Should we be surprised that despair often turns into violence? The food crisis afflicts the world's poor -- in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East -- like a biblical plague. Prices for staples like rice, corn and wheat, which were relatively stable for years, have skyrocketed by over 180 percent in the last three years. A bottleneck is developing whose consequences are potentially more severe than the global crisis in the financial markets. With nothing left to lose, people on the brink of starvation are more likely to react with boundless fury.
Food is become increasingly scarce and expensive, and it is already unaffordable for many people. Around the world, rising food prices have made basic staples like rice and corn unaffordable for many people, pushing the poor to the barricades because they can no longer get enough to eat.
There are several reasons for the food crisis:
- The world population is growing constantly, while the amount of arable land is declining.
- Climate change is causing a loss of agricultural land, irreversible in some cases, as a result of droughts, floods, storms and erosion.
- Because of changing eating habits, more and more arable land and virgin forests are being turned into pasture for livestock. The yield per acre in calories of land given over to pasture is substantially lower than that of arable land.
- The World Bank wants developing countries to introduce market reforms, including the abolition of protective tariffs, a move that often causes massive damage to local agriculture.
- Speculators are driving up the prices of raw materials. The resulting high oil price leads to "energy crops" being cultivated instead of grain for food or animal feed.
- Millions of people displaced by civil wars need food, and yet they themselves are no longer capable of producing food.
What will happen to our NEXT GENERATION!!!!!!!
Who has to be BLAME??
What is our contribution??
Excellent Post + yes it is a very Frightening Prospect for a lot of Poor + Starving People*
ReplyDeleteEven FoodBanks in Rich Countries like Canada + America are being stretched to the limits - U don't even wanna think about 3rd World Countries who's People bear the brunt of this*
Sam's Club followed Seattle-based Costco Wholesale Corp., which put limits in at least some stores on bulk rice purchases.
Sam's Club declined to say whether this is the first time it has restricted sales of bulk foods. The limits affect 20-pound bags, not retail-sized portions.
Costco could not immediately be reached for comment on its limits.
Sam's Club said it will limit customers to four bags at a time of imported jasmine, basmati and long-grain white rice.
The Scarier reality is World Vision saying they can only Feed 1.5 Million less Starving People with the Soaring Cost of FOOD!! Afghanistan who we're over there Helping is one of the Poorest + Hardest hit*
High food prices force World Vision to cut aid
TORONTO - World Vision, one of the largest humanitarian organizations, said it is cutting aid to 1.5 million of the 7.5 million poor it fed last year because of the growing food price crisis that has already sparked food riots around the world.
Dave Toycen, president of World Vision Canada, blamed the soaring cost of food and countries failing to live up to aid commitments for the 23-per-cent decrease in the number of people it can help. Most of those individuals, including 572,000 children, live in such conflict-ridden countries as Sudan and northern Uganda, he said.
Peace*
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