2009 Will Be Year of Global Food Crisis

Originally posted by wonderworld

You are right VelmaLu, people cant grow enough on one or 2 acres to sustain themselves through out the year. That is why I stock up like the Mormons.

just remember, that when you stock up and the fan is finally hit, you're a hoarder and if someone finds out, chances are they will come and take it from you and call you anti-social on top of that - if you're lucky.


don't do it and you're a sheeple who depends on gov't for everything...


i still believe that farming is a brittle option, because you can't really hide let alone move land, can you? therefore it'll be an easy loot. since people are talking about civil war so much, do any of you have a concept of what applying the torch means?

a good plan B is a real necessity, because even successfully stocking up (in a way which lets you retrieve the goods) will give you time, but immoblize you, too, or at least constrain you to follow a certain route if you happend to use caches.

[edit on 2009.5.11 by Long Lance]

reply to post by Long Lance


Well I'm not a hoarder. I have warned others to stock up and they wont listen.

Me and my children will not need assistance from the government when they shut down the grocery stores.

Any possible scenario could set off an panic. Most likely this year, with the failing economy. Not to mention other previously mentioned food crisis issues.

None of my neighbors know. Ive told extended family members to head out here to the sticks if SHTF. I'm prepared for anything except a baby. I may stock up on that as well. I never know who may become pregnant during a crisis.

I've thought about this lately and wondered what I would do if the S did HTF and there was food shortages.

I dont have much money to stock up with and I dont own enough land to farm on. I do live in a very seafood friendly area, I know my local area well and have loads of fishing/crabing/camping gear and could IMO fish enough to eat for atleast myself and most likely others.

I dont know much about diets and calories but fish/crab/prawn would be enough to survive longterm right?

My hordes are in the form of multivitimins, rice, and water with a few flavorings. I kind of doubt things will actually get bad enough to need them. Rice is something I use pretty often anyway, so I continually reknew my supplies and keep them fresh by using the oldest part in daily life and replacing what I've used semi-monthly.

If things really do get that bad, well, then I guess I can survive for up to 2 years on the above.

reply to post by Bachfin


Well yes, if 1/3 of the fish dont die in the sea. Another option if you dont have a lot to spend is go to the dollar store once a month and buy 10 or 15 items to barter like scissors, bar soap, compass, duct tape, deodarant, etc.

I think the dollar store sells peanut butter.

Actually if you just bought one 50 pound bag of rice for 20 bucks each month you could last a while. I dont expect SHTF until 2010 but anything could set off a panic before then.

Yes you can live off of fish but buy a few containers of salt. We need that to survive. Also some Clorox bleach to disinfect drinking water.

You might search on how to remove salt from the water for drinking. Maybe you could incorporate that salt in to your diet?

We never know what we'll miss until it isnt there. I have a few bottles of shampoo.

It's weird to think tissues or a protein bar would be worth more than gold.

P.S I think I'd be in Heaven if I lived off of fresh prawns!

[edit on 12-5-2009 by wonderworld]

reply to post by silent thunder


I basically follow the same plan use up the old stuff and rotate. I cant use up 300 pounds of dry beans though. Know what I mean.

The powdered stuff like cheese powder may not keep for 30 years like the other things. I did put them in mylar bags, heat sealed in food grade buckets.

It's also hidden. Where no one will find it.

Besides vitamins I bought herbal antibiotics and different herbal remedies. What's odd is I've never used them and had to print out instructions and what each was for. I'm herbal illiterate.

U.N. Warns Food Shortage Will Continue Up To 2010


London, U.K. (AHN) - United Nations World Food Program (WFP) head Josette Sheeran warns that the agency is already taking precautionary measures by rationing food aid to address worldwide food shortage and the increasing commodity prices which is expected to continue up to 2010.

Read more: www.allheadlinenews.com...&B




[edit on 16-5-2009 by wonderworld]

Food crisis warning as rains ‘misbehave’


The food crisis in Kenya is set to worsen because of poor rains this season, and some relief agencies have expressed fears that half the country’s population could face starvation after the rains failed in the North Rift, the country’s bread basket.
ActionAid International, an anti-poverty agency, predicts that about 17 million people in Kenya are in danger of starvation due to drought and rising food prices.

www.nation.co.ke...

Potash CEO William Doyle Tells CNBC Food Crisis Will Return

May 14 (Bloomberg) -- William Doyle, chief executive officer of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc., told financial news network CNBC that the global food crisis hasn’t gone away and will return.

“The global food crisis hasn’t gone away, it has just been overshadowed by the financial crisis,” he said in an interview.

www.bloomberg.com...

Africa risks being plunged into a deepening food crisis:Report

New York, May 15 (PTI) With Africa's population set to rise by an additional one billion people over the next four decades, the continent risks being plunged into a deepening food crisis without urgent changes to the management of its natural resources, warned a new United Nations report.

Agricultural yields in Africa have already fallen in some cases by up to 50 per cent as a result of invasive pests, land degradation, erosion, drought and climate change according to the report, released yesterday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

It also underscored the increasing scarcity of water in Africa despite studies by UNEP and the World Agroforestry Centre that estimated there would be enough rainfall in the continent to supply the water needs for 13 billion people, twice the current world population.

www.ptinews.com...

