U.S. Food Reserves 'Tapped Out'

It just shows that US Citizens are not an important factor to the government. Does Bush and all the tiers above him even consider themselves Americans? Or do the few in charge of the many not even care about boundaries and countries in the same respect that we do? What is an American to the elite? Or any country and its inhabitants for that matter...

The food supply is another thorough method of control when s*** hits the fan. This will open the gates for further engineering on crops which will yield more food to combat the shortage... but we will all taste that suspicious, "what is this doing to my body" undertone in the manipulated food they "provide".

Very important subject, folks.

The United States’ agriculture secretary, Ed Schafer, talked about the benefits of biofuels and genetically modified crops. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, spoke for half an hour about how Brazilian biofuels were superior to American ones. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, talked about the need to inject religion into food politics. Everyone complained about other people’s protectionism — and defended their own. Food experts on Wednesday, as well as many representatives from poor countries, wondered whether these divided forces could add up to any kind of solution to a global conundrum: how to feed one billion hungry people.

Full article here :

www.nytimes.com...


[edit on 11-6-2008 by astronomine]

[edit on 11-6-2008 by astronomine]

This is no problem at all unless you are some poor starving Ethiopian.

Because for U.S citizens there is a such a thing as a global free market. This is because you’re a rich country. Yes some countries are protecting the needs of their people by restricting food exports. However many countries are not, and many will not because they have too much land for their people anyway. Because of that there will always be someone, somewhere selling food.
We know this remains true because the world consumes (and produces) almost exactly the same amount of food as it did last year.
The reason for the massive price increases is commodity traders, and the fact that demand is a tiny bit bigger than supply. This causes problems because if no one sells rice at 1 dollar, people’s reaction tends to be to offer them two dollars (rather than go without rice). Therefore it takes a lot of price rises for someone, somewhere to cut down their diet.

The poor are that someone. This is because they run out of money first. Meanwhile at Walmart it’s a similar price rise, but here it’s viewed as an inconvenience (rather than a sum equal to an entire month’s wages).

U.S food reserve exists only to help the government manage farmer’s subsidies, and give away food to the worlds poor. It’s been like that for decades. If they were full we would just give that food away again to someone who probably isn’t American.

And let there be no mistake. If there were a e.g. serious crop plague (dropping out the sky) we would be left with no choice but to bribe dictators into supplying our citizens (whilst their our own people starve).
However that’s a measure for a different dimension. First we’d have introduced food rationing, which if (in itself) cut the U.S food diet by only 20 percent (less than is currently wasted) would cause the entire worlds food production to go into massive surplus!!!

No need to panic, especially if you look at how rich countries can punish poor countries (democratic or undemocratic) for refusing to sell their goods to the world (i.e. “adopt free trade policies”).

I can think of another reason that you run out the old inventory.

So that there is none of the previous version left. If you are about going totally GM with something that sterilizes the population, then you don't want a warehouse full of the heirloom seed getting out in a few years.
Once you have your enemy down you want to make sure he never gets up. He of course being us or US if you prefer.

Well like they say you should look after yourself before anyone else... the government should do the same, and when it comes down to giving stuff away for relief just say no my country needs to eat too if an earthquake splits the continent in half tomorrow...

America once "fed" the world, now fears tomato's. It burns food for fuel when Oil is everywhere. The recent floods in the midwest kill crops. A "judge" in california causes a water shortage over a "fish".

The 4 horsemen are here!....................the idiot environuts are killing america.

repent, find God....................

Great Post! Completely agree, it is a perfect storm, a slow moving train wreck if you will! I have been posting on the impacts of oil/gas and food prices for sometime! Oh course the laws of supply and demand are in effect as well, not for oil as much as food however! With food there is the additional impact of an ever increasing enviromental disasters which also plays into this (could have impact on gas prices and oil if refinery or gulf production are shut down due to one or more hurricanes this summer)! Another potential issue is the transportation of food, if gas/oil prices are too high and the American consumer continues to decrease thier food purchases, we may well see a time in the near future where it is no longer ecnomically feasiable for truckers to ship food goods and food distrubution becomes an issue with food being left to rot because the costs of shipping are higher than the potential profit from its sale! This seems like it would not be the case if there is a short food supply but distrubution is a serious issue particulary in urban, land-locked areas of the country!

Got to go read some slides now....
Dr. T

Great Post! Completely agree, it is a perfect storm, a slow moving train wreck if you will! I have been posting on the impacts of oil/gas and food prices for sometime! Oh course the laws of supply and demand are in effect as well, not for oil as much as food however! With food there is the additional impact of an ever increasing enviromental disasters which also plays into this (could have impact on gas prices and oil if refinery or gulf production are shut down due to one or more hurricanes this summer)! Another potential issue is the transportation of food, if gas/oil prices are too high and the American consumer continues to decrease thier food purchases, we may well see a time in the near future where it is no longer ecnomically feasiable for truckers to ship food goods and food distrubution becomes an issue with food being left to rot because the costs of shipping are higher than the potential profit from its sale! This seems like it would not be the case if there is a short food supply but distrubution is a serious issue particulary in urban, land-locked areas of the country!

Got to go read some slides now....
Dr. T

According to some mentioned reports, the food that was supposed to be for the poor storm stricken people in Asia is now allegedly being sold to them for profit by the military? Why feed an opressive military? Supposedly, this is nearly the same for Africa?

China should have been the one to step in on that and not the US. Especially, since they can apparently now afford to export food to the US.

Well, thats not a good thing...


i dont know what to do, or say...

Mabye its time to go buy 100lbs of rice???

I have a feeling meat based diets, as we in the West know them, are going to be a thing of the past.

