Letter to the Editor
Food prices
Published Wednesday, April 30, 2008
April 25, 2008
To the editor:
It’s been the leading story in major newspapers and TV news programs for the past week. More than 100 million people are being driven deeper into poverty by a “silent tsunami” of rising food prices, according to World Food Program Executive Director Josette Sheeran. A dozen countries have experienced food riots and strikes.
Prices for basic food staples such as rice, wheat, corn and soybeans have skyrocketed in recent months. They are driven by rising fuel and fertilizer prices, diversion of corn to produce biofuels, drought in key food-producing countries, soil depletion through overgrazing, and growing demand for meat in China and other developing nations.
The resulting hunger afflicts nearly 1 billion people, mostly women and children. It kills an astonishing 24,000 per day. It’s not just a problem for strangers in faraway lands. It affects millions of Americans, and some U.S. stores are already rationing food.
The good news is that even a small shift toward a plant-based diet in the U.S. and other developed countries, would free up enough land, water and fuel to feed everyone. More than 80 percent of U.S. agricultural land grows animal feed. A plant-based diet requires only 16-20 percent of the resources of the standard American diet.
Every one of us can start abating the scourge of world hunger today by reducing our consumption of meat and other animal products and by supporting food distribution agencies. For more information, see www.thehungersite.org.
Community Discussion
Newsminer.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full user's agreement.
I'm not sure I see how changing to a plant-based diet is going to relieve a shortage largely resulting from food plants being used instead as fuel. There's only so much land available for growing food plants.
http://www.mtd.com/tasty/
I wonder if the city will let me raise chickens in the back yard.
You're right! I'm going start an all ethanol diet.
...tomorrow.
Greenies are weenies. Pass the A-1 please.
For a country, where 60% of the population is overweight or obese, a food shortage probably doesn't sound manageable. Face it Americans eat too much.
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
@starman: Can you define the word "weenie", please?
Sure, we all know the colloquial meaning, but in this context, in the way that you're using it, you should define it before using it.
starman, thanks for the morning laugh. hahahaha
I grow my own food in the summer and I teach others the benefits. Prices will continue to increase for food and oil across the globe. We need to prepare for this by teaching our young about it.
Hmmm, seems like I was just saying something about overpopulation and the starvation that would result...
Funny though, I had hoped that we had a bit more time before it would really hit us.
Sometimes, I hate being right. :(
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/apr/2...
Seems to me that the problem is not one of production but one of distribution. Is the federal government still paying farmers to leave their fields fallow for years on end?
Why are we even discussing this. It is a problem that will fix itself. Once enough people starve, the population will drop and then there will be plenty of food for whoever is left. or maybe instead of eating farm grown meat we can just eat what we have available. like say some migratory birds. then there won't be enough for the cats to chase and they'll die of boredom and the bird population will grow.
@robbmyers:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/crp/
Yes.
Im a coupon clipper myself and I also enjoy the "find", when I see one of those 50% off stickers on something at Fred's! Im glad to shift to plant based food but try convincing my hubby. Yeah, not going to happen.
I love that energy prices and food prices and shoe prices and costs of services are on the rise. It reminds me all the time to be a more conservative and contentious consumer. Bring it on. I’ll adapt.
"It reminds me all the time to be a more conservative and contentious consumer. Bring it on. I’ll adapt."
I can adapt to food costs, even shoe prices, but in winter heating and electricity even while rationed is a hard thing to deal with now.
The world will not run out of food, for people like Norman E. Borlaug will exist. If you don't know who he is, wiki him. Prices may rise, but I doubt (Alaskans) will ever see starvation.
Anyone watch PBS? Did you see KING CORN on Independent Lens?
I used 30% less heating oil and 45% less gasoline than I did last year... without even trying too hard. Same house. Same cars.
I'm just doing my small part to decrease demand and help lower prices. You're welcome.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/kingc...
Imusuallyright....Thanks.
Instead of reducing what you eat, grow or raise it. If you live where raising livestock isn't an option find a farmer willing to sell you meat. If we would create a cooperative or support our local farmers and have our own food production companies food shortage shouldn't be a problem. Plus it would reduce the price of shipping from outside Alaska. If we work with cooperative extension and other grants Alaska should do good. We don't have to become vegetarians. Plus it is vegetables also that are going up in price because of using corn as alternative fuel. VEGETARIAN Alaskan word for lousy hunter.
Janice, I would love to grow my own food. When I lived in the lower 48, my family and I raised at least 80% of all our food needs (meat and vegetables). I just don't know how or what to raise here in Alaska. I'm willing to learn... If someone will teach me.
A good source of finding out what to grow or raise here is either the Cooperative Extension up at the University or visit one of our Greenhouses located in the area and they can help. Don't be afraid to do container gardening also sometimes it is a lot easier to grow and control plants in.
Also, learn to do things the really old fashioned way. $4.50 is too much to pay for bread. You can use the same amount of money to buy the ingredients and make about 5 loaves of bread yourself!
Keep in mind when you are trying to go vegetarian or any diet consult your doctor first. I'm a diabetic and believe it or not there's a lot of vegetables and such that are worse for me than meat. A lot of breads and pasta create bad carbs that will turn into sugar in your body.
With oil prices as high as they are, I'm not surprised everything else is rising. I saw it coming. People over react -- remember Y2K? This too shall pass.
There is way too much meat in my backyard to have to go vegan. Moose, caribou, grouse, salmon and halibut!
Grow your own! Hunting and fishing sounds good, till everyone starts to do it. Then game might become a little scarce.
Also that suggestion might work for us Alaskans, but I think that the writer of this letter was intending for the readers to think globally act locally.
We could all use a little of that mentality!
Knowing where your food comes from is never a bad thing, especially if it as close as possible!
Thanks for the advice guys. I can't believe I never thought of the extension office. I guess I was too busy getting used to life up here to use common sense. (Smacking myself in the head)
tntmedic - That's good advice. I do bake my own things. As a matter of fact, there's very little prepackaged food in my home. Mostly because I was raised that way and I've since spoiled my family, but now I'm glad I know how because it's just more cost effective.
Another good source is our local Grange. They support local agriculture and families. Maybe we can set up a class through them on how to can or grow our own food. They are farmers and can teach us first hand on raising and growing our own.
I still say a cooperative grocery store and possibly move it and the farmers market into the empty KMart building or the old Carrs downtown.
Today there are over 200,000 more people than yesterday. Each month 6 million more people are added. That is 10 times the entire population of Alaska in a month. In the last 40 years global population has more than doubled from 2.5 billion to 6.5 billion and will reach at least 9.5 billion by 2050. There is a limit to how many people this planet will support. A study by distinguished scientists done in the 1970's called the Limits to Growth said that at some time in the 21st century critical mass will be reached. That means too many people, too few resources, too much pollution, and too little food. That time is approaching. Technocrats said they would find a way to solve these problems. The Malthusian doomsayers said that war, disease, natural disasters, and starvation would control population. We will soon find out who is right.
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.