Drought is something we think of as being substantial and dramatic – months in which rain doesn’t fall, monsoons that never happen. But the truth about drought is that it is much more insidious – when average rainfall drops, crops fail even though rain happens and can appear plentiful.

Monsoon failure threatens farmers

In India, right now, the monsoon is failing to deliver. Yes, there has been rain most days between June and now, but the actual rainfall has been only a quarter of the usual vast deluge. Around 80% of India’s agricultural land is close to drought conditions, and the monsoon rains will end in September. The fear is twofold: that the rains won’t arrive, and that they will, telescoping immense rainfalls into the last few weeks of monsoon and causing flash floods and subsidence. This year’s rainfalls, so far, are the weakest since 2002, and 2002 was the worst year for Indian agriculture for more than fifty years. Food security is fragile in a country with a young population, greedy for consumer goods, and unwilling to spend hours on cultivating subsistence crops.

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The recent fall in grain prices across the developed world may have given the impression that food security isn’t a problem – but it is. There are more people not getting enough to eat than there were a decade ago.

Prices for grain, globally, are still 20% above the 2006 average, so overall this is a period of extremely high costs for staple foods. And while commodity prices have fallen in international markets, retail prices have not fallen in the developing world at anything like the same rate. In other words, a warehouse full of corn is cheaper, but a bag of corner on a Nairobi street corner is more expensive, than in 2006. And while the immediate suspicion is corruption in the developing world, that’s probably not the main reason for the hiked prices staying high. Cereal stocks are at a thirty year low – a situation made worse by the use of certain crops for bio-fuel – and scarcity of reserves will always keep prices high.

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In the report, “Will the Plunge in Grain Prices Mean Lower Food Prices at the Supermarket?,” the RFA points out that, while prices for agricultural staple commodities such as corn, wheat, and soybeans have all plummeted by about 50% in the last half year, food prices at the grocery store have remained highly elevated. At the same time, ethanol production has dramatically increased.

When the above factors are taken together, the link between grocery store food prices and corn ethanol production becomes dubious. Not only that, and also somewhat unintuitively, it seems that the diversion of relatively large portions of the US corn crop to ethanol production has very little effect on even the market price of corn.

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Exponential increases in food prices in recent times have created enormous challenges to governments, national and international organizations, and aid agencies everywhere in the world. The World Bank has estimated that the rising food prices could push an additional 100 million people into poverty, thereby undermining the current efforts geared towards poverty reduction.

Increasing demand, decreasing supply, and the rising oil prices, which are in turn affected by numerous other factors, have been some reasons for the rise in food prices. Demand for cereal grains has been rising not only as a result of population growth, but also because of the growing middle class population in countries like China and India. Growing incomes have resulted in more demand for cereal grains directly and also more meat and dairy, which in turn has raised the demand for more grains as feed for the livestock. Another more important reason for the rise in demand for food crops is the development of bio-fuels, which have attracted a great deal of attention in recent times.

On the supply front, according to a publication by the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), droughts in Australia and Turkey and bad weather in Ukraine and parts of North America have resulted in less agricultural production which has caused food prices to rise. A more important, but often overlooked reason for the decrease in the supply of farm commodities against rising demand is that the subsidies that the developed countries have been providing to their agriculture sector have dampened world prices of those products and made the products of developing countries uncompetitive. This has had a tremendous impact in agricultural production in developing countries. In the absence of competitiveness and any other gains to be derived from agriculture, the developing countries have had less incentive to invest in agricultural infrastructure, agricultural research and development, and the like. As a result, agriculture production in these countries continually declined disrupting supply.

Then, who should take the blame of rising food prices? If we look at the demand side, we see that the demand has been rising in one part because of rising incomes in few developing countries, and on the other, because of the development of bio-fuels by the developed countries. On the supply side, drought and bad weather conditions are not something which are under human control, but less supply resulting from less production in developing countries owing to the agricultural policies of the developed countries definitely deserves attention.

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The issue stems from activist and Green Party candidate for Washington governor Duff Badgley’s attempts to drive customers away from a new biofuel station in northwest Seattle. Allegedly Badgley and his group, One Earth, have been harassing customers by taking pictures of their license plates and passing out leaflets that proclaim biofuels as a “scourge on humankind.”

Biofuels certainly have a hard row to hoe in terms of reaching sustainability, and the activists have some valid concerns, but a “scourge on humanity”? Really? It’s almost laughable.

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And now they want your input on what those sustainable practices and standards should be — they’ve released the first draft of their “Principles and Baseline Practices for Sustainability” (PDF) to the public under a 45-day comment and review period.

So, if you’ve ever questioned the wisdom of growing our own fuel, or you’ve wondered how biofuels can be considered sustainable at all given other seemingly cleaner options like solar, wind and geothermal, now’s your time to speak up.

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“Livestock production is one of the major causes of the world’s most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Using a methodology that considers the entire commodity chain, it estimates that livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport.”