The fuel prices must affect beef prices at somepoint.
Our giant herds of cows are responsible for a small portion of atmospheric carbon.
Vegetable based diets are healthier than meat based diets.
With population centers growing where do we squeeze our farmlands to?

Sorry it's fragmented but I have been trying to wrap my head around how we are going to keep the humans of the world fed.

Meanwhile, sales of gardening equipment and seeds is on the increase, because more people are growing their own food. They are concerned that we will have food shortages, as am I. We have some acreage and are able to grow a garden, thank goodness.
Recently we discovered that quinoa grows wild on our land and that we can plant amaranth. Both are grains that are easy to grow. We're trying to get all the heirloom seeds we can and to grow a variety of veggies and fruits.
I can't help but wonder though, how city folks, especially those in apartments and condos, would survive a food shortage. Most people in the U.S. would not be able to grow their own food to feed themselves and with the rising cost of food, it's becoming harder and harder to feed ourselves.

reply to post by MidnightDStroyer


WTF, here I thought you where a Libertarian?

Even though I'm still using every peaceful means possible to get the Government to live up to its Constitutional Oath to obey the Supreme Law of the Land, I fear it's too late for anything but the exercise of the Peoples' 2nd Amendment to fix the problem.

The Government does NOT have the responsibility to hold "reserves" of food....

The reserves have never been used..

In fact, if you read Infinites ex post you will see .. why did the government buy things like powder milk? .. Saving for a disaster? .. No .. subsidizing the farm markets? .. YES.

Messing with Capitalism.. the fact that there is no food in reserve is not a fear factor that, omg, the Government is not supplying the stores, but rather there is no excess food to be bought to support the agriculture markets!

THAT is the REAL problem.

But even if another drought DOES hit the US, and crops fail for a second year in a row, it is NOT the Government obligation to feed the people! .. It is YOU responsibility to feed yOURSELF .. AND your fellow man.

How long do you think a bushel of wheat last sitting in a grain house? .. When was the last time these "reserves" had to be used? We give it away to the rest of the world for free because we have nothing to do with it.. we essentially over produced food.

To the conspiracy theorist...

Population expands, farm land is converted into shopping malls and sprawling suburbs, weather related incidents reduce crop yield and bio fuels consume staple crops.

# happens, a secret cabal of men in some obscure hiding place acting like Dr. Evil is not always behind it.

Just pointing out that a lot of peole here like to play the "crisis" game.

Perspective:
Wheat is seasonal, it grows back.
We (US) are at lows because of the UN and aid to foreign nations, which most would consider a good thing.

This "one disaster" everyone keeps citing is what exactly?
A sudden drop in temeratures by 25 degrees in the winter?
Same in the summer? A massive drought 25 states wide?
Wheat is fairly resistant and a good crop to sow.

Unless of course you believe in the "Day after Tomorrow" type scenario, in which case, stores of wheat ain't gonna do any good.

Is this crisis, ust the US or world wide?

While I agree food stores need to be filled up, the hysteria needs to gain some perspective.

Originally posted by stikkinikki
I have a feeling meat based diets, as we in the West know them, are going to be a thing of the past.

The fuel prices must affect beef prices at somepoint.
Our giant herds of cows are responsible for a small portion of atmospheric carbon.
Vegetable based diets are healthier than meat based diets.
With population centers growing where do we squeeze our farmlands to?

Sorry it's fragmented but I have been trying to wrap my head around how we are going to keep the humans of the world fed.

Actually I saw this on one of the educational channels. Cows are fed on feedlots to build fat with a blend of fermented grasses and lots of cracked corn feed. The people in charge recently upped the time a cow can feed on corn from 60 to now 90 days. Apparently at 100-120 days the cows fall over dead from eating corn and some are becoming very ill at 90days.

They live just fine on grass, but the meat is stringy if not finished on grain.

Just a weird thing. I don't remember the channel or name of the show though.




To the topic, I hope people went down and bought some rice and beans. They can stop the big bags at any time and break them into many tiny ones......

reply to post by gormly


Actually there is a wheat rust infection jumping continents right now by riding storms an cyclones. Many wheat crops have failed due to the disease. Its one of those you can't spray out sort of diseases. What does kill it ruins it for animals and humans.

Rockpuck and Gormly,

With all the money leaving this nation like a bleeding aorta...is it REALLY that much to ask for a little security from starving?

To think or say that "it will never happen" is foolhardy at best and should never be used to justify a lack of preparedness.

Oh my god. Theres no end to it, is there? All these problems with the world, America. All these lies. I'm starting to get tired of hearing about all of this. I can't wait for my getaway! What will tomorrow hold? Actually, if anything, I noticed that if you just sit back and watch history, you will see a portion of the future. Well I'm tired, and its the middle of the day. Good night.

Nice read by the way, great thread!

The 3rd horseman of the apocalypse is already riding

Since our leaders aren't taking steps to provide for this nation in emergencies, we have to do it ourselves. Find a closet or some space to stock up, a little at a time. I grew up in the mountains where you couldn't get out in winter to shop, you prepared for the whole winter before it came. I have a year's worth of food in my house and rotate to keep it up to date. I also store water in big Clorox jugs, the chlorine is already in the jug. Learn to dry foods, its easy. I don't buy celery seed because I dry the free leaves that comes with the celery and it tastes better anyway. We don't have leadership so we have to prepare for ourselves. Katrina should have showed us we can't depend on the fed for anything, especially when we need it most. Boy Scouts are right, Be Prepared.

I think maybe the government is using this as a "story" so they can stock up their numerous bunkers with food. Maybe they believe that if they store it now, they don't have to worry about storing bad food that has been contaminated by the various things that could be happening in the near future.