[eXpat]

I'm surprised that we're not seeing food riots all over the world again in reponse to this situation. Maybe, it took the combination of high food prices and high oil prices to spark the riots in 2008??
Bloomberg
I might stock up on food again like I did in 2008, who knows what could happen?

The first time something happens, it is a shock and creates panic. The second time it happens, you just say "Here we go again...."

If it last happened 5 years ago, people would have forgotten. But seeing it again so soon takes away the fear.

[eXpat]

Soaring global food prices spark fears of social unrest

The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) yesterday released the bad news: food prices are the highest they've ever been. And they're going to get higher.

The UN releases an annual index which calculates prices based on the current markets of 55 products worldwide, including rice, milk, wheat, sugar and cheese. This index reached an all-time high of 214.7 in December of 2010, surpassing the previous high of 213.5 set in June of 2008 when a global food crisis sparked riots in countries such as Somalia and Haiti - where the populous turned to eating mud for sustenance.

Several factors have led to the recent price spikes, including poor recent grain crops in Canada, Russia and the Ukraine; poor soybean crops due to drought in Argentina; and flooding affecting wheat crops in Australia. Corn prices have also risen, partially due to the increasing diverson of corn crops to biofuels rather than food. Prices could continue to rise, particularly after the recent flooding in Australia and its looming effect on sugar prices - already at record levels.

The increases are trickling into your pocketbooks in various ways. The cost of food items in the grocery store is increasing, whether you're paying more for the same amount or paying the same amount for less (such as in the case of many chocolate products).
This, of course, is only a worry if you can afford to buy chocolate in the first place. Those hardest hit by the price increases are not those choosing between Dairy Milk and Crunchie; it is those who are struggling on pennies a day, for whom even the basics are out of reach. As a result, there are growing fears of social unrest as the most basic of human rights, the right to not go hungry, is denied to more and more across the world.

The UN is also warning that with the population on its way to 10 billion, food production needs to rise upwards of 70%. Is this possible? Will prices drive people to change their habits, go hungry, or pursue social change on a larger scale?

http://www.care2.com/causes/real-food/blog/food-costs-more-than-it-ever-has-and-its-going-higher/

[eastbay]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/afric ... .protests/

At least three people have been killed and 300 others injured in riots that erupted across Algeria amid rising food prices and a housing crisis, according to state-run media.
The protests began last week over spiraling costs of basic food items, including milk, oil and sugar. Some staples are subsidized by the government.

Great thread idea! Let's start with the first food riots of the year.

[eXpat]

'One poor harvest away from chaos'

'Within a decade," promised the top representative of the world's mightiest country, "no man, woman or child will go to bed hungry."

Dr Henry Kissinger, at the height of his powers as US Secretary of State, was speaking to the landmark 1974 World Food Conference. Since then, the number of hungry people worldwide has almost exactly doubled: from 460 million to 925 million.

And this week the airwaves have been full of warnings that the formidable figure could be about to increase further, as a new food crisis takes hold. Some experts warned that the world could be on the verge of a "nightmare scenario" of cut‑throat competition for the control of shrinking supplies.

The cause of such alarm? On Wednesday, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported that global food prices had hit a record high and were likely to go on rising, entering what Abdolreza Abbassian, its senior grains economist, called "danger territory".

That is bad enough for Britain, adding to the inflationary pressures from the soaring cost of oil and other commodities, not to mention the VAT increase. But for the world's poor, who have to spend 80 per cent of their income on food, it could be catastrophic.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthcomment/geoffrey-lean/8247029/One-poor-harvest-away-from-chaos.html

[eXpat]

Great thread idea! Let's start with the first food riots of the year.

Thank you eastbay, and here is why this year has the potential to see a lot of food riots:

