World grain reserves are so dangerously low that severe weather in the United States or other food-exporting countries could trigger a major hunger crisis next year, the United Nations has warned.
Failing harvests in the US, Ukraine and other countries this year have eroded reserves to their lowest level since 1974. The US, which has experienced record heatwaves and droughts in 2012, now holds in reserve a historically low 6.5% of the maize that it expects to consume in the next year, says the UN.
“We’ve not been producing as much as we are consuming. That is why stocks are being run down. Supplies are now very tight across the world and reserves are at a very low level, leaving no room for unexpected events next year,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior economist with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Yes, we need to stop trying to make fuel for cars out of corn and other grains so that people and food animals can eat it. Quit trying to prop up “green” energy companies, get out of the way and let the oil pipeline from Canada be built and allow drilling on Federal lands. That would go far in lowering food costs and make things more available. When diesel fuel is well above $4.00 per gallon, it costs a bunch to produce grain and get it to market. The food shortage is a by product of failed economic and energy policies as well as a lack of cooperation with anyone that disagrees in the slightest with the Obama policies. I don’t think that climate has caused this, nor has global warming. It seems purely economic.
It isn’t “purely economic,” #1. I live in Texas. Our entire state has suffered from historic drought for two years. So have other states in the Midwest, where most of our food is produced. You can’t spend money “to make things more available” when the “things” in question can’t grow because there’s no rain.
My heart goes out to the farmers and ranchers who have had to sell off their herds and haven’t been able to grow crops because there hasn’t been rain, the ponds and creeks have dried up, the rivers and lakes have receded severely, and the land has huge cracks in it. So it burns my biscuits when people say it’s “purely economic” and try to attach politics to this. We need rain desperately, not politics.
The United Nations? I’ll wait to hear analysis from an unbiased and less power-hungry source.
It’s really quite simple, Big Vicar. Google “US drought.” It doesn’t require analysis.
Do y’all really not remember all of the news reports about droughts and Texas, in particular, last year? Our state was literally on fire. Millions and millions of acres burned. The air smelled of smoke and there was falling ash in my city even though the closest fires were miles away.
I know I’m beating a drum but I just find it rather depressing that we’ve come to a point where everything is suspicious and/or some sort of conspiracy. We’ve been dealing with drought, fires, record-high temperatures and consecutive days over 100 degrees, and mile-long lines of ranchers taking their cattle to livestock auctions because they can’t grow enough hay to feed them, the grasses have died, and hay/feed prices have been sky-high.
Google if you don’t believe me or come to the Midwest and see it with your own eyes if need be but please don’t claim incredulity just because the UN said it or y’all think that everything is all about economic or political maneuvering. We need rain. Lots of it. If we get it, the farmers can plant and the crops will grow. It will take longer for the cattle ranchers to recover because even if they bought calves now, it takes several years to bring them to market.
And if you want to do something to help, pray for rain. Not just in Texas and the US Midwest but wherever there has been pervasive drought in the world. It’s devastating. We had downpours a few weeks ago and they helped. The farmers are more upbeat about the potential for the winter wheat crop. It’s a start.
Teatime 2,
I do not disagree with your observations. For me, your eyewitness description holds more validity than the entire international community.
There are some messengers that bear the stench of sulfur.