Culture News
Food Shortages Causing Panic?
By John E. Carey
Peace and Freedom
April 15, 2008
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Yesterday, President George W. Bush took action to stem world food shortages by ordering the release of $200 million in U.S. emergency food aid to help alleviate the situation.
On Monday the White House press office said in a press release: “This additional food aid will address the impact of rising commodity prices on U.S. emergency food aid programs and be used to meet unanticipated food aid needs in Africa and elsewhere.”
In Asia and the Middle East the price of rice has doubled. Philippine fast food stores have cut rice portions in half. Rice exporting countries are hoarding rice to feed their own people.
Egypt, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand this week all announced new limits on rice exports. Rice production is way down in China and Pakistan, where a colder than normal winter month are making for a shorter growing season this year.
In Vietnam, two bad crop seasons in a row have decreased rice supplies.
People consume rice as a staple of life in China, thoughout Asia, the Middle East and Spanish speaking countries so a doubling in price is a big deal.
Rising food prices world wide could trigger panic buying, hoarding and fears of mass political protest.
Kieth Bradsher of the New York Times reported that, “Since January, thousands of troops have been deployed in Pakistan to guard trucks carrying wheat and flour. Protests have erupted in Indonesia over soybean shortage, and China has put price controls on cooking oil, grain, meat, milk and eggs. Food riots have erupted in recent months in Guinea, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, Uzbekistan and Yemen.”
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Comments (2)
Dear John E. Carey, Great article. Food shortage may cause more violence in Pakistan in the coming days. It is really big problem. In our areas the situation is worst. A lot of thanks for this great article.
John E. Carey, I like this story. It's good stuff. Tragic, yet Canada sees fit to pay farmers 50 million dollars to kill 150,000 healthy pigs this fall, with the meat being shared between food banks and Pet food. Certainly we in canada have food bank shortages, but nobody will starve versus third world countries who die daily minute by minute Certainly all these Pigs could be sent live or dead, but at least people would be eating if only for a few days/
here is the story link on this posted last night
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/ottawa-pays-50-million-kill-150-000-pigs