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Food Shortage Controversy - Page 9

I think this is a good start in helping some countries feed their people. I hope that helps bring the price of some main foods down so everyone can better afford the food they need to survive

Controversy Shortage Food

I twill help those who are worse off I think I just hope it is enough. The real solution is to get more crops in the ground.

Food Shortage Controversy History & Civil Business Politics

I see a lot of fields that were not planted so far this year. I wonder what kind of effect that is going to have on food prices.

Page 9 Controversy Shortage Food

OK, I see a lot of femaleing and moaning about government and the oil companies. But is there really anything we as individuals can do about this? YES THERE IS. It's called vote and it's called boycott. It's called pressure to share owners. And I"m not talking about the wonderful government sponsored idea called a poll or petition. PETITIONS DO NOT WORK AS WELL AS A LETTER CAMPAIGN OR A TELEPHONE CAMPAIGN! It is a lot easier to shred one letter with 20,000 signatures than it is 20,000 letters all saying the same thing. I seriously have an issue with people who sit back and criticize their government and that's all they do. I have my two senators on SPEED DIAL for heaven's sake! They HATE me.

"Modern" farm equipment is expensive and runs on gasoline anyway. Know what else? Modern farm equipment is RESPONSIBLE for the loss of viable land. The bigger your tractor the more compact you make the soil and the less the roots of your plants can dig into it. If it weighs more than a draft horse, it's too heavy. So what's the problem with using horses? It takes too long. Rush, rush, rush. American's are so fixated on quick results they"ll buy into anything that makes life easier for them.

Mousetrails said:

#1. The "hole" in the ozone is NOT a fantasy. Most people don't even know where the hole is. It's over Antarctica and Australia. It's former cycle of expansion and contraction only exposed Antarctica but since we were putting whatever the junk was into the atmosphere (spray cans had something to do with it, I recall and that was way back in the 50s) it has grown so that in summer, when it expands, it covers all of Australia. Since the 1970s the incidence of skin cancer in Australia has more than tripled from prior years. Before you condemn something, look it up! https://www.unisa.edu.au/news/media2002/120702.htm gives the statistics for the percentage of skin and lip cancer for Australians.

#2. IF you had bothered to read the article placed in the list by Vincenzo where Prime Minister Brown asked for the ruling bodies of money in the world would take a better look at what is causing the exceptionally high prices, you would learn that the country that produces the LARGEST amount of ethanol is Brazil and they use sugar cane not corn. America is experimenting with corn because we don't have the climate for cane. Besides, Prime Minister Brown actually stated what is the REAL cause of the rise in prices of food (and gasoline as it happens) is SPECULATING ON SUPPLIES. It is the UNCONTROLLED trading in "futures" that has caused this. Uncontrolled speculation on oil prices has driven those prices up as well. There is currently legislature before the American Congress to gain control of this trading, at least where oil prices are concerned.

#3. The hoarding of which JB was referring was more the hoarding BY governments in places where the transportation system for food is poor than by individuals or farmers. Unfortunately those governments which do the most hoarding are the countries where the people are the poorest, as well OR where the countries are ruled badly, or by gangsters, or experiencing junta and couix conditions; namely most of Southeast Asia and Africa, where the people have been in a state of near starvation for decades anyway. If you don't believe me Google Malaysia and what's happening there with relief of the cyclone.

I see the price of milk being outrageous but it is oil speculating that is responsible. We have dairies locally but they still need trucks to transport the milk and with the cost of gasoline and diesel being what it is, no wonder milk is over $4.00 a gallon now.

On the subject of biofuel and the government and Big Oil keeping research down, I remember somewhere around 1982 or so, someone came up with a COMPLETE and self correcting method to turn organic garbage into ethanol or methanol. The inventor had a fully functioning still that he was BEGGING the organic trash from his neighbors because his own family could not produce enough for this machine. He introduced it to the world as a means of helping curb the lack of land fills. What happened to that technology? Does anyone else remember this event? Why use ANY food source to produce fuel when we already have a problem with not enough land fills? Besides a land fill is NOT viable use. The garbage that gets dumped into a land fill does NOT decompose. They"ve dug up land fills that were over a hundred years old and could still identify what was in it! The problem with a land fill is that garbage needs air to decompose and there is none in a land fill. The Japanese turn their garbage into road surface! We have more than enough garbage in the US to fuel every car for a year and yet, where is the technology to do this? Who is hiding it? Take one guess.

Kntorn, like I said, there is NOT a food shortage, there is outrageous prices on what food there is because some greedy bastard likes to play the commodities market and not deal with regulation on his "bets". Even oil prices have become artificially inflated by the commodities traders. And it IS all GREED.

Is there a real problem with "global warming"? Yes. Is it ALL man made? NO. Is there truly a 'shortage" of food? NO! Does it seem like there is because the price is astronomical? YES! Who is to blame? Commodities brokers! Why? Because there is no regulation on trading in commodities. And remember that oil is a commodity too. Yes, governments are responsible but the greed is more grass roots than that. Personally I think the commodities and stock market should be banned altogether. EARN your damned money, don't bet on it!

