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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Food Riots


Peace. I got this from my hommie Dan Tres Omi (selfra.blogspot.com-now you know and you're better for it). We live in a REAL world with REAL problems. How DARE 'leaders of countries' speak with any type of moralistic authority when THIS is happening.

http://www. cnn. com/2008/WORLD/americas/04/14/world. food. crisis/index. html

(CNN) -- Riots from Haiti to Bangladesh to Egypt over the soaring costs of basic foods have brought the issue to a boiling point and catapulted it to the forefront of the world's attention, the head of an agency focused on global development said Monday.




"This is the world's big story," said Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute.



"The finance ministers were in shock, almost in panic this weekend," he said on CNN's "American Morning," in a reference to top economic officials who gathered in Washington. "There are riots all over the world in the poor countries ... and, of course, our own poor are feeling it in the United States.

"

World Bank President Robert Zoellick has said the surging costs could mean "seven lost years" in the fight against worldwide poverty.



"While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many others around the world are struggling to fill their stomachs, and it is getting more and more difficult every day," Zoellick said late last week in a speech opening meetings with finance ministers.



"The international community must fill the at least $500 million food gap identified by the U.N.'s World Food Programme to meet emergency needs," he said. "Governments should be able to come up with this assistance and come up with it now.

"

The White House announced Monday evening that an estimated $200 million in emergency food aid would be made available through the U.S. Agency for International Development.



"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," the White House said in a news release.



Former President Clinton, at a campaign stop for his wife in Pennsylvania over the weekend, said, "Corn is the single most inefficient way to produce ethanol because it uses a lot of energy and because it drives up the price of food.

"

Some environmental groups reject the focus on ethanol in examining food prices.



"The contrived food vs. fuel debate has reared its ugly head once again," the Renewable Fuels Association says on its Web site, adding that "numerous statistical analyses have demonstrated that the price of oil -- not corn prices or ethanol production -- has the greatest impact on consumer food prices because it is integral to virtually every phase of food production, from processing to packaging to transportation.

"

Analysts agree the cost of fuel is among the reasons for the skyrocketing prices.




Another major reason is rising demand, particularly in places in the midst of a population boom, such as China and India.



Also, said Sachs, "climate shocks" are damaging food supply in parts of the world. "You add it all together: Demand is soaring, supply has been cut back, food has been diverted into the gas tank. It's added up to a price explosion.

"

2 comments:

ChelB said...

I'd been tracking the Haitian food issue since back in late December 07' and early January 08'. I read a really scary article about Haitians making what are called "mud pies!" Yes, that's right...they were eating dirt several months ago! Here's a link to one of the stories that ran back in late January 08'.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22902512/

By the way, my husband went out and bought 11 pounds of rice yesterday...9 of which was long-grain white rice. When I checked the receipt the price of rice (at this very inexpensive store) now gone up 10 cents per pound. The brown rice stayed the same price so that's good I suppose. The price of honey has also gone up quite a bit too! Have you or any other veg folks you know noticed this?! Also, have you heard anything about the situation involving the nationwide disappearance of "honey" bees? My mom's boyfriend is a well-known black rancher back home in Nebraska. He is moving out of the beef business and going to more vegan/vegetarian friendly stuff! I posted about some of this back in March over on the SoulVegFolk website. He's now changing the focus of his family's agricultural company to involve corn and honey! Times are good right now in Iowa because of the corn situation and "honey" bees are still all in the right places around Nebraska too. Hmmm...makes you wonder doesn't it?

C'BS ALife Allah said...

It's crazy about what makes the news and what doesn't. This is the MAJOR reason that we have to keep pushing 'alternative media' to the forefront.

Damn. I need to be more aware of that price change. I'm going to make some observations.

Honey Bees disappearing??? I haven't heard anything yet you can bet I'm going to check it out.

There is just something poetic about a former black rancher moving into agriculture. I love it.