* World food prices rose to a record in December on higher sugar, grain and oilseed costs, the United Nations said, exceeding levels reached in 2008 that sparked deadly riotsfrom Haiti to Egypt.
* An index of 55 food commodities tracked by the Food and Argiculture Organizartion gained for a sixth month to 214.7 points, above the previous all-time high of 213.5 in June 2008, the Rome-based UN agency said in a monthly report. The gauges for sugar and meat prices advanced to records.
* Sugar climbed for a third year in a row in 2010, and corn jumped the most in four years in Chicago. Food prices may rise more unless the world grain crop increases “significantly” in 2011, the FAO said Nov. 17.
* Last month’s year-on-year rise compares with the 43 percent jump in food costs in June 2008. Record fuel prices, weather- related crop problems, increasing demand from the growing Indian and Chinese middle classes, and the push to grow corn for ethanol fuel all contributed to the crisis that year.
* “In 2008 we had rapid increases in petroleum prices, fertilizer prices and other inputs,” Abbassian said. “So far, those increases have been rather constrained. It doesn’t really reduce the fear about what could be in store in the coming weeks or months.”
* In response to the 2008 crisis, countries from India and Egypt to Vietnam and Indonesia banned exports of rice, a staple for half the world. Skyrocketing food prices sparked protests and riots in almost three dozen poor nations including Haiti,Somalia, Burkina Faso and Cameroon.
* Rough rice last traded at $13.90 per 100 pounds in Chicago, compared with $20.21 at the end of June 2008. (this is the key one if you 'enjoy' riots)
* The surge in the FAO food index is principally on the back of rising costs for corn, sugar, vegetable oil and meat, which are less important than rice and wheat for food-insecure countries such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Haiti.

http://www.forexhound.com/article/Stocks/Stocks/World_Food_Prices_Surpass_2008_Record_Prepare_for_the_Riots/275084

[Pretorian]

Haiti prodiced well over 1200 pounds of food per Haitian in 2008. Among those coffee, avocados, coconuts,rice, beef and chicken, etc. About 270 pounds of sugar cane alone. Its just Haitian farmers are not willing to feed Haitians, thats it. Why feed this useless crowd when white people can do it perfectly fine(and by this, keep them off your farm). While you are exporting all the goodies for cash.

[eXpat]

This one from Tunisia

Protests over rising food prices and unemployment in Tunisia have led to the deaths of at least 14 demonstrators.

Police fired on crowds after rioting broke out in three towns. The government says those responsible are extremists intent on destabilising the country.

The deaths come amid unprecedented unrest in the North African country and neighbouring Algeria over the economic downturn

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12148829

[eXpat]

India: the dangerous rise of food prices

The continued rise in food prices in India – underlined earlier on Thursday by the most recent inflation figures – has been described as an onion crisis. Crop failures in the main onion growing regions have been strangling supply, which is one reason why the latest December figures showed food prices up 18 per cent from the previous year.

India’s government has taken short-term steps to manage the onion crisis, but at least one industry leader says this is not enough to arrest the sharp spike in food inflation.

The government is hoping to relieve pressure on India’s poor (who spend 50 per cent of what they earn on food items) by banning the export of Indian onions and importing onions from abroad.

But it’s not just onions that are becoming too expensive.

There has been a consistent rise in other staples, which has meant that those Indians on low and even middle incomes are really feeling the pinch.

“It is all very costly. All vegetables, especially potatoes as well as fruit, milk and meat. Prices seem to be increasing every day,” said Darshen Salvi, an office assistant in Mumbai’s Colaba district.

“Before there was only a high demand for produce, but now there is also a supply led pressure that is driving prices higher,” said Shubhada Rao, chief economist for Yes Bank in Mumbai, speaking in reference to unusual weather conditions and distribution problems that have affected supplies.

“Global commodities prices have seen an increase, which is also affecting prices. Increased food and fuel costs are making life tough for the average Indian,” she added.

As the FT reported on Thursday, the FAO’s food price index, which tracks the wholesale cost of wheat, corn, rice, oilseeds, dairy products, sugar and meats, has surpassed the peak of the 2007-2008 food crisis, putting pressure on governments globally to find ways to ease the impact.

While all eyes are on the Reserve Bank of India to raise interest rates in order to tame inflation, some industry bodies believe that this alone will not control prices.

http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/01/06/india-the-dangerous-rise-of-food-prices/

[dissident]

Lots of analysis saying the obvious yet no analysis explaining why there is a food price spike. Do floods in Australia really affect Algerian supplies? Does not look like crop failures are due to oil prices. Perhaps the problem has something to do with climate change. Models indicate that the world's agricultural zones are set for disruption in the coming decades. Looks like we are on that trajectory.

Famous last words: "We'll adapt".

[Lore]

Population starvation has a long history. We are enamored with the possibility of techno-fixes today since our slice of life has only experienced relative security and exponential progress through cheap energy and a stable environment. You have to be an ignoramus to believe that once all that fundamentally changes you can adapt to a life that maintains BAU.

