- 678
- BrutherSuperior
The Cost & Supply of Food - a Concern, or Not?
- Thread starter Dotini
- 35 comments
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- 26,628
- OREGON
- a6m5zero
You are right, let me put it this way:
Specialization brings the cost down, it is extremely efficient. Everything from food to goods is provided this way today, because they work so well. But because people are so used to this, and for many, this is the only way they know how to get the food, goods, etc., they are not aware of any other way.
Should this system falter somewhere, the ignorant majority, like most people living in cities, they will not learn how to grow food, not that they will have the time. If push comes to shove(when government cheese are gone), they will be forced to take from others. I'd expect to see something like riots.
I'm not talking about all, but IMO, most of us do not know how to secure food without buying them these days. But I guess I'm talking mostly about developed areas, where even if you wanted to grow food, it's nearly impossible.
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
If a Big Mac cost 120 euros, would you be tempted to eat a Bug Mac for 12 euros?
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.535b8021429b7f4411f0d1df3a913087.451&show_article=1
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.535b8021429b7f4411f0d1df3a913087.451&show_article=1
- 26,628
- OREGON
- a6m5zero
I've had bugs. I forgot all about it, but in Japan, I have had this thing a handful of times:
Warning: Bunch of dead bugs!
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Inago_no_tsukudani.jpg
I almost wanted to post a pic of it, but some of you might throw up after seeing it. Like I said, I've had it before, and I think it's disgusting.
I haven't had it since I was a little kid, but I remember it tasting OK. Way it's deep fried, it was sweet & crunchy. But I did like insects as a kid(to catch them, not to eat! lol), and now I hate them. I would be hesitant eating something like this today. The picture is down right scary.
Edit: I should add that picture is huge. I remember those things being so tiny that you couldn't even tell they are bugs until you really looked at them.
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0bcf7660807b5b8e782fa73f510af552.191&show_article=1
To the following it might be added that rising food prices are among the many destabilizing forces currently at work in the world, including North Africa and the Middle East.
World food prices hit a new record high in January after rising for a seventh consecutive month, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Thursday, warning the poor would be hit hardest.
The FAO Food Price Index, which monitors monthly price changes for a basket of commodities, averaged 231 points in January -- up 3.4 percent from December and its highest level since FAO started measuring food prices in 1990.
"The new figures clearly show that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating. These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come," FAO economist and grains expert Abdolreza Abbassian was quoted as saying.
The rises were particularly high for dairy products -- up 6.2 percent from December -- and oils and fats rose 5.6 percent from the previous month, while cereals went up 3.0 percent because of lower global supply of wheat and maize.
Meat prices remained broadly stable due to a fall in prices in Europe caused by last month's scare over dioxin poisoning in eggs and pork in Germany, compensated by a slight increase in export prices from Brazil and the US.
"High food prices are of major concern especially for low-income food deficit countries that may face problems in financing food imports and for poor households which spend a large share of their income on food," Abbassian said.
"The only encouraging factor so far stems from a number of countries where -- due to good harvests -- domestic prices of some of the food staples remain low compared to world prices," he added.
FAO data released on Thursday showed the Food Price Index hit 200 points in 2008 at the height of the 2007/2008 food crisis. It breached that level for the first time in October 2010 with 205 points and has risen further since then.
To the following it might be added that rising food prices are among the many destabilizing forces currently at work in the world, including North Africa and the Middle East.
World food prices hit a new record high in January after rising for a seventh consecutive month, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Thursday, warning the poor would be hit hardest.
The FAO Food Price Index, which monitors monthly price changes for a basket of commodities, averaged 231 points in January -- up 3.4 percent from December and its highest level since FAO started measuring food prices in 1990.
"The new figures clearly show that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating. These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come," FAO economist and grains expert Abdolreza Abbassian was quoted as saying.
The rises were particularly high for dairy products -- up 6.2 percent from December -- and oils and fats rose 5.6 percent from the previous month, while cereals went up 3.0 percent because of lower global supply of wheat and maize.
Meat prices remained broadly stable due to a fall in prices in Europe caused by last month's scare over dioxin poisoning in eggs and pork in Germany, compensated by a slight increase in export prices from Brazil and the US.
