A Growth Opportunity

While the rich nations of the earth spin out of control over climate change, the poor nations are about to erupt, and in Haiti food riots have already begun.  Fact is, we have exported everything but agricultural self-sufficiency.  On top of that, we are shifting resources from food production into fuels production.  A fifth of the nation’s corn crop is now used to brew ethanol for motor fuel, and as farmers have planted more corn, they have cut acreage of other crops, particularly soybeans. That, in turn, has contributed to a global shortfall of cooking oil, as well as corn meal.

You can expect to see an expansion in agriculture and an increase in farm subsidies.  In some perverse way, this may make sense because it is far less expensive to subsidise farmers to ensure enough food for the world than it is to put down regional food riots and wars.  Oh - and there is the moral element.  I'm not prepared to take responsibility for starving the poorest people on earth so that I can feel good about my 85% ethanol fueled car. 

I note in passing, by the way, that many environmental activists quietly rejoice over the potential of millions (billions?) of starving people.  They think we need population control and food riots prove their point at the same time that it reduces population.  These activists are very sick people and they constitute the leadership of most of the national environmental movement.  But we've known about that for years, so I don't suppose any of us should be particularly surprised about that.

In any case, here are a couple of news reports that show the mainstream media is beginning to get the picture.  NYT and the Telegraph.