Hard Truth on Hunger

It appears that the word is now beginning to get out on the food shortage crisis that is looming around the world.  CNBC ran a report today on how to play food inflation. This article from the BBC News also focuses on the situation.  Again, what these reports fail to mention is that when the situation is already on thin ice, all it takes is a natural disaster or two for that ice to break and cause total devastation and instability.

Please note that India is considered to be in the "alarming" category!  If India cannot get this situation under control, the consequences will spread across the globe, that much is certain.

Below are a few excerpts from the BBC article.

"We have 20 years to arguably deliver something of the order of 40% more food; 30% more available fresh water and of the order of 50% more energy.

"We can't wait 20 years or 10 years indeed - this is really urgent."

Professor Beddington commissioned the study and was among the first to warn of "a perfect storm" of a growing population, climate change and diminishing resources for food production.

The report says that "piecemeal" changes are not an option: "Nothing less is required than a redesign of the whole food system to bring sustainability to the fore."

It calls for protection of the poorest from sharp price increases through government intervention and greater liberalisation of the trade in food in order to offset market volatility.

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