The things we choose to eat can obviously have an enormous impact on the planet and everything on it, including ourselves. Naturally then, our diet choices can say a lot about our ethics and beliefs. They can even be a political statement and a form of activism. I think that every choice we make has the potential to change the world, and certainly what I choose to eat has an impact.

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But first, a digression.

Part 1: When an egg was just an egg

I remember a time when an egg was just an egg. Nobody argued about that. It was a blissful time. Yet, for all its strengths, it was a fragile time held together by unsupported conclusions and limited knowledge.

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I’ve not posted much yet on the Iowa floods. I think, perhaps, I was holding my breath, waiting to exhale. The exhale is likely to come out more like a long sigh.

While the floods have peaked, Iowans are now dealing with the aftermath. Many of the 36,000-plus who were evacuated have still not returned home. I imagine, when they get there, the real work will begin.

It’s devastating for the state. And, in the wider picture, devastating for all of us. Even if your home was high, dry, and several states away, you, too, will feel the impacts.

Details after the jump.

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One theory that has been widely discussed in recent weeks is that the nation’s growing demand for biofuels and the crops needed to produce them is the real culprit behind higher food prices, both at home and abroad. Yet the evidence that we have seen. . .does not support this.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/05/22/usda-says-ethanol-accounts-for-only-3-of-increased-cost-of-food/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/22/dont-blame-bio-fuels-for-everything/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/22/dont-blame-bio-fuels-for-everything/#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 06:00:03 +0000 Mark Seall http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/22/dont-blame-bio-fuels-for-everything/

Confession time. I have to admit that I may have been a bit of a grumpy environmental blogger, failing to give due credit where credit is due..

In particular, I have frequently complained about bio-fuels driving up world food prices in absence of a few wider considerations, I’ve been dismissive at the EU’s lack of ability to actually implement anything that makes a real difference to the environment, and most recently I described an environmental tax levied on cows as the most stupid idea ever. So it is maybe time to examine these issues in a more positive light – negativity is, after all, the enemy of progress.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/22/dont-blame-bio-fuels-for-everything/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/22/food-crisis-food-technology-issues-and-updates/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/22/food-crisis-food-technology-issues-and-updates/#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 04:27:23 +0000 Beth Bader http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/22/food-crisis-food-technology-issues-and-updates/ Here’s a look at a few interesting headlines as the world deals with the food crisis and debates on food technology.

Food Aid Also Gives a Helping Hand to GMO Agribusiness
As countries around the world try to grapple with the food crisis, the Bush Administration’s The $770 million aid package causes a bit of a controversy by including language that would promote the use of genetically modified crops in food-deprived countries. (Chicago Tribune).

Agribusiness Profits Rise Dramatically Alongside Food Prices
An article in The Independent discusses how major players in the agriculture industry are enjoying record increases in profits, doubling in a three month period in some cases, from both the demand for food and biofuel. Investor speculation plays a significant part in the profits, as well as in driving up food prices. (The Independent).

More issues and updates.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/22/food-crisis-food-technology-issues-and-updates/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/14/food-snob-challenge-how-to-feed-100-starving-children/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/14/food-snob-challenge-how-to-feed-100-starving-children/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 04:27:22 +0000 Beth Bader http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/14/food-snob-challenge-how-to-feed-100-starving-children/ A good friend sent me Daniel Gross’ post on Slate.com, “The Agony of the Food Snob.” The article is a bit self-deprecating, a bit of humor, and a bit of a poke to food snobs’ plight as food prices rise for all of us. At times the article points out the more stupid purchases that defy reason, and at others, it shows that none of us — save the very wealthy — is immune to the price increase.

The last line of the piece is truly a challenge to all food snobs, “We’re spending obscene amounts on food we don’t need at a time when so many others are genuinely struggling to pay for enough basic sustenance to get them through the day.”

I am not a food snob. I am also on a budget these days. Even so, I certainly enjoy the best foods of every season, and the relative abundance and the fact that I can afford to eat when so many can’t has been weighing on me. I needed to do something to help.
So, here’s how I answered the challenge.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/14/food-snob-challenge-how-to-feed-100-starving-children/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/04/30/say-what/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/04/30/say-what/#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:03:07 +0000 Beth Bader http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/04/30/say-what/ Headlines from today’s White House press conference included a quote from President Bush encouraging Americans to eat local. It caught me a bit off guard.

Putting the comment back into context, however, there are a few problems with the logic of this suggestion, and not just that he, Bush, was the creator of the “eat local” concept.

The statement was made in response to a question on the relationship between ethanol and food price increases: (quote from press conference after the jump).

