Food shortage? What happend to the wine lake, butter and beef mountain etc?

Question

I remember when the EU had a problem with over production.

I haven't noticed food get cheaper, or my taxes coming down (both have gone up!).

So if the same or more money is going to food production, technology has moved on etc, then how come there is talk of shortages?

Whats happend?

Answer 1

The EU problem of agricultural over production is a long way in the past! The problem was that over production was deflating prices, and farmers like to make a living. The answer at the time was to GIVE the surplus away to elderly people and those in receipt of certain benefits, and for farmers to reduce production to inflate their prices a little. One of the (rather questionable) policies to achieve this was Set Aside - asking farmers to set aside a field to be left wild, and paying them to do it.

The question of tax is nothing to with food - farmers don't levy taxes.

The current talk of shortages is world wide, not specific to the EU. Prices are inflating again and the poorest people in the world are not keeping pace with food inflation.

One thing some blame for this is the introduction of bio fuels. The land used to grow fuel crops could be used to grow food crops. And I agree there is something perverse about growing seed to make bio diesel rather than to make food. People are surely more important than cars.

Answer 2

Seems like another government hoax to drive prices up and force people and countries to accept what they normally wouldn't.  More artificial scarcity driving up prices.  I wish more people were like you with a memory for the facts so that the governments would always get caught on their lies.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/21/b...

Answer 3

Hi,I wonder if its a ploy to get us to accept GM Food.