Food Shortage

Beef11 · #1 04/23/08, 01:09 PM

I've been reading about the "food shortage" and the associated buzz of overpopulation and so on. Then you see some guy from NY or some other densely populated area talking about how "we" are all going to starve if things don't change soon. Its the "we" that has me thinking by we does he mean everyone? Or just all of the people in his pigeonbox world? Does he mean those don't buy todays food today and tomorrows food tomorrow? It seems if we did have a severe food shortage it would separate the grasshoppers from the ants. The grasshoppers think everyone is a grasshopper. The ants seem to be able to discern. What i do see is people yelling for policy change, it seems planting a garden would make more sense. Any thoughts?

AR Transplant · #2 04/23/08, 01:30 PM

I don't have anything to really offer, but I like your analogy about the grasshoppers thinking everyone is one while the ants are discerning. I totally agree. And would add that the grasshoppers get mad at what seems to be antigrasshopper behavior( like the ant) and the ants would love it if the grasshopper would be a little more like the ant.

Also, I have planted a garden before, it is easier to yell than it is to plant a garden.

ar

EDDIE BUCK · #3 04/23/08, 02:08 PM

I have a garden but if I didn't and me or mine were hungry an starving, us an you will be eating out of YOUR garden. I'd probably get shot but probably is better than definitely starving. Its something to think about. That biscuit or cornbread not on the table, but in a gas tank. And if you can find a bag of flour or meal, can you afford to buy it?

Eddie

**Shrek** · #4 04/23/08, 02:45 PM

I dont see any food shortage. I went last week and picked up my usual yearly supply to top my pantry back to approx 50 pounds of flour, 50 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of rice, 12 jars of yeast, 40 pounds of coffee, 20 gallons of cook oil and 400 packs of ramens. The staples cost me about 15 % more than last year but there wasn't any shortage.

suitcase_sally · #5 04/23/08, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shrek

and 400 packs of ramens.

A man after my own hert...LOL!

Andy · #6 04/23/08, 03:23 PM

Interesting question!

I agree that there doesn't seem to be an overall shortage of food in the US, except for some minor shortages of rice, flour and other staples that people have been (wisely in my opinion) buying up in bulk due to rising prices. However, in other parts of the world where some live on the equivalent of $1 a day, there might as well be no food. And you only have to read the CF forums here to see how rising prices are affecting Americans as well.

I also agree that a smart policy would encourage people to raise, grow or collect as much of their own food as possible. However, there's no money in that, so our politicians probably won't go for that.

In my opinion it's a mistake to think that because we are self-reliant to some degree, high food prices or a food shortages won't affect us. There have been food riots all over the world, and some experts believe that the governments of countries like Egypt and Pakistan could be overthrown if the food shortages there continue. Who knows what kind of crazy government would takeover?

Also, a lot of those NY city guys yelling about food shortages are advocating for small farms and local food production as part of the solution.

Anyway, to answer your question, I don't think it matters whether the grasshoppers know that there are some ants - if any of the grasshoppers starve, or think they are starving, all of us ants will have problems.

zukgod · #7 04/23/08, 03:35 PM

Some of us ants are well armed. And grasshoper might not taste to bad.

Jennifer L. · #8 04/23/08, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beef11

I've been reading about the "food shortage" and the associated buzz of overpopulation and so on. Then you see some guy from NY or some other densely populated area talking about how "we" are all going to starve if things don't change soon. Its the "we" that has me thinking by we does he mean everyone? Or just all of the people in his pigeonbox world? Does he mean those don't buy todays food today and tomorrows food tomorrow? It seems if we did have a severe food shortage it would separate the grasshoppers from the ants. The grasshoppers think everyone is a grasshopper. The ants seem to be able to discern. What i do see is people yelling for policy change, it seems planting a garden would make more sense. Any thoughts?

THis really isn't a grasshopper and ant deal. I heard the percentage awhile ago that only 17-18% of people in the US are considered "rural". Everyone else is three or four generations or more away from a farm. It isn't their fault that they live the lives they do, it's just expected and there's been no problems living that way up to now. As Bumpus said on another forum, our parents "didn't want us to work so hard". That meant no one wanted to do farm work anymore. So they don't know anything at all about food production, outside of the six tomato plants they have in their backyard. Now we have foreign workers to do the grunt work of food production in the vegetable, poultry, and dairy industries. How can you expect these people to do more than scream about food? Everything they eat is packaged in plastic and cans. They haven't been taught and they don't know. This is a fault of society and not individuals.

