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The Forum > Article Comments > A world hungry for answers > Comments

A world hungry for answers : Comments

By Julian Cribb, published 1/2/2007

The greatest challenge facing humanity this century is the necessity to double global food production with far fewer resources.

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Here is Prof Albert Bartlett's famous lecture on the problem.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2376190597731898896

When my daughter saw and understood this, she joined The Greens (no bull).

It would seem that humans think in a linear fashion, while the world around us operates in an exponential way. This basic disconnect is the cause of our blind spot - even amongst the Captains of Industry.

Highly recommended - will need an hour of your undivided attention.

Someone send a copy to John Howard - please!
Posted by Chris Shaw, Carisbrook 3464, Friday, 2 February 2007 8:33:46 AM
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aqvarivs,

I am not sure what you mean by "2 growing seasons" in Canada. Canada effectively has one as the ground is under snow all winter. The growing season is from April when the ground thaws to October when it freezes again.

I agree the situation with grains is influenced by markets, but changes in cropping patterns are influenced as much by local issues than they are by world markets. USDA data (see:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/grain/circular/2006/05-06/Wheat%2005-06.pdf ) shows that wheat production has not declined over the last decade. World wheat production in 2004/2005 was the highest ever and 2005/2006 was the second highest. Production was down in 2006/2007 due to lower production in the EU, and to a lesser extent in Australia, then the US. US production has been steady or declining for some time, but recent pressure for biofuels has seen greater pressure on wheat area. The Canadian crop has been generally increasing for the last 4 years. The biggest issue at present has been the dramatic increase in imports of wheat by India.

World quinoa area in 2005 according to FAO was 69,000 hectares for 58,000 tonnes. It is probably having limited impact on wheat production. The big pressure in both Europe and North America will be maize.
Posted by Agronomist, Friday, 2 February 2007 9:42:10 AM
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From an old WA cockie.

It looks like it is left to the US and the EU to greatly increase food production.

It is the above who heavily subsidise their agriculture thus able to grow and dump their cheap protected wheat, stealing markets from less developed countries, which must include Australia, even though Costello's Super Super Fund, is said to be bursting at the seams.

While nations in South America are forced to join the drug trade, the only thing keeping Australian farmers going, is the generosity of the banks, somewhat helped by bank security built up by the exorbitant price of farmlands.

Indeed, apart from a recent small rise, Australian wheat prices have hardly risen since globalisation began. Thought it might rise with the so-called beneficial bi-lateral trade agreement with the US. Instead they've stolen most of our Iraq wheat trade. With friends like that, maybe it's better to deal with enemies.

Also you may be sure the old buyers like Dreyfus and Bunge still get their cut, which was why they were discarded and replaced by the agrarian social single desk in the 1930s.

Reckon we could do with a few more like Barnaby Joyce, yet could wonder whether in the long run he could still be trusted. Oh to have a Country Party Bushman like Black Jack McKewen looking after the cockies again.

The lesson is, if you want the farmers to produce more, sack all the mafia types running modern free-markets, especially those in the New York WTO who still let the American farmers be heavily protected.
Posted by bushbred, Friday, 2 February 2007 10:33:00 AM
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Tony Ryan
1) I question the argument - the poor have high numbers of children to support themselves in their old age -perhaps true of feudal England -but not today.

A better gauge of number of children is the freedom & value of the individual.

In societies where humans primary role is seen to be serving God, society or the family -you get more children .In those where the overriding current is the individuals self-actualisation/ & enjoyment -you get fewer children.

Third world refugees moving to first world countries -and receiving all the trimmings of social welfare - do not, even after many years, lose their tendency to have a large numbers of children- they change only when they start to chase the individualistic materialistic western dream.

And, most of the Arab countries-experiencing rapid pop growth - do have welfare support & modern medical systems. What is more influential however is that they have strong ruling value systems which inculcates that the individuals role & enjoyment is secondary to the role they have to serve God or the community or the family …”more children for God“ “Go forth & multiply” “God will provide“.

The best way to control pop growth in such countries is not wealth equalization Or any number of handouts -but a change in their core values

2) “the only solution is to transfer power to the people; democracy”
( while acknowledging you were targeting at George Bush & Co)
Universal suffrage without an open & critical media & education system (which is lacking in most second & third world countries) is worse than useless. If the electors are feed a constant stream of all-others-are-infidels OR the-rest-of-the-world-owes-us then, the only solutions you will get are final solutions.
Posted by Horus, Friday, 2 February 2007 11:46:30 AM
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To Rhian:
“Population growth is slowing worldwide as medical technology and life expectancy improve”
When you look at AVERAGE world growth you can say population growth is slowing. But when you take a closer look at the figures you see while much of western of Europe & Japan is in zero to negative pop growth -many of the Third world ( the existing or potentially worst basket cases) are increasing at 2%+.
Precisely those countries who can least sustain high pop are going at it hell-for-leather….
Posted by Horus, Friday, 2 February 2007 11:51:41 AM
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Over a billion people starve to death every year, needlessly! With the level of technology today one large state in the US can easily feed the worlds starving. And why doesn't that take place? Because farmers are paid subsidies not to grow wheat in order to keep the price artificially high or to undermine competitors in other nations - each against all. In bumper harvests the excess may be thrown into the sea. Economic relations dominate over human relations - once again needlessly. Moreover, economic relations distort reality enormously and make millions of people ill.

Every year the UN release no end of detailed analysis and figures about the worlds starving. To cover up the role they themselves play as the "thieves kitchen" where the loot is divied up there by the
colonial plunderers. Have you ever heard a word issued by the UN about which governments are behind the plundering of very poor countries? Of course if any of the worlds poor rise up against their squalid conditions in go the UN "peacekeepers" to restore law and order. Or as they say in the corridoors of power "aim low to keep the bastards down."
Posted by johncee1945, Friday, 2 February 2007 11:52:15 AM
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