Global Food Insecurity
O dear! It is happening. Riots because people cannot get their staple foods at prices they can afford:
Starving Haitians riot as food prices soar
The other global crisis: rush to biofuels is driving up price of food
According to the latter report: "All across the world, cereals, meat, eggs and dairy products are becoming dearer. "Food prices are now rising at rates that few of us can ever have seen before in our lifetimes," said John Powell of the World Food Programme. Prices are likely to remain high for at least 10 years, the Food and Agriculture Organisation is projecting."
...
"Government policies do not help: the rich world subsidises agriculture not to feed the world but to enrich its farmers."
Environmentalists have long warned about food shortages when farms and resources are diverted to produce fuel, which is hardly carbon-neutral.
Meanwhile in Singapore, we are told that there is enough rice. A government minister insists that for as long as Singapore is able to pay, she would get her supplies of rice .
That may be so, but I am still not comfortable with this scenario of Singapore being totally dependent on imports.
What if the Thais and Vietnamese also rise up in riot because rice is being sold to Singapore while their own people starve? Would their governments still allow exports to Singapore? And is it moral?
There will always be the black market, of course. As in any war and famine, some people stand to make a lot of money.
Back to Organic-Ally.
Starving Haitians riot as food prices soar
The other global crisis: rush to biofuels is driving up price of food
According to the latter report: "All across the world, cereals, meat, eggs and dairy products are becoming dearer. "Food prices are now rising at rates that few of us can ever have seen before in our lifetimes," said John Powell of the World Food Programme. Prices are likely to remain high for at least 10 years, the Food and Agriculture Organisation is projecting."
...
"Government policies do not help: the rich world subsidises agriculture not to feed the world but to enrich its farmers."
Environmentalists have long warned about food shortages when farms and resources are diverted to produce fuel, which is hardly carbon-neutral.
Meanwhile in Singapore, we are told that there is enough rice. A government minister insists that for as long as Singapore is able to pay, she would get her supplies of rice .
That may be so, but I am still not comfortable with this scenario of Singapore being totally dependent on imports.
What if the Thais and Vietnamese also rise up in riot because rice is being sold to Singapore while their own people starve? Would their governments still allow exports to Singapore? And is it moral?
There will always be the black market, of course. As in any war and famine, some people stand to make a lot of money.
Back to Organic-Ally.
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