Tag Archives: crisis

International

Global Food Crisis: China hit with long drought & big wheat harvest

China is a land of extremes, literally.

In Central China the drought has become so bad that people are being told not to expect any water for another year.  It has drastically cut rice production.  The area is normally flooded at this time of year: “Usually it’s the season to fight floods, local villagers would ride on these boats to reinforce dams along the way. However, the drought has reduced water levels significantly, and as you can see, all the boats are stranded.”-local farmer

At the other end of the extreme, in Anhui, Henan and Shandong provinces, wheat farmers think they will have their best harvest for the first time in five years.  If they do, China hopes it will reduce their need for foreign wheat: “This year is supposed to be a bumper year for wheat harvest. That is of great importance to the whole macroeconomic situation, and stabilization of the price level for commodity prices. It could also enhance China’s capability to minimize the impact of wheat price fluctuations brought by international grain prices.”-Li Guoxiang, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

International

Global Food Crisis: Europe hit by drought & e-coli

French Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire reporting that rain fall is only half what it was at the same time last year.  French wheat harvests will be down by at least 11%, and exports will be cut in half.

Russia is banning fresh produce from Germany and Spain. At least 14 Germans died from e-coli.  Initially the e-coli was traced to cucumbers, but is now showing up in other produce.

Business/Economics, International

Global Food Crisis: Drought puts France in state of crisis

French environment minister, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, declared a “crisis situation” because of the ongoing drought.  She explained that current water levels are the same as if it was July, instead of May.

She has ordered a third of all French administrative departments to cut back on water use.  Two-thirds of the country’s groundwater reserves are reported to be below normal.

Business/Economics, International

If you’re wasting food then you’re part of the cause of Global Food Crisis

Maybe your not old enough to remember when parents in the United States used to tell their kids, “Eat all your food, there’re starving people in China/Africa!”   A new study by the United Nations proves that kind of reasoning correct.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization released findings of a study on wasting food.  The study found that people, in the more wealthier countries, who buy food they don’t eat are a major contributor to the global food crisis.

People buying food in bulk, or ordering large meals at restaurants, and then they can’t eat it all, have just thrown huge amounts of cash down the toilet.  The UN estimates that 222 million tons of food is just thrown away in the wealthier countries.  That’s almost all the food produced in sub-Saharan Africa!

The United Nations points out that it’s not just food that’s being wasted but the land, water, labor and even investments used to grow the food.

Here’s another point; those people buying huge quantities of food are driving up the prices for food, because they’re increasing demand.   Help bring down the price of food: If you’re not going to eat it, don’t buy it!

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Food crisis hits Guatemala, needs $26 million in food aid

The Guatemalan government announced they have discovered 15 thousand cases of chronic malnutrition in the country, for this year so far.

Next week the government will reveal a “nutritional risk” plan.  They say the plan follows UN World Health Organization’s guidelines.

The European Union already sent about $9 million last year.  Now Guatemalan officials say they will need about $26 million for this year.