Is there anything the "ordinary citizen" can do about it? YES! Telephone your government representatives and complain about out of control trading. MAKE their lives miserable until your country passes laws that MAKE people be responsible in their trading. If you own stock, then PAY ATTENTION to what is going on. Be involved with your companies and vote, when the time comes, for RESPONSIBLE measures.

The oil companies are being short sighted, at least some of them are. IF they OWNED the "new technology" that took our dependence on fossil fuels away, they"d still be making money. There are a lot of solutions out there. Hybrid cars that run on gas and electricity, cars that run on natural gas, cars that run on WATER. Additives you can put in your gas that reduce emissions and add mileage : https://www.savegastoday.net/ tells all about the additive that California FORCED oil companies to put in their fuel to meet emission rating there. You can buy this stuff no matter where you live!

AS to the "global shortage of food" it's a MYTH. Pound for pound there is not a 'shortage" it is just a matter of GREED causing prices to sky rocket out of fear and opportunism. The Commodities Market is responsible for this travesty and the governments that allow uncontrolled trading to take place.

Controversy Shortage Food

My grandfather would applaud you on that fact about the horses. He a an old single cylinder tractor he used to off set the heavy burdens on the horses but never did integrate the tractor into his farm he claimed they burnt the soil. The large tractor also is plowing way too deep as the good earth is only the top few inches in many places where I grew up lots of clay.

I have sent letters to my local mp But should be sending letter to higher offices. I shall have to do this.

You are correct it is the Governments in third world countries that need to be looked into and held accountable to their people.

For milk prices Increasing I think in Canada we are due to have that as the subsidizations are large same with eggs. We are paying for it in our tax so why not pay it at the counter and stop the mirror game.

Local products here a more costly then imported. This could change by having more farmers but them with the drop in the market price can the farmer still pay his bills. This is one aspect I tend to over look to quickly but maybe we should not. Here is why gas prices are high the equipment is in the millions. This is why farmers struggle and they need it because to make a go with this present farm structure you go huge or go home.

The solution is micro farms that are greener and produce better quality of foods that are not as genetically engineered. Yes food price goes up a bit but your health improves medical costs decrease and millions of barrels of gas is saved.

How do we employ this buy local buy from the farmer doing this. Send letter of complaint with valid solutions and boycott major offenders. In the city region gas is easy if you make the effort in the country as well burn wood not oil.

Food Shortage Controversy

Krakyn is right small farming is too expensive if the farmer is trying to grow what the big farms grow. However there is a viable solution.

The Tuskegee Institute has a program that was originated by Booker T. Whatley. This scientist developed a remarkable plan for a 25-acre family farm capable of providing a gross income of $100,000 a year. An article about this farming appeared in Mother Earth News a few years ago (you can find the entire article here:
Mother Earth News

In either Canada or America this farm plan is doable for just about everyone. More information and area specific crops can be found at the Tuskagee Institute or through Dr. Whately's newsletter, Small Farm Technical Newsletter.

If anyone lives within 40 miles of a community of 100,000 families, is on a paved road, and has the capital to start such a farm, Dr. Whatley says his success is just about guaranteed. The big difference of this kind of farming? No animals. (Unless you have more than 25 acres and you are raising them for your own consumption.) The need to be near a good sized city is thet the key to the success of this type of farming is a clientèle membership. Families join the club for say $30 a year and they get the privilege of coming and picking their own produce and pay for it at a reduced cost on the retailer. For 30% less out of pocket, a lot of people will come pick their own! Especially berries because even little children can do that under supervision. Dr. Whatley says if you grow nut trees, the member families can "own" the tree and come harvest their nuts when the farmer sends out his newsletter saying they're ready. Keeping a supply of painter's drop cloths around and long poles, the harvesting of nut trees is easy. Just whack at the tree with the pole and the nuts fall on the drop cloths then you just scoop them up! Fun in the country, the "privilege" of ownership without the hassle of maintaining the trees (the farmer does that), and lower cost for the clients. Who wouldn't do it?

Rather off topic, but... MEN also did a follow up article that astounded me and made me thing better of a major fast food chain. Domino's Pizza is encouraging and sponsoring Whatley farms. Dr. Whatley has also written a book about his plan Booker T. Whatley's Handbook on How to Make $100,000 Farming 25 Acres.

Message Edited... JB: PLEASE stop selling items here and STAY on Topic, a lot of what you post is going off topic and as such you should use Off Topic Tags. We have a Horticulture / Agriculture Board if you want to go into specifics, this is the Food Shortage Controversy in the Politics Board.

Food Shortage Controversy - Page 9

ArrwynCliona

Thanks for those links a friend of mine has 100 acres and is looking to open a market in the nearby towns they are not as big as 100 000 people but the surrounding community might be and they have a huge influx in the vacation season summer. lots of lakes.

They have a barn run down but stable and a solid frame just to need t give it a facew lift this might be a great solution for them as a income. He wants to quit his work and farm.

Food Shortage Controversy Politics Business Civil & History - Page 9

UN sets out food crisis measures

The UN secretary general calls for revitalising agriculture as a way of tackling the world's worsening food crisis.
Ref. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7432583.stm