2 replies to this topic

[duke_Qa]

Well, I guess that's included inflation, which in theory could be as high as 5% every year on average in a western economy, but I digress.

http://www.guardian....ces-double-2030

The average price of staple foods will more than double in the next 20 years, leading to an unprecedented reversal in human development, Oxfam has warned.The world's poorest people, who spend up to 80% of their income of food, will be hit hardest according to the charity. It said the world is entering an era of permanent food crisis, which is likely to be accompanied by political unrest and will require radical reform of the international food system

I kinda love the political effects food has on people, its a big cornerstone of Maslov's pyramid of needs and if you can't get it you will die. if there's little of it you will fight for it. If the Arab spring was caused by moderate increases in food-prices, consider the consequences of doubling them.


I have to admit that I really don't mind the increase of food-prices, because I believe it will be a natural balance to the exploding human population. Naturally it hurts those who are already weak and in a bad position, but that's pretty much Darwin in a nutshell. What I'm more worried about is that the desperation will cause people to ravage nature even more than we are doing today, causing even more damage in some desperate and futile attempt at persevering.

So, whats your opinion on food prices and the consequences of the lack of food? How much of your annual salary is spent on it? (Up here its about 11%, but back in the 60s it was around 40%).

[OmegaBolt]

Well food is already ridiculously cheap in the Western world. It can't be gathered through fair means at such rates, so I'm all for increasing prices if it means fairer production. We also don't need to eat as much as we do here anyway and certainly don't need so many extravagant imported foods.

The future is self preservation, growing your own food or having it grown locally, like it used to be.

[duke_Qa]

Here's another article http://www.bbc.co.uk.../world-13597657

By 2030, the average cost of key crops could increase by between 120% and 180%, the charity forecasts.It is the acceleration of a trend which has already seen food prices double in the last 20 years.Half of the rise to come will be caused by climate change, Oxfam predicts.It calls on world leaders to improve regulation of food markets and invest in a global climate fund."The food system must be overhauled if we are to overcome the increasingly pressing challenges of climate change, spiralling food prices and the scarcity of land, water and energy," said Barbara Stocking, Oxfam's chief executive.

OmegaBolt

Not that the price will rise around here because we are "stealing from the rich giving to the poor"...it is an international price hike that will hit everyone. For us with all the money we really ever would need, it will just be an annoyance. Those who barely can keep themselves fed with the money they earn now, will at best become slaves for food, at worst starved to death.

Self-preservation is not sustainable without industrial aid in fertilizing the ground. I think I heard somewhere that earth only has the raw material to safely support a human population of 500 million. It was probably very careful and worrying about minor things like temperature changes and the likes, but we are running out of raw materials that are needed for life.

Also, I can't stand these philosophies of regression. "We will return to growing our own food the old way". Do you want to sit around in your backyard for 6-8 months with a gun in your hand watching over the food that will get you through winter? This attitude of accepting a slow decline would be a deep insult to the human character, but at least it is a slightly better stance than the "meme nownow!" attitude that is what we are being taught these days.

We grow or we die, that's how it has been and that's how it will be.