Category: Food Crisis
The analysis published under this category are as follows.Thursday, May 08, 2008
Global Food Riots Protend Trouble for the US Dollar / Commodities / Food Crisis
On a trip to Canada recently I couldn't help but notice the extensive media coverage paid to the worldwide food price inflation, as well as the riots breaking out in many countries over food shortages.
And of course the list of reasons given by the so-called ‘economists' interviewed are completely devoid of the one all important reason fueling what may arguably become an epic food price inflation: the declining value of the US dollar.
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Friday, May 02, 2008
Rice Prices Fall Sharply After Food Crisis Rally on Government Export Controls / Commodities / Food Crisis
The price of rice finally started to moderate this week, with rice futures sinking for a fifth straight day. Rice has retreated 11.6% on the Chicago Board of Trade since hitting an all-time high last Thursday.
But this decline is likely just the start for rice prices, which have been artificially inflated by government controls and may continue to plummet by as much as 20%.
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Rationing- Food for Thought / Politics / Food Crisis
‘Food, glorious food' conjures up the image of Oliver Twist and his brother orphans wailing over a shortage of porridge in Dickensian England.
Last week, a food shortage became an American reality. Costco Warehouse, Wal-Mart and other food stores limited the purchase of certain food staples in bulk form. Purchases of rice in California and of oil and flour in Queens were restricted. Customers were angry, voicing strong concern and questioning whether the situation would worsen.
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Food Price Inflation, Monetary Policy & Financial Markets / Stock-Markets / Food Crisis
The second is by good friend and Maine fishing buddy David Kotok, the chief investment officer of Cumberland Asset Managers ( www.cumber.com ). He was recently in Africa where he met with the head of the central bank of a small country with headline inflation of 10%. The problem is that "core inflation" is 5% and food inflation is 15%, yet accounts for 50% of the GDP. He asked a group of financial thinkers (including your humble analyst) to ponder what that central banker should do. Do you set high rates and target overall inflation or set lower rates and not worry about food inflation.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Global Food Price Crisis Threatens Worldwide Starvation / Politics / Food Crisis
Rising worldwide food prices are resulting in shortages, riots and protests, promises by governments to expand food aid, expressions of concern by international bodies like the World Bank, and stress on household budgets even in developed countries like the U.S. Did this just “happen” or is there a plan?Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
US Fed To Blame for Global Food Crisis / Politics / Food Crisis
The stakes couldn't be higher for Ben Bernanke. If the Fed chief decides to lower rates at the end of April, he could be condemning millions of people to an agonizing death by starvation. The situation is that serious; there's no room for error. Food riots have broken out across the globe destabilizing large parts of the developing world. China is experiencing double-digit inflation. Indonesia, Vietnam and India have imposed controls over rice exports. Wheat, corn and soya are at record highs and threatening to go higher still. Commodities are up across the board.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Global Food Crisis Investing Special / Commodities / Food Crisis
The food riots across the world illustrate the degree to which the world is seeing a shift from cheap food to the early stages of a mega trend in the agricultural sectors that is set to continue for many years. This impact is not just limited to the developing world but people in the developed world have seen their food costs soar by as much as 50% over the last 12months.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Global Food Crisis- Hunger Plagues Haiti and the World / Politics / Food Crisis
Consumers in rich countries feel it in supermarkets but in the world's poorest ones people are starving. The reason - soaring food prices, and it's triggered riots around the world in places like Mexico, Indonesia, Yemen, the Philippines, Cambodia, Morocco, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Guinea, Mauritania, Egypt, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Peru, Bolivia and Haiti that was once nearly food self-sufficient but now relies on imports for most of its supply and (like other food-importing countries) is at the mercy of agribusiness.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Causes of Global Food Crisis- Time for Honesty!! / Commodities / Food Crisis
Causes of Global Food Crisis- Time for Honesty!!This was one of the drivers: “Biofuels Security Act of 2007 - Amends the Clean Air Act to replace provisions prescribing the volume of renewable fuel that gasoline sold in the United States must contain with provisions that require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the applicable volume for 2010 and beyond. Requires such [renewable fuel] volume to be at least 10 billion gallons in 2010, 30 billion gallons in 2020, and 60 billion gallons in 2030. Read full article... Read full article...