In Australia, our capacity to produce food has been severely dented in recent times. This has resulted in an influx of food from China to make up the shortfall...

Chinese food floods Australian markets


Chinese food import flood ignored by Government

The 6 o'clock news tells us we have the 'lowest rainfall ever' and it is a drought, so the water allocations to irrigators have been cut, mostly in Australias main food producing region, the Murray Darling Basin.

But metereological records indicate otherwise..

Originally posted by ownoiz
The Murray Darling Basin - the worst rainfall ever?

So much news has been about Australias crops and the lack of rainfall of the Murray Darling Basing. The worst drought in 1000 years, and most definetly the worst on record.

However the Bureau of Metereology website shows that there is no decreasing trend

Blog Link: Murray Darling Basin

Theres a thread on ATS about it here...

Water shortages and food takeovers in the Murray Darling Basin

I think the best route to go is concentrate on self-sustainability.

Just get your seeds before they are all GM.

reply to post by ownoiz


It's nice to talk with someone from Australia. I take it all this information is really hitting home. I think I recently posted an ordeal over there.

Have food prices increased? I'm sure shipping and drought problems would cause a scare. It seems to be going on globally.

We could easily see 20-25% annual inflation and in 2 to 3 years aquire hyperinflation, if not sooner.

Thanks for you links.

reply to post by FollowtheLeader


Yes self-sustainability. I think it's a good idea to also store extra water, in the event of a drought. I was checking out some homemade rainwater containers, that were very cool. they attached pvc pipe to the rain gutter and it drained in to a container, for storage.

I bought a lot of bulk non hybrid seeds and have them safely stored. I got them at bulkseeds.com. I have a couple family members who think I'm nuts when I told them I bought an ounce of each. They had me repeat it, thinking I meant a gram.

They asked what on earth I would need an ounce of tomato seeds for. I dont discuss gloom and doom with them. I do give them clues now and then to stock up. They dont buy it though. I'll be prepared, for their lack of understanding.

[edit on 17-5-2009 by wonderworld]

Originally posted by wonderworld
reply to post by ownoiz

 

It's nice to talk with someone from Australia. I take it all this information is really hitting home. I think I recently posted an ordeal over there.

Have food prices increased? I'm sure shipping and drought problems would cause a scare. It seems to be going on globally.

We could easily see 20-25% annual inflation and in 2 to 3 years aquire hyperinflation, if not sooner.

Thanks for you links.

Hi wonderworld,

Yeah food prices have greatly increased in the last few years here. The 2 major supermarkets, which hold 70% of the market, blame the drought and shipping costs, (of course) however primary producers arent getting more for their food, than a few years ago, if anything they get squeezed harder every year. So are transport operators, they are receiving no compensation for increased fuel prices, and many were forced to sign price contracts before the large spike in fuel, so there have been some major issues here for transport operators also, most of our transport in Australia is done by trucks.

As for the supermarkets, we dont have monopoly or anti-trust laws like the USA, i read somewhere for example that wal-mart is a giant but cant hold more than 14% market share...so the supermarkets here do pretty much whatever they want and are always posting the more spectacular profits at reporting time.

reply to post by ownoiz


Hi ownoiz, That sounds scary that a grocery store can have a monopoly. I reminds me of gas stations. They conspire together to raise gas prices but food is unimaginable.

I understand the trucking and gas issues and considering the other factors in Australia it's alarming.

I guess nowhere is exempt.

Future of Biofuels Expected to Remain Bright


SALAMANCA, SPAIN — Only a year ago, biofuels were blamed for soaring prices of vital food commodities like corn, wheat, sugar and vegetable oils. Riots in more than 30 countries and warnings from environmental groups, governments, the United Nations and the World Bank triggered a global debate over public support for the expanding biofuel industry.

Then, as credit dried up and the global recession took hold, the burgeoning industry imploded — which at least silenced the outcry. Commodity prices tumbled even faster than crude oil as global fuel demand evaporated. The bursting of the biofuel bubble left dozens of plants idle and forced some of the biggest names in the industry to file for bankruptcy.

www.nytimes.com...

Besides regular groceries going up in my area I've seen Toilet paper climb from $19 per case to $25 since christmas. In all of 2008 the price only went from $17 to $19. That's a huge increase of 31% in 5 months. A lot of other groceries have gone up also.

I have a friend who is a geneticist for a provincial Government in Canada working on food crops. She told me a few years back that massive food shortages were coming based on a bunch of findings that were presented to some committee she sits on. She explained it in great detail but unfortunately it was above my head as to why this is coming. It's because of her that I started canning and growing a larger garden. She was predicting that 2010 would be a really bad year.

Originally posted by exile1981
Besides regular groceries going up in my area I've seen Toilet paper climb from $19 per case to $25 since christmas. In all of 2008 the price only went from $17 to $19. That's a huge increase of 31% in 5 months. A lot of other groceries have gone up also.