"High food prices are of major concern especially for low-income food deficit countries that may face problems in financing food imports and for poor households which spend a large share of their income on food," Abbassian said.
"The only encouraging factor so far stems from a number of countries where -- due to good harvests -- domestic prices of some of the food staples remain low compared to world prices," he added.
FAO data released on Thursday showed the Food Price Index hit 200 points in 2008 at the height of the 2007/2008 food crisis. It breached that level for the first time in October 2010 with 205 points and has risen further since then.
- 30,033
- Thailand
I believe that consumerism is partly to blame for parts of any food shortage crisis which may impact our lives.
I Live in a large city and would miss my McDonalds and high street supermarkets if they were not available but it would not be the end of my life. My opinion.
Where I live is a relatively wealthy part of China (a large city) yet many of the people who live around me (neighbouring neibourhoods) earn very little money and need to be resourceful. They don't need, like I do, to run into town for a KFC when theyre hungry.
What they do have the benefit of is ingenuity. A balcony of a tower block dwelling becomes a small vegetable patch and the complex it is built in will have free range chickens roaming around the grounds (meat and dairy). These people are not absolute peasants. They have plasma TVs and have cars and have a reasonable standard of life.
Some local taxi drivers I know can often be seen while off shift by the river side hunting carp or crayfish for dinner, while playing with a PSP. The elderly in most families, while caring for the children, will sit and knit clothes. Its not all about poverty for.
These people I mention here are all part of a modern civilization. They just arent sucked into a consumer lifestyle like I have been. They use the best aspects of modern living without having to rely on it to survive.
If supermarkets, restaurants and other places which sell food were to close now I would be screwed. These self-sustaining people would not.
Since the discussion is the cost of food Ill bring this back on topic.
I can only speak for what little I know about food supply, and that is about Asian markets mostly.
The Chinese are a huge producer of food products, a lot of these products are destine for foreign markets, not domestic, due to the abundance of fertile land in China and good stocks of food for the domestic market.
When the food is exported out of the country and then the stocks run low due to bad farming conditions the price raises for both domestic and foreign markets.
When a huge conglomerate purchases huge amounts of farm land which is used for one specific crop they force up the price of this product for their own gain.
So as I originally stated: Consumerism can be part to blame for any future food crisis/price hike.
Have a lot more Id like to chime in but Im hungry and off to Pizzahut.
I Live in a large city and would miss my McDonalds and high street supermarkets if they were not available but it would not be the end of my life. My opinion.
Where I live is a relatively wealthy part of China (a large city) yet many of the people who live around me (neighbouring neibourhoods) earn very little money and need to be resourceful. They don't need, like I do, to run into town for a KFC when theyre hungry.
What they do have the benefit of is ingenuity. A balcony of a tower block dwelling becomes a small vegetable patch and the complex it is built in will have free range chickens roaming around the grounds (meat and dairy). These people are not absolute peasants. They have plasma TVs and have cars and have a reasonable standard of life.
Some local taxi drivers I know can often be seen while off shift by the river side hunting carp or crayfish for dinner, while playing with a PSP. The elderly in most families, while caring for the children, will sit and knit clothes. Its not all about poverty for.
These people I mention here are all part of a modern civilization. They just arent sucked into a consumer lifestyle like I have been. They use the best aspects of modern living without having to rely on it to survive.
If supermarkets, restaurants and other places which sell food were to close now I would be screwed. These self-sustaining people would not.
Since the discussion is the cost of food Ill bring this back on topic.
I can only speak for what little I know about food supply, and that is about Asian markets mostly.
The Chinese are a huge producer of food products, a lot of these products are destine for foreign markets, not domestic, due to the abundance of fertile land in China and good stocks of food for the domestic market.
When the food is exported out of the country and then the stocks run low due to bad farming conditions the price raises for both domestic and foreign markets.
When a huge conglomerate purchases huge amounts of farm land which is used for one specific crop they force up the price of this product for their own gain.
So as I originally stated: Consumerism can be part to blame for any future food crisis/price hike.
Have a lot more Id like to chime in but Im hungry and off to Pizzahut.
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