Comments on: Feeding the world in 2008 – biofuels or bread?

By: Africa’s land deals, outsourcing or colonialism? « MAKE WEALTH HISTORY

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:49:22 +0000

[...] agribusiness is cash crops, these deals are for staples – food and biofuels. It follows the turmoil of 2008, when oil prices soared, taking food prices with them. This isn’t about profits, but [...]

By: NFA Saving the Day, Ningas Cogon or Real? « RLTJ’s Weblog

NFA Saving the Day, Ningas Cogon or Real? « RLTJ’s Weblog — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 02:13:58 +0000

[...] Some inter-actions made somewhere else that I think are related to the problem here: [...]

By: RLTJ

RLTJ — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:10:10 +0000

We have existence of political economic systems dependent on fuel and energy and dictated by forces that control them. Fuels have gone unusually high in relation to everything else. The introduction of bio-fuels uncovers the fact that agricultural products when or if converted to fuels will pay more.

In a free economy, nobody can tell farmers if they convert their corn, for example, to energy instead of feeding them to livestock. Solution to the problem apparently is, either Free States subsidize or increase subsidy to farmers, or otherwise it is time that States should initiate socialized trading in agriculture and/or in energy to affect possible better price to (producers) farmers and bring possible lower price to consumers. Capitalism: American, Russian, Red Chinese, they speak only one universal language – Buy low Sell high and man in the street cannot do anything about it.

The worst scenario is in the Third world where farmers are not subsidized by States and where they are at the mercy of traders. A 100% increase in the end user price of agriculture may mean a meager token 5 -10% increase to producers, deepening the miserable conditions at the base of societies.

And by the way, Uncle Sam went to Iraq to allegedly save mankind. Fact is: there was no weapon of mass destruction in there. Fact is: Iraq is on top of one of the greatest world reserve of Crude. Fact is: either the Americans or the Arabs, or both, control those crude is irrelevant to the world spectators. Going religious, maybe the Meek will benefit more if Greed will kill one another so the meek can inherit the earth!

By: RLTJ

RLTJ — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:50:37 +0000

I am not really sure about poor countries having food surplus. I only know we have plenty of idle lands. The Philippines IS a traditional cereal IMPORTER. We are traditional rice, corn and wheat importer. We import corn from U.S.A. (We do import rice from other Asian countries so I guess they have surplus on that)

By: laurablood

laurablood — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:05:45 +0000

A really interesting post, Ive been researching the prices of chickens and how much media attention its had recently, accoding to all your research we shoud be made aware of a lot more issues in and out of Britain.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:33:49 +0000

Interesting point – the switch to biofuels may put an end to the huge US surpluses that swamp the markets with cheap grain in some poorer parts of the world. That would be a good thing ultimately, but it may mean several years of shortages until that 75% starts producing enough to make up the shortfall.

Some people do stand to gain from high food prices. The people who’ll benefit the most will be poorer countries with a food surplus, who will suddenly see their exports worth more.

By: rltjs

rltjs — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:28:29 +0000

I am in the third world and my impression is that much of the Earth’s agricultural resource -Land, is underdeveloped. Hunger in my part of the world is not caused by shrinking land but rather by: lack of industries and jobs, almost slave wages, and estimated 75% of our agri-potential has yet to be developed. Farmers are ill motivated by poor prices. We don’t have things like subsidies for farmers.

Unlike the advanced countries, improved prices of agricultural produce expected by bio-fuels craze here, hopefully will changed the situation for us.

By: Feeding the world in 2008 - biofuels or bread « Fritjofs Brille

Feeding the world in 2008 - biofuels or bread « Fritjofs Brille — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:15:57 +0000

[...] the world in 2008 – biofuels or bread By chance I found this very nice post on the issue of food prices and [...]

By: Buried in Sound « Woman Enough

Buried in Sound « Woman Enough — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:36:46 +0000

[...] the same sense of personal responsibilities to stewardship and justice. WordPress has highlighted these guys today, who come very close to outlining my ideal religion. Today they discuss biofuels as a moral, [...]

By: Zoky

Zoky — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:02:27 +0000

Mmm… a mile on a bike, fuelled by one bite of a banana. I guess it depends on how hilly it is, and the speed of your metabolism. I think I would need a whole banana myself.
All the same, you raise some seriously searching issues in this entry. While we are in need of suggestions about what we can do about this situation I think we are in even greater need of the motivation to do it. Most of all, I believe we need to pray, and pray, and pray again, that God would have mercy on our world. His world. ‘God loved the world so much that He gave….’ Ultimately this is the message we need to be spreading, and the only message that will ultimately make a difference.