Jennifer

**highlands** · #9 04/23/08, 07:18 PM

Self appointed "Experts" have been saying this sort of thing for decades. There is no food shortage. There are problems with food distribution, greed, warmongering but no food shortage. We have more food now than ever and the population bomb fizzled.

Paquebot · #10 04/23/08, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highlands

We have more food now than ever and the population bomb fizzled.

Are you saying that Zero Population Growth has been met and now declining?

Martin

hillsidedigger · #11 04/23/08, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highlands

Self appointed "Experts" have been saying this sort of thing for decades. There is no food shortage. There are problems with food distribution, greed, warmongering but no food shortage. We have more food now than ever and the population bomb fizzled.

Get real.

TundraGypsy · #12 04/23/08, 10:39 PM

This is one armed 'ant.' I pick up my new .20 gauge shotgun next week.

Ive' been working hard to earn the money to buy a few staples and I'm not lettin' some weekend, lay around the house bum,take it away from me. The only thing they'll get to eat from me is lead. I guess I'm becoming a cranky old grandma.

SquashNut · #13 04/23/08, 10:49 PM

i think alot of the shortages are because groceries are getting expensive and gas is getting outrages in price and so alot of families are going back to cooking from scratch. i can see a mother with 3 kids trying to make her first loaf of bread after seing decent bread for $3 plus at the store. Or making a big pot of beans to make what meat she could afford go farther.

Ranchermom · #14 04/24/08, 01:43 AM

I am not sure on the food shortage but I do know here in south Texas food has gotten more expensive by just looking at our food budget. Local Feed to feed my chickens has also gone up including the egg cartons I had usually buy.

We are stocking up but not of fear but because heck its spring and its harvest time for us here or at least it will be soon so we are used to gardening, canning, butchering etc..

As for what I am contributing to others I am trying to get friends, neighbors, and writing columns to my groups to to do gardens even if its small like pots out on the porch or square foot gardening. I am urging others to start veggie coops, milk coops etc..to help with our cost and to help out local farmers to keep them going.

Yes I am very concerned about all this but I won't lose sleep over it, at least not yet

Sam aka Frugalcountrymom

krondor2 · #15 04/24/08, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy

I also agree that a smart policy would encourage people to raise, grow or collect as much of their own food as possible. However, there's no money in that, so our politicians probably won't go for that.

what! have a policy where the sheeple take care of ones self.

stranger · #16 04/24/08, 05:14 AM

In WW2 everyone grew a Victory Garden, maybe it would be a good idea to start them again.
I grow a large garden, unwanted edible guests are shot and put in the pressure canner, unwanted non-edible guests are shot and tossed on the compost pile.

chris30523 · #17 04/24/08, 05:16 AM

Speaking as a commercial poultry producer.Small farmer.It is getting harder to make ends meet and the company that supplys my chickens is cutting back production (they say to help cut cost).The rising cost of feed,fuel, and labor are causing prices to go up and then" cutting back "will create a greater demand so prices will rise further.

ronshoney · #18 04/24/08, 06:01 AM

We have been storing food for a while and it's not easy and when money get's shorter we go through a lot of our reserves. Canning and freezing helps a lot and we put up enough every year to cover my parents, sister and grandmother who live next door. This year we have added goats for milk, and chickens, ducks and turkeys for meat and eggs. We have 5 kids at home at the moment soon to add another with a grandbaby and you just can't afford to shop at the store anymore and who would want to feed most of it to their kids anyway. I find you can put up a whole lot of food from what you can grow.

**highlands** · #19 04/24/08, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paquebot

Are you saying that Zero Population Growth has been met and now declining?

ZPG was never a good idea. We need population growth to produce innovators to expand off this planet and out of this solar system for our security. That's going to take a lot of thinking. If we just sit here on this rock, we'll meet another rock someday and that will be the end of that. The rest of the species on this planet depend on us to figure out how to survive.

futurehermit · #20 04/24/08, 06:28 AM

This may or may not be off topic, but I think it relates to the spirit of the op.

My major concern is what will happen in a true food shortage scenario, which I feel could be as little as a break down in the supply chain of a week. At one month, total chaos would hit with the national guard distributing rice and flour in major town centers. Those of us with gardens may be forced to give those without by simple theft by individuals, or theft by the government. While most of us would like think that buckshot will be the solution to that problem (I count myself among that group), practically I am afraid that may not be the case. Nowadays, some computer can view what is planted in our backyards via sattelite in space, I don't think that any of us have enough force to stop the government, and if it came to it, I think few of us would die trying.