Transcript Global Food Crisis

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,
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
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:
40,000
lbs
250 lbs
Pounds of beef produced on an
acre:
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