A Question about Global Warming Policy?

Question

We have a strategic oil reserve in the case of supply disruptions, but since the 1996 Freedom to Farm act, in the US we eliminated our government strategic grain reserves. Also, because of the current global situation, our current domestic grain supplies on critical food grains such as wheat are down to less than 4 days as of today. Meaning, any supply disruptions or bad year will create a near guaranteed shortage and hoarding problems.

Seeing as we cannot eat our strategic "oil" reserve in the event of a food shortage, wouldn't it be sound policy that everyone could agree on to re-establish the government strategic grain reserves??

Any constructive thoughts would be appreciated..

Answer 1

Absolutely, a 7 year grain reserve should be a serious option.

Just study History. 3000 years ago when there was a 7 year famine all over the World, Egypt was plentiful because of it's grain reserve policy under Joseph. Egypt ruled the World because of that policy. History has a dendancy of repeating itself always.

Answer 2

Since the world market for food is tight, wouldn't it be better to have our farmers export grain?  That would help us buy things from other countries.

I don't know exactly why they wouldn't be doing as much of this as they can, but if there are reasons not, we should fix them.

Bottom line, better export than a reserve.

Answer 3

How about stopping stupid subsidies for ethanol production and letting farmers grow food instead?

We could then replenish our reseves.

Answer 4

You are well informed.  I had not known about the reserves of food being so low.  It might not be a bad idea to return to government farm policies that produced surpluses for the world market and inexpensive prices for our American market--the policies the Democrats had in place since the New Deal, but which Republicans did away with so obscenely wealthy speculators and parasites could steal even more money.

Answer 5

The problem is farmers converted their crops to corn for use as ethanol where the money is. They no longer harvest wheat or corn for human consumption.

It was the government that gave them grants to do so (many just were implemented a year ago).

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070226/f...

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/sto...

http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.j...

With the global shortage of wheat right now it is too costly to have a large wheat reserve and also the supply is not present to do so. The price of wheat has gone up 25% in the last week. (50% in the last month) (due to the global shortage)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7264...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0227/p01s0...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2...

Answer 6

I'd be inclined to agree.  Keep in mind though that when those reserves were being sold off to Russia and other places much of the grain was decades old and suitable only for cattle food.  Building it back up to what it was in the past could not be done in a single season, or even a few, without causes bigger shortages than we're having now.  Just a thought.