[lotuseclat79]

The Economist article here.

Food prices are causing misery and strife around the world. Radical solutions are needed

In the USA, for example, subsidies for farmers to grow products supporting biofuels takes corn out of many mouths around the world.

-- Tom

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

...................... Radical solutions are needed
..........................

Such as?

[Wino]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Such as?

Environmentally controlled moon based farms.

Is that radical enough?

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by Wino

Environmentally controlled moon based farms.

Is that radical enough?

Are there bats involved?

[lotuseclat79]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Such as?

Hi Jack,

The headline was from the article which I assume you read? No - ok, I'll take a stab.

The US Gov't should reverse its policy with regard to biofuel subsidies that divert one food crop for a different use (I need to go back and check the facts on this, but I think it may be corn-biofuel???). It is however, having a huge effect on food prices and preventing the selling of corn surpluses as food to overseas buyers who need the food and diverting %?corn production for biofuel.

-- Tom

[lotuseclat79]

How the rich starved the world
New Statesman Article here.

World cereal stocks are at an all-time low, food-aid programmes have run out of money and millions face starvation. Yet wealthy countries persist with plans to use grain for petrol. Plus Iain Macwhirter on how food prices are rocketing ...

-- Tom

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

Hi Jack,

The headline was from the article which I assume you read? No - ok, I'll take a stab.

The US Gov't should reverse its policy with regard to biofuel subsidies that divert one food crop for a different use (I need to go back and check the facts on this, but I think it may be corn-biofuel???). It is however, having a huge effect on food prices and preventing the selling of corn surpluses as food to overseas buyers who need the food and diverting %?corn production for biofuel.

-- Tom

I've posted considerable concern over that aspect for several years.
No one seemed to pay attention to what I was projecting .........and here we are, fuel conversion competing with the dinner table.
The option of driving a car or eating is becoming a reality.

As far as foreign markets, I suspect the severest of problems exist mostly where the American tax payer subsidizes the shipments and the shipments are reduced as the product increases in price ....... the subsidy buys less..
I do think 'they' are going to have to learn how to better take care of their own needs.
As the population of the Earth increases, the US can't be held accountable for feeding everyone, on the dole or for profit, but we can show them how to better feed themselves .

[SlackAli]

Originally Posted by Stoner

the US can't be held accountable for feeding everyone,

Since when has the world expected the US to be responsible for feeding it?

Originally Posted by Stoner

but we can show them how to better feed themselves .

There is just so much wrong with that statement Very funny though

[Wino]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Are there bats involved?

Most definitely......moonbat guano, low gravity, will grow a tomato the size of basket balls, ear of corn 4 ft. long x 1 ft..

Seriously, you brought this food for fuel issue long ago. I mentally agreed, but did not anticipate how rapid it would happen. The cost of fuel these past 18-24 months quickly hastened the process along. We (as in USA) will be expected to feed the world, and we could tool up to do that, except, the world mostly will want it free as humane, and we are basically broke.

We could use it to barter for fuel (oil), but the countries with all the oil, with few exceptions, are ruled by absolutes and the food stuffs would never make it to the masses.

I really hate to beat a dead drum, but this global downward spiral has it's major roots in the folly of the Iraq war.

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by SlackAli

Since when has the world expected the US to be responsible for feeding it?




................

It seemed obvious in Tom's link:
http://newstatesman.com/200804170025

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by SlackAli

..............

There is just so much wrong with that statement Very funny though

Really?
What do you find wrong with it?
Or funny?

[SlackAli]

Originally Posted by Stoner

It seemed obvious in Tom's link:
http://newstatesman.com/200804170025

Really? I didn't see anything in it which solely implicated, either for responsibility or solution, the US

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by Wino

Most definitely......moonbat guano, low gravity, will grow a tomato the size of basket balls, ear of corn 4 ft. long x 1 ft..

Seriously, you brought this food for fuel issue long ago. I mentally agreed, but did not anticipate how rapid it would happen. The cost of fuel these past 18-24 months quickly hastened the process along. We (as in USA) will be expected to feed the world, and we could tool up to do that, except, the world mostly will want it free as humane, and we are basically broke.

We could use it to barter for fuel (oil), but the countries with all the oil, with few exceptions, are ruled by absolutes and the food stuffs would never make it to the masses.

..............

I also argued issues of inflation some 5 years ago with Bush's economic packages. Here we are, deep in debt as a nation, oil inflated by a devalued dollar, minimum wage increases fueling job losses and inflation( Mulder made me say that )....and as a nation, we are getting by, by burning our food in the gas tanks of our cars.
I'd go take an aspirin, if it weren't for the high cost of otc meds

Grin and Bare It

I wish I had a solution .

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by SlackAli

Really? I didn't see anything in it which solely implicated, either for responsibility or solution, the US

World cereal stocks are at an all-time low, food-aid programmes have run out of money and millions face starvation. Yet wealthy countries persist with plans to use grain for petrol.

If that wasn't finger pointing, I wouldn't know what to call it.

[SlackAli]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Really?
What do you find wrong with it?
Or funny?

Well for a start it's patronising, carrying the implicit assumption that either US farming methods or your patterns of distribution are somehow more advanced than those in operation in Europe or even the third world. Unless of course you're advocating GM food production, which is viewed with wide suspicion outside the US.

Or you could have been speaking about US patterns of food consumption - which is where the humour lies. Surely you can see the irony here.