I have a friend who is a geneticist for a provincial Government in Canada working on food crops. She told me a few years back that massive food shortages were coming based on a bunch of findings that were presented to some committee she sits on. She explained it in great detail but unfortunately it was above my head as to why this is coming. It's because of her that I started canning and growing a larger garden. She was predicting that 2010 would be a really bad year.

Wow that is interesting and a bit alarming. I dont know why this issue isnt in the main stream media. It was a concern in 2007 then seemed to vanish.

I must say the 2 foods I am most upset about is the jump in cheese and eggs. Cheese went up from 5.00 to 9.00 and eggs from 1.00 a dozen to 3.00. I noticed a gradual increase in the latter part of 2007 through the present time. I just wait for the cheese sales, which are still around 7.00.

We can all expect food to be worth more than gold soon. I heard the FDA say that if every American ate 4 to 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day there would not be enough at the present time.

Originally posted by wonderworld

Wow that is interesting and a bit alarming. I dont know why this issue isnt in the main stream media. It was a concern in 2007 then seemed to vanish.

I must say the 2 foods I am most upset about is the jump in cheese and eggs. Cheese went up from 5.00 to 9.00 and eggs from 1.00 a dozen to 3.00. I noticed a gradual increase in the latter part of 2007 through the present time. I just wait for the cheese sales, which are still around 7.00.

We can all expect food to be worth more than gold soon. I heard the FDA say that if every American ate 4 to 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day there would not be enough at the present time.

I started making my own cheese about a year ago, now I have everyone I work with asking when I'll bring in more cheese again. They seem to like it better than store bought cheese. The local store brand sells on sale for 6.99 regularily 8.99 per block. Milk has gone up big time too and eggs are over $4 per dozen. It's gotten bad enough that my wife and some other friends are looking into the rules for us to get a dozen chickens.

I'll admit I have been prepparing for a while. I keep a good stock of heritage source non GM seed for vegies, grain and fruit. I can down about 10 gallons of nanking cherry juice every year. Plus plums, crab apple juice, apples, choke cherries and rasberries make a good supliment to our fruit purchases. I have already been drying down and storing the first crop of chives and basil this year. I just finished earlier today planting my seedlings into my new raised bed planters I built. I hope we get a good crop this year, last year was realy bad as we had a frost in late June that did a number on my garden.

The friend who warned me, told me two weeks ago that she couldn't talk about it anymore but not to worry because the gov't would take care of everyone. That's when I decided to double the number of new beds I was building this year.

We should start a thread to discuss what sorts of things people feel should be stored to make life easier if things get really bad.

reply to post by exile1981


Wow, I should check out how to make cheese. I picture someone standing there churning for hours but they must have new technology by now. I guess I would also need a milking goat or cow.

I have 10 laying hens ordered and will be here in a few days. Hatchings used to cost 50 cents now they are 2.50 each. Meat birds are more. I live rural so I don’t have any zoning restrictions.

When I was a kid my dad raised turkeys in our back yard in the city. They would fly up and sit on the garage roof. It was embarrassing as a teenager. We also had a goat. No one ever turned us in.

I also bought some bulk nonhybrid seeds that should last for a few years. Yes it’s amazing that a gallon of milk costs more than a gallon of gas.

That is extremely funny you doubled the number of new beds after the friend said the government would take care of everyone. I’m with you there! It’s also strange she said she cant talk about it.

Scary stuff but wise to prepare. Those of us who do will be less dependent on a failing government.

I also think about Germany and hyperinflation if you connect the dots it's identical to what they are doing here by experimenting with printing of money.

National Geographic discusses the global food crisis

blogs.citypages.com...

National Geographic has a "special report" in the June issue that deals with the issue of dwindling worldwide supply of food side by side with the increasing demand for it to due global population growth.

It's a sobering article as well as even-handed in its treatment of the issue. For example, it has a pretty open-minded treatment of pesticides and genetic modification. It's what fueled the so-called "green revolution" of the 1960s and 1970s after all, when India lifted millions out of starvation by introducing new types of grain developed by a plant breeder from Iowa who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

It seemed like a miracle at the time, but then came the debts (from the high cost of fertilizer and pesticides) and the cancer (possibly a result of the new seeds' need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, though the article says "[t]here's no proof"). The seeds also need an exhaustive amount of water. The article makes it sound like there's hope for genetic modification without the ugly side effects though.

blogs.citypages.com...

NGOs stress EU, US role in global food crisis

Unfair bilateral trade agreements and development policies in the European Union and the United States have laid the foundations for global food insecurity, argues a new NGO report.

Background:
As the world's population approaches ten billion, climate change, growing scarcity of oil and the availability of quality land and water are challenging the planet's capacity to produce enough food for everyone.

World cereal prices hit record highs in 2007 and the first half of 2008, fuelling spikes in food prices which in turn triggered riots in some developed countries, along with a series of commodity export bans. Since then, prices have fallen again due to a good harvest in 2008.

Developing countries which are net importers of food were hit hardest by the hike in food prices, while net food exporting countries were making large profits. However, it is argued that in the long term, rising food prices could help rural communities in some developing countries to escape poverty through increased farmer income.


www.euractiv.com...


[edit on 24-5-2009 by wonderworld]