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US retailers have rationed rice due to the huge demand. The Guardian reports that Wal-Mart's cash and carry division, Sam's Club, have announced they would sell a maximum of four bags of rice per person to prevent supplies from running short.
The impact of drought in Australia is extreme; two minute showers, recycling of water for non-food uses and in Brisbane personal water usage is limited to 140 litres per person per day! Follow the link to the BBC report to find out more.
Some thought provoking quotes on water:
"Water links us to our neighbour in a way more profound and complex than any other." John Thorson
"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water". Benjamin Franklin
"Water is the most basic of all resources. Civilizations grew or withered depending on its availability. Dr. Nathan W. Snyder.
"Everyone understands that water is essential to life. But many are only just now beginning to grasp how essential it is to everything in life – food, energy, transportation, nature, leisure, identity, culture, social norms, and virtually all the products used on a daily basis." World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
"Water is the lifeblood of our bodies, our economy, our nation and our well-being". Stephen Johnson,
I have delivered two evening presentations this week on my Nuffield Study about water. We talked for nearly five hours over the two evenings about water footprint, virtual water, water security and water rights.
I am left with the overall question - who does the fresh water actually belong to on this planet?
If one region seeds the clouds so that it rains ( or snows) within their geographic borders, thus denying another group - is that ethical?
If cities demand water over and above the demand for food production - is that sustainable long term?
If we collect rainwater we are actually denying someone else their previous right to abstract that water from ground water or surface water sources - is this ethical?
What are our "rights" where water is concerned?
John F Kennedy once said "Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes - one for peace and one for science." Words that still ring true today!
National Geographic News reports that California and China are to collaborate over developing technology to reduce CO2 emissions. California, leads the US in its level of production of greenhouse gases. To read this interesting article follow the link.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has rejected allegations that biofuels are responsible for the recent rise in global food prices. He stated that the reason that food had become more expensive is because people in developing countries were gaining greater access to it. This view is at a juxtaposition to many of the other opinions expressed (see Biofuels round-up) and the leaders of Bolivia and Peru have attacked the use of biofuels, saying they have made food too expensive for the poor. The Guardian reports that the European Commission is retreating from implementing a compulsory 10% quota of biofuels in all petrol and diesel by 2020. To find out more details follow the link.
The BBC reported last week that the US President George W Bush has ordered the release of $200m in emergency aid to alleviate food shortages in Africa and other parts of the world. The BBC also reported that North Korea is facing a humanitarian crisis due to food shortages and that China's food prices have risen by 21% in the last twelve months. There has also been huge rises in commodity prices in the US. The Guardian reports that the UN is cutting food rations to Dafur due to security issues.
India's agriculture minister has according to the BBC rejected calls for additional debt cancellation for millions of farmers. In a previous blog post I wrote about how the government had agreed a $15bn scheme to write off the debts of millions of small farmers. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has offered to provide loans in order to support countries who are trying to deal with the effects of rising food prices. These loans could be used to subsidise the price of staple foods such as rice to help the poor.
Yesterday the BBC reported that the head of the UN World Food Programme has asked for urgent action to stimulate food production. This crisis has been reported as a "silent" tsunami and reading about the crisis it brought to mind a quote by Martin Luther King "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. " We need to keep on breaking the silence.
The Guardian reports on the ongoing concerns about the lack of snow in the Pyrenees. Many of the villages in the region rely completely on snow melt for their drinking water.
Japan is to become the first country in the world to vaccinate key workers against bird flu. Six thousand health workers and other key staff will be inoculated with a proviso to extend the programme to up to ten million people. Follow the link to find out more.
When I was completing my PhD I analysed the global model of poultry supply and spent a lot of time looking at the global dynamics of the industry. The majority of costs in the poultry industry are feed and energy to heat, light and ventilate the poultry houses to ensure an optimum environment for health and welfare. Both commodities have seen a significant rise in the last twelve months. In order to maintain current margins, this cost would have to be passed on to the retailer and customer and this is why there has been such a rise in not only meat but other food commodities. How much can be passed on is the big question? Added costs especially where they cannot be absorbed by the supply chain mean that businesses have to focus on their internal costs and reduce them where possible in order to stay competitive.
Marketwatch reports that US producers are reviewing their processing capabilities and how they can address these issues. Pilgrim's Pride is cutting production by 5% this year in an effort to rebalance their accounts. A UK poultry processors is closing one of its factories and investing in other sites. This rebalancing will continue for some time I am sure.
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