I believe the long term prospects for making money by investing in Jenny Craig or Nutri System are slim (pun intended).

[Hinterlander]

This is a bit tangential to the focus of this thread, but I didn't know where else to post it...

In advance of the snow storm in the southeastern US, the grocery shelves were stripped bare.

In advance of the snow storm in the northeastern US, the grocery shelves are being stripped bare.

In advance of the flood waters in Australia, the grocery store shelves in Brisbane are being stripped bare.

This could be nothing remarkable, typical behaviour when there is advance warning of an approaching emergency.

But I keep wonderig if it could be a sign of a growing awareness in the general populace. 1) Are people in western industrialized countries becoming more sensatized to the fact that the weather is becoming more severe and can produce catastrophic results? 2) Are people becoming more aware of how tenuous their food supply is?

[Ludi]

Reminds me of the episode of "The Simpsons" in which there was an emergency in Springfield and the only thing left on the grocery shelf was "wadded beef."

Panic buying at the grocery store is nothing new.

[SeaGypsy]

From memory, last food riots in SE Asia were on the run up from $90 BB oil.
Since food basicly is oil transformed for our uses, food prices must directly reflect oil prices, it aint rocket science. Rice is the big one to watch. Then wheat. The world can live without sugar and cheese.

[Hinterlander]

Reminds me of the episode of "The Simpsons" in which there was an emergency in Springfield and the only thing left on the grocery shelf was "wadded beef."

Panic buying at the grocery store is nothing new.

I agree, panic buying is nothing new. I still wonder if its' becoming more prevalent as the public has begun to "get it" that the world has changed.

[Revi]

The prices of non food agricultural commodities are rising even faster than food. I guess we can count on about a 25% spike in food prices in 2011. One of the items that is rising fast is sugar. I wonder if that will affect the price of maple syrup? We may have to get something tangible for it this year. Gold bullion? Maybe trade it for cubic zirconium? What do you think?

[paimei01]

There is no "we". Not even in one country, one city, on street with a "we". 99%. A "we" that concentrates - on providing the basics for all the "we" group, and taking care of the land from where the basics come. Rest of the time - free, each with his own passion. Now, the more I take the better, for the "economy". We have not evolved to eat paper money or hard disk money.

Look what "we" do:
http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/ama ... -in-china/

20. Anhui Province Cihu Chemical Industry District (安徽省慈湖化工园区) built a underground pipe to discharge wastewater into the Yangtze River. The wastewater sometimes is black, gray, dark red, or yellow, wastewater from different chemical factories has different colors. June 18, 2009


Real people, natural organization, no rules, no rulers.
http://www.mith2.umd.edu/eada/html/disp ... telle3.xml

The Indian Men, when young, are Hunters and Warriors; when old, Counselors; for all their Government is by Counsel, or Advice, of the sages; there is no Force, there are no Prisons, no Officers to compel Obedience, or inflict punishment. Hence they generally study Oratory; the best speaker having the most Influence. The Indian Women till the Ground, dress the Food, nurse and bring up the Children, and preserve and hand down to posterity the Memory of Public Transactions. These Employments of Men and Women are accounted natural and honorable. Having few Artificial Wants, they have abundance of Leisure for Improvement by Conversation. Our laborious manner of Life, compared with theirs, they esteem slavish and base; and the Learning, on which we value ourselves, they regard as frivolous and useless.

Isn't it strange that the people of today - need to work so much just to survive, with all this knowledge ? Because there is no "we". Civilization destroys it. http://www.primitivism.com/machine-heads.htm

"But people are evil, that is not possible!" No. Give them a chance to participate in something, and their nature will reveal itself. Natural organizations will form. Even if it may take time. All they learned about themselves in prison (school), - has to be unlearned. Nobody can teach you about yourself, and they were not free - to learn on their own. Growth denied.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7495717.stm

As she organises a band of eager helpers to pull greens from the rich top-soil, Ms Stallard says food is more expensive than ever and neighbourhood shops are scarce.

"That's one cucumber you didn't have to pay 69 cents for," she adds, with a smile.

There are no fences but one local said greed had not been a problem.

"People are only taking what they need, because they know it's for everybody," he said.

[IsThisRealLife]

Haven't we seen this thread before?

deleted

Social unrest because of food prices? Go fishing.

Let's try to remain on topic -- eastbay