Global Food Crisis

1 in 6 people in the world will go to bed hungry tonight

1. Rising Food Prices Global food prices rose 83% in the last three years As of March 2008, average world wheat prices were 130% above their level a year earlier, soy prices were 87% higher, rice had climbed 74%, and maize was up 31% Currently (2013) 131% higher than 2012 prices

2. Overpopulation (?) Over the last 20 years, food production has risen steadily at over 2.0% a year, while the rate of population growth has dropped to 1.14% a year. Therefore…..population is not outstripping food supply. “There is food on the shelves but people are either priced out of the market or can’t gain access to it.”

2. Overpopulation (?) The overpopulation argument seems like an obvious one, but when considering who consumes what, in what quantities and whether much use of resources are actually productive or not suggests that there may be other issues, though overpopulation concerns could become real at some point.

4. Inequity of Resources Some 80% of the world’s production is consumed by the wealthiest 20% of the world Due to social, economic and political reasons

5. Climate Change & Natural Disasters Agriculture is highly sensitive to climate variability and weather extremes, such as droughts, floods and severe storms. While food production may benefit from a warmer climate, the increased potential for droughts, floods and heat waves will pose challenges for farmers.

5. Climate Change & Natural Disasters The enduring changes in climate, water supply and soil moisture could make it less feasible to continue crop production in certain regions

6. Low Reserves Low grain reserves (according to Holt-Giménez and Peabody, we have less than 54 days worth, globally)

7. High Oil Prices Virtually all of the processes in the modern food system are now dependent upon this finite resource Examples: manufacture of fertilizers and pesticides Energy at all stages of food production: from planting, irrigation, feeding and harvesting, through to processing, distribution and packaging. essential in the construction and the repair of equipment and infrastructure: including farm machinery, processing facilities, storage, ships, trucks and roads.

Perpetuating the Problem… The industrial food supply system is one of the biggest consumers of fossil fuels and one of the greatest producers of greenhouse gases

8. Meat Consumption

Currently we are seeing a doubling of per-capita meat consumption in some developing countries.

8. Meat Consumption Percentage of corn grown in the US eaten by people: Percentage of corn grown in the US eaten by livestock: Percentage of oats grown in the US eaten by livestock: 20 % 80% 95%

8. Meat Consumption Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 40,000 lbs 250 lbs

9. Biofuels Diversion of 5% of the world’s cereals to agrofuels. Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75%

9. Biofuels Grain has been diverted away from food, to fuel; (Over a third of US corn is now used to produce ethanol; about half of vegetable oils in the EU goes towards the production of biodiesel); Farmers have been encouraged to set land aside for biofuel production

10. Corporate Monopoly The dominance of the richer nations and companies in the international arena has had a tremendous impact on agriculture