Saturday, November 17, 2012

Solution to the Global Food Crisis

By Nan M. Ellison


The food crisis will be the biggest crisis of the 21st century. It will push up food prices and spread hunger and poverty. Surging food prices will create inflation and create more crisis in the world. This will not only affect developing countries but also developed countries. According to United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), more than 73 million people in 78 countries who depend on food handouts are facing reduced rations this year.

In other words, the undisputed king of low prices may not be able to hang onto the crown forever. The bottom line spin on this particular information seemed to be that we haven't seen anything yet, and that America is just "one supply shock away from a full-blown food crisis that would make the price spikes of 2008 look like a happy memory."

Nearly every region of the world is experiencing drastic inflation caused by food this year. Retail prices are up 18% in China, 17% in Sri Lanka and 10% or more throughout Latin America and Russia.Recently on May 3, a cyclone devastated Myanmar's low-lying Irrawaddy delta region leaving more than 1 million people homeless, according to the UN. An estimated 80,000 people died in the delta's Labutta district alone. Myanmar had been expected to export 600,000 tons of rice this year, including to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. The cyclone flooded 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles) of farmland. Cyclone Nargis struck the country's main rice-growing area, worsening a food crisis that's triggered unrest from Haiti to Egypt.

Food Stockpiles The point of Forbes' story-as well as the part which could actually cause food shortages in America-is that in September of 2010, the USDA estimated that global grain stockpiles totaled 432 million tons. While this sounds like an incredible amount of grain, in terms we can relate to, this is a mere 70 days of consumption. In 2007 that stockpile figure reached 64 days, and the food crisis of 2008 followed shortly thereafter. The question remains, what if America's "record harvests," turn into one really bad production year-then what? Many analysts believe that because of our history of good harvests, we have fallen into complacency, and that when the next food crisis comes it will be a far bigger shock than the $150 dollar per barrel oil.

The World Bank predicts global demand for food will double by 2030. This is partly because the world's population is expected to grow by three billion by 2050. Food demand will also grow due to new prosperity in India and China.Global warming will disrupt food production in many countries. It can cause climate instability which is bad for crop.Food price are affected by accelerating demand for biofuels. Biofuels, made from food crops such as corn, sugar cane, and palm oil, are seen as easing the world's dependence on gasoline. But when crude oil is expensive, these alternative energy sources can also be sold at higher price. Last year a quarter of the US maize crop was turned into ethanol to fuel vehicles. US supplies more than 60% of the world's maize exports. According to the World Bank, this is putting pressure on countries' food supplies.

The worldwide food reserves are at their lowest in 35 years. Demand is growing much more than supply.How to solve For short term, massive government and international agency aid is needed especially from rich nations. For long term, there should be incentives to increase food production. Relative price fluctuations are an unavoidable part of an efficient economy. This becomes worrying when some people are so poor that a small rise in price becomes a life and death question for them.

Courageous in thinking, you want to develop new ideas to problems no matter how radical they seem and then finite the solution to where it is a manageable and workable concept.Fearless in action, most alternative concepts and solutions that are outside the norm will draw doubters like "a moth to a flame" But you have to be willing to put yourself out there on a limb and be committed to your ideas. Edward Deming the father of Japanese management was ridiculed and told his style of management would never work is a good example of this.Dr. W. Edwards Deming's name is legendary in Japan for the role he played in reinvigorating their industries after World War II. His revolutionary 14 Points for Management or Deming Method are the basis of the seven criteria of the U. S. Department of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and Japan's Highest Industrial Award for Excellence or Deming Prize.

Global warming has caused climate instability, which can destroy crop fields. Nowadays, there has been a lot of talking about global warming. Each day, more and more people realized that global warming is endangering the world. For short term, he hope that researchers can improve farming technique to address worldwide hunger. Researchers around the world like the International Rice Research Institute in Philippines are studying how to improve crop which more pest and weed resistant, more nutrient rich and high yielding.




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