control the prices of meat.) before we see this demand destruction take place.

Again it is an issue of local politics. The Chinese, Argentinians, Chavez and other nations that use price controls do so to keep their local populations happy and not acting on their discontent. So these nations will continue to keep the price of meat artificially low until they cannot anymore.

Those nations that cannot afford to keep prices low will see their people demand destructed first. These people are not consuming any meat currently, their demand cannot be destructed any further without facing starvation. There elimination as consumers of grain will have a negligible effect on demand.

I do not think the leaders of the PRC care how many people in Chad or even India have to suffer or starve in order to keep them in power in Beijing, so we continue on the present course until we reach the expected destination.

Don't blame biofuels. Don't blame poor harvests. They are both marginal parts of the story. Inversely good harvests and an elimination of the use of biofuels from food will have a relatively short term effect.

Human desire for meat and the ability to pay for it, that is the culprit.

USDA Statistics
_________________
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

"The time has come for men to act like men; and for women, well, to act a lot more like men."
-Ma Cur

wisconsin_cur

An indirect way to make the point,

World Grain Production Per Person,

World Meat Production Per Person,

Taking the charts at face value we have a grain increase of about 40kg per person since 1960 and a meat increase of 18kg per person since 1960.

cube · Fusion Joined: Mar 12, 2005 Posts: 3823

joelcolorado · Intermediate Crude Joined: May 25, 2008 Posts: 683

My wife and I were talking and think that eventually, we will have to limit each persons caloric intake per day in order to sustain not only the food supplies but so that there is enough money for energy use.

We have personally cut out all junk food and are eating about one fourth or third of previous amounts. Of course we have lost weight but feel better, our health is good and our food bills almost nothing compared to before. No more chips, soda or ice cream.

This is also going to happen whether we like it or not due to increasing health care costs. Wife a doc and there is already talk of increased health care premiums for over weight ppl. And talk of increased cost for plane fairs for heavy folks. The airplanes were designed for 150 pound ppl when they were built so no wonder there are problems with weight to balance on jets these days.

I know this will stir up a controversy but just like smoking is a choice, so is being fat. Sorry. It is. Youopen your own mouth and take the food in. If you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight. Cant snack etc. But anyway

The day will come that medical insurance will follow life insurance and premiums will be based on weight, smoking and other lifestyle CHOICES.
I cant see where giving each person enough calories to live is bad. WHY IS THAT A BAD THING> No one gets hurt and it benefits the entire world.

The average trip thru the buffet bar people eat 5,000 calories. THINK ABOUT THAT> 100 additional calories a day will increase your weight 10 pounds. 10 years of that and you are fat. Been there done that.

cube · Fusion Joined: Mar 12, 2005 Posts: 3823

Ludi