Rationing — Food For Thought

…If food prices continue their rapid ascent, and if hording or rationing result, the social climate may deteriorate rapidly .It is hard to imagine two more potent causes of insurrection than economic hardship accompanied by a denial of access to food. In some countries food shortages already are causing riots. The situation is so grave that many major food producing countries such as Argentina, China and Russia are restricting food exports, driving prices even higher.

Raising the political temperature still more is the fact that the U.S. government is encouraging farmers to grow crops (corn, wheat and soybean) to burn as fuel, while refusing to even consider cuts in generous subsidies to wealthy farmers reaping windfall profits.


Rising corn prices have led to higher prices for wheat, beef, milk and even derivatives such as chocolate, made with milk. Furthermore healthy beef and milk producing cattle are being slaughtered to divert their wheat-based food to ethanol. Food prices have been a problem for several months due to a number of reasons including droughts. Now