[Revi]

Here's a story about rice hitting hoarding levels again:

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/My ... 90014.html

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'H')ere's a story about rice hitting hoarding levels again:

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/My ... 90014.html

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', ' ') A reporter asked him why they didn’t just parachute in essential supplies, like food and water, to the desperate survivors who were wandering around the ruined streets of Port-au-Prince quite naturally scavenging anything they could. The politician dismissed the question almost as though some naive child had asked it, and, before quickly moving on answered that if they did that there would be carnage as desperate people fought over whatever was supplied. In other words they’re not supplying immediate relief because that’s in the Haitians’ best interests.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')Google: Food Banks Overwhelmed.

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', ' ') A reporter asked him why they didn’t just parachute in essential supplies, like food and water, to the desperate survivors who were wandering around the ruined streets of Port-au-Prince quite naturally scavenging anything they could. The politician dismissed the question almost as though some naive child had asked it, and, before quickly moving on answered that if they did that there would be carnage as desperate people fought over whatever was supplied. In other words they’re not supplying immediate relief because that’s in the Haitians’ best interests.

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')Google: Food Banks Overwhelmed.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')By the end of March 2010, in the first Friday of April, the despair
of Flyover Country will be obvious to those who are looking.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')But see, Ludi, that's just it. Famine/Starvation in 1st/2nd World,
and even 3rd World, happens from mis allocation of resources
even more than from harvest disaster.

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')But see, Ludi, that's just it. Famine/Starvation in 1st/2nd World,
and even 3rd World, happens from mis allocation of resources
even more than from harvest disaster.

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mcgowanjm', '
')But see, Ludi, that's just it. Famine/Starvation in 1st/2nd World,
and even 3rd World, happens from mis allocation of resources
even more than from harvest disaster.

[frankthetank]

So i see grain prices have plummeted (wheat/corn/etc) although sugar is very high...

so whats the deal?

Is the USDA just lying, making up fake numbers? Is there really this much grain around? I've seen hundreds of acres of corn standing in the fields, even this past weekend here in WI (i drove across the state)... and that was just along the interstate.. i know that isn't a fair representation, but it still factors in... i don't know what to believe anymore.

Food is cheap right now, at least around here. I've probably seen the lowest prices i've paid in a couple years on dairy, frozen goods, meat, some fruits...

I understand totally why the government would fudge numbers...its the same with oil...you don't want to encourage hoarding..its just makes everything worse... although, i doubt many could afford to hoard much more then some pasta and potatoes...

[deMolay]

Financial Crisis impacts to farming output. http://www.marketskeptics.com/2009/12/2 ... mmies.html

[MarkJ]

Many people are spending much less on food these days, but primarily since they're not buying, trading down, shopping at 4/5/6 different stores for the lowest prices, using coupons, buying loss leaders, making fewer impulse purchases, eating out less and ordering less.

Lower food prices at most all stores is just the icing on the free or subsidized cake.

[rangerone314]

By about what date this year will it be obvious we have a serious food shortage issue?

[mcgowanjm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', 'B')y about what date this year will it be obvious we have a serious food shortage issue?

[rangerone314]

How does that compare to last year?

(In terms of counties that were disaster areas)

It deems a 30% loss or more of ONE crop in a county. So it is mitigated if there are multiple crops grown in one county.

I'm not doubting you, I just want clarification as to how bad it is.

(As in, do I buy 500 lbs of rice and beans at Sam's Club before prices go up dramatically)

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '
')(As in, do I buy 500 lbs of rice and beans at Sam's Club before prices go up dramatically)

[Revi]

I think it's time to rotate my rice and beans. I got it maybe a year or two ago, and it's time to get a fresh supply now and give the older stuff to the soup kitchen.

It is still good, but we have only so much room to store stuff.

They will use it within a month or two.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'I') think it's time to rotate my rice and beans. I got it maybe a year or two ago, and it's time to get a fresh supply now and give the older stuff to the soup kitchen.

It is still good, but we have only so much room to store stuff.

They will use it within a month or two.

[Ainan]

I'd like to point out the seriousness of the problem since no one I have talked to IRL has understood the basic principals of what is being discussed here.

Let's say we have two farmers isolated from the rest of civilisation. They can produce one crop a year and they receive no food from the outside. They both need at least 2000kcals a day each to survive. Which means they need 1,460,000kcal worth of crop each year just to survive if we discount seed requirements. What if one year they lose just 5% of their crop? They only had enough crop stored to feed themselves up until harvest time since they gave up storing massive multi year surpluses long ago. They get lucky and manage to survive till next years harvest by starving themselves and drawing on their bodies reserves. The harvest is 5% short yet again. Now they have a choice to make. If they share the crop equally, neither will survive till the next harvest. If the first farmer stops eating enough the second will survive but the first will die. Neither wants to die. The first farmer comes up with a solution... He whacks the second farmer around the head with a seed drill and possibly serves the corpse with rice.

Now scale this up 3 1/2 billion times. Throw in nations, existing ethnic and religious strife, a sprinkling of standing armies, then top it off with a nuclear stock pile.