Major food-producing regions around the globe are experiencing devestating crop and livestock losses in alarming numbers. According to the February, 2009 article, "Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production," by Eric deCarbonnel of the Centre for Research on Globalization, recent droughts and other natural disasters worldwide are quickly turning the global food crisis into a catastrophe.
The Food Shortage Crisis gets Worse
The UN recently reported that over 1 billion people currently do not have access to adequate amounts of food, and that number could climb even higher in the near future if current drought conditions persist. Based on his research, deCarbonnel estimates a decrease in agricultural production of 20-40% if drought conditions continue. He has come to the conclusion that 2009 could be the beginning of a record-breaking humanitarian crisis throughout much of the world:
- China produces approximately 18% of the world's grain. Millions of people throughout the country are experiencing drinking water shortages due to record droughts in eight major provinces, and record-breaking losses of livestock and crops has forced the Chinese government to take emergency measures to try and save remaining crops. Desperate officials have even resorted to cloud-seeding in an effort to bring rain to the hardest-hit areas, and received only a sprinkle of rain after bombarding clouds with almost 2,400 rockets and 409 cannon shells filled with chemicals.
- Austrailia has been suffering from severe drought conditions since 2004. The worst drought in 117 years is affecting more than 40% of Austrailia's agricultural production. Rivers are completely dry, and the water levels in some lakes are so low that they are actually becoming toxic.
- The United States is experiencing extreme drought conditions throughout the southern half of the country. In California and Texas, drought conditions are the worst they have been in nearly a century. California has already lost thousands of acres of crops, and water restrictions are in place throughout the state. In Texas, cattle are dying in the pastures from lack of water and many crops throughout the state are fallowed.
- South America is experiencing extreme drought across much of the continent. Argentina is suffering from the worst drought in 50 years. Cattle are dying across the country, and the country's food production is expected to be cut in half for 2009. Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile have all declared agricultural emergencies. Bolivia has barely received any rain in over a year, and Brazil - the second-largest exporter of soybeans and third-largest exporter of corn - has been continually decreasing its harvest outlook for 2009 as the drought worsens.
- Countries in the Horn of Africa are facing severe food shortages and famine. Kenya has been without rainfall for more than 18 months, and South Africa is looking at its lowest wheat crop levels in more than 30 years. Other countries in this region affected by persistent drought and famine include: Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Swaziland, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tunisia, Angola, and Ethiopia.
- The Middle East and Central Asia are facing the lowest levels of food grain production in decades. Crop losses in the region have been so severe that there is expected to be a major shortage of seeds to plant for the 2010 crop. Wheat production for Iraq is expected to drop a whopping 80% or more over previous harvests. In Syria, water taps in many neighborhoods in the capital city of Damascus ran dry in the summer of 2008, and residents were forced to resort to the black market for water. Other countries in the region affected by extreme drought include: Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, The Palestinian Territories, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey, Cyprus and Iran.
Food as a Commodity
Drought is not the only factor contributing to the world's food shortage crisis. The recent financial crisis has added an estimated 150 million people to the number of chronically hungry in 2008 by drastically increasing the prices of food worldwide.
Global food security is also being negatively affected by the spread of industrial agriculture practices and a profit-driven economic system. According to Adam Wasserman in his Suite101 article, "Understanding the Global Famine: How Corporate Agriculture has Undermined Food Safety and Security," corporate agriculture classifies food as a "marketable commodity" to be traded for profit instead of a fundamental human need. Free-market speculation, corporate greed, and the insistence that developing countries export their domestic grain stores to pay for "aid" from foreign investors only exacerbates the problem.
Solving the world food crisis is going to take a concerted, sustained commitment to work together from countries around the globe. For more information on what needs to be done to solve the global hunger crisis - and what individuals can do to help - please read, "Ending the Global Food Crisis: Five Ways to End World Hunger."
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