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/04/30/say-what/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/european-union-defends-biofuel-targets-as-food-prices-soar/ http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/european-union-defends-biofuel-targets-as-food-prices-soar/#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:57:24 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/european-union-defends-biofuel-targets-as-food-prices-soar/ Despite intense debate surrounding the growing global food crises, the European Union today defended expanding the use of biofuels in all 27 member countries. Part of the EU’s climate change package, the current proposal sets a target of meeting 10% of transportation fuel with biofuels by 2020.

As I reported last week, Europe’s EPA advised suspending the EU’s biofuel targets until a comprehensive environmental analysis could be completed. Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, said no way is that going to happen:

“You can’t change a political objective without risking a debate on all the other objectives,” meaning that changing biofuels targets could lead to questioning the entire climate change package.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/european-union-defends-biofuel-targets-as-food-prices-soar/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/perfect-storm-inflating-food-prices-worldwide/ http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/perfect-storm-inflating-food-prices-worldwide/#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:24:18 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/perfect-storm-inflating-food-prices-worldwide/ Adding to the ongoing discussion about biofuels affecting worldwide food prices (see Biodiesel Is Raising Food Prices), NPR’s Morning Addition briefly interviewed World Bank President Robert Zoellick last Friday.

Zoellick called it a “perfect storm of things coming together…” and listed 7 different issues contributing to the increasing cost of food, which led to rioting in Haiti and Egypt last week, along with a general strike in Burkina Faso:

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/04/14/perfect-storm-inflating-food-prices-worldwide/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/03/27/tangled-up-in-green-the-dangers-of-using-food-for-fuel/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/03/27/tangled-up-in-green-the-dangers-of-using-food-for-fuel/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:49:58 +0000 Ranjit Arab http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/03/27/tangled-up-in-green-the-dangers-of-using-food-for-fuel/ Who knew Stephen King was a prophet?

No, I’m not talking about the demon-possessed hot rods (I think we all saw that coming). I’m talking about America’s zombie-like loyalty to a certain cash crop — one that has turned our entire nation into the children of the corn.

Lately, of course, you can’t watch, read, or listen to the news without someone touting the benefits of corn ethanol and how it’s the key to leading us on a path of energy independence.

There might be a *cough* kernel of truth to that argument, but… (sorry, I suffer from a cousin of Tourette’s that requires me to uncontrollably shout out useless puns)…

Seriously, corn is not the answer. It’s not even a major part of the answer. In fact, it’s a major part of the problem.

What do I mean? Well, lend me your *cough* ear (jeez, the medication is wearing off quicker)…

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/03/27/tangled-up-in-green-the-dangers-of-using-food-for-fuel/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/02/18/from-my-bookshelf-part-1/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/02/18/from-my-bookshelf-part-1/#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:07:16 +0000 Lee Welles http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/02/18/from-my-bookshelf-part-1/ As a writer of fiction, I constantly get the question, “Where do you get your ideas?” The answer is, two places: I get out and play in the world a lot and I read a LOT! I wanted to share some of the books on my shelf, so that you too…can get inspired.

Food and food production was the first topic I tackled. I haven’t read it yet, but Michael Pollan’s new book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, sounds excellent. I enjoyed listening to a recent interview with him on Talk of the Nation and have it on hold at my local library. Michael Pollan also did a fantastic job with An Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Many people are familiar with Pollan’s writing, but I wanted to make you aware of some titles you may have missed.

I believe I stumbled up Fat Land by Greg Critser first. Being a health and wellness consultant, the subtitle, “How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World,” is what caught my eye.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/02/18/from-my-bookshelf-part-1/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/01/19/intensive-chicken-farming-hits-screens-and-raw-nerves/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/01/19/intensive-chicken-farming-hits-screens-and-raw-nerves/#comments Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:40:56 +0000 Pem Charnley http://ecoworldly.com/2008/01/19/intensive-chicken-farming-hits-screens-and-raw-nerves/ Over the past few years, the UK has enjoyed the dubious pleasure of having its terrestrial TV channels jammed with celebrity chefs.

Turn on the TV and you’ll see one of them drizzling olive oil over some preposterous dish hardly suitable for a family of four on a tight budget.

But recently, there’s been a refreshingly unsavoury turnaround.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/01/19/intensive-chicken-farming-hits-screens-and-raw-nerves/feed/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/01/05/the-new-global-crisis-food/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/01/05/the-new-global-crisis-food/#comments Sat, 05 Jan 2008 08:40:13 +0000 Max Lindberg http://planetsave.com/blog/2008/01/05/the-new-global-crisis-food/ BMO Financial Group strategist Donald Coxe warns that the current credit crunch and soaring oil prices will pale in comparison to a looming shortage of food.

Again, I’ve included a podcast, just in case you’d rather listen: This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Investors are being warned, a global food catastrophe is emerging, a dire prediction he dropped on the Empire Club’s 14th annual investment outlook meeting in Toronto.

Coxe blames heavy demand from the biofuels industry, and the growing middle classes of countries such as India and China. To keep up with the demand, he says food output needs to be expanded dramatically.

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