Is there a link between the current world's food crisis and global warming?

Question

http://www.alertnet.org/db/an_art/1264/2008/06/2-175818-1.htm

According to this article global food prices have risen 83% in the past three years making it impossible for the poorest of the poor to by food. Not only this there seems to be no immediate relief in the near future, with floods in certain areas and droughts in others. Other factors like the rising price of oil, water rights and lack thereof, overconsumption of meat and diary, misuse of certain bio-fuels (especially corn), and inept & corrupt governmental policies all weigh down on the problem making things worse.

Answer 1

We are the first civilization in the history of the world  too convert food into energy.  Ethenol was a bad idea.

Answer 2

With so many good answers, I really can't add much except kudos to the previous

Answer 3

The real problem is the cost of oil, if the cost gets to high we will see more then a food crisis.  Its to bad that humans have lost value in each other and placed more emphasis on the environment and money.  If we cared about each other as much as the aforementioned we could solve many of the worlds problems.

Answer 4

High food prices are caused by high oil prices and improvements in the incomes of the world's poor.

Answer 5

yes because it causes droughts therefore plants cant get enough water and the heat kills them to! and also because of the shortage in fuel.

Answer 6

No - there's a link between food prices and fossil fuel prices (fertilizer, tractor fuel and the cost to transport fuel to market) and between fossil fuel prices and inflation.

Answer 7

no. Warm temperatures are good for food!

Answer 8

American tax on brazilian ethanol?

It's the principal reason.

Answer 9

Do you really want to know the truth, or just get an answer that says yes global warming is causing all famine and disasters?  Because when you really research these cases, it's always something else (like ethanol and speculation as you brought up for one).

And many "disasters" here weren't caused by the bad weather, but an epidemic of breached levees.

Answer 10

No, not global warming.  It's the hype over the fear of global warming that's at least partially responsible.  

Like oil, lots of foods are traded on the stock market and certain groups have taken advantage of peoples fear of climate change to inflate the prices.  Additionally, with less corn (a world staple in many forms) available as food and the high costs of transportation we're in for shortages.  

Until people educate themselves and see that global warming is false, or sometime down the road when nothing happens and people get tired of waiting for warming to happen...we'll see high prices that the world cannot afford.

Answer 11

You bet there is a link between the world's food crisis and global warning.  

Because of the phony hype associated with the global warning scam, the production of corn has been shifted to produce bio fuels.  This has the effect of decreasing the supply of corn available for food and cattle feed and causes food price increases accross the board.  

Also, with the tremendous increase in fuel prices, it costs more to deliver food stuffs to the market, resulting in more price increases.

This shows the terrible effect that the global warming scam has had on the free market.

The blame for this tragic scenario rests on the head of Al Gore, and his band of environmental whackos (liberal Democrats).  Remember this when you go to the polls to vote this November.

Answer 12

Yes! It is affecting global food production.  Just look at what is happening in the Midwest. All the flooding and wild weather is hurting food crops there.  Yes ,there are several other reasons that also contribute to the availibilty and price of food. But AGW is the one thing that is affecting EVERYONE , world wide!

Get ready for "weather refugess" to be in the news!

Answer 13

No, but there is between food and energy.  Congress declared that much of our food should be burned in our cars.  

Because of this, congress managed to take a $2 bushel of corn and turn it into a $8 bushel of corn.

Answer 14

Nope it is 90% to many people

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The human race has no predators to keep our population in check

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We continue to multiply and not the adding machine kind either

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The worlds population will of doubled in 2012 from what it was in 1968

DOUBLED that is a lot of people that were not there before

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And that number will double in another 50 years

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And on and on and on

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Here click the counting clock

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http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop

Answer 15

Actually, Global Warming has very little to do with this crisis.  It probably has about a 1-5% of the blame, if that.  For instance, the cooler spring in the upper midwestern US has affected some crops.  However, that is a small percentage of a change when you consider the world's crops.

The main problems with the food crisis has to do with our population and culture worldwide.  With the number of people that live on the Earth and the culture of mass consumption, we can't sustain the population for much longer (not as things are now anyway).  The world has become way too dependent on fossil fuels.  Now those fuels are running out and the demand is still growing.  The prices rise and eventually people will be (if not already) shelling out more money for gas they they do for food.  It also costs more to move the food, thus raising those prices.  

Then, you add in bio-fuels made by corn.  They have also added to the cost of food.  Meanwhile, people are still consuming more than they need, which has the potential to catch up with us in other areas one day if we are not careful (food supply, etc)

Of course, we could still have a sustainable system with a culture of consumption if we didn't have the population that we have...and it is growing.  So, any solution we find will be a temporary fix until our population grows too large--or something happens to destroy a large part of the worlds population.

Answer 16

Economically--- the addition of Ethanol (from corn) taking about 25% of the corn and oil crop out of production for food and into our gas tank BURNED as fuel, is partially responsible; along with the dramatic increase in oil (and refined products such as gasoline and jet fuel). Hundreds of products are made using petroleum products --- they have all increased in price-- due to major increases in transportation costs.

Just wait until "carbon credit taxes" kick in!

http://healthandenergy.com/ethanol.htm

http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2007...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

Answer 17

Yes, in our country, global warming is one of the reasons why we are suffering a staggering inflation rate in all our food products due to food crisis particularly rice shortage.

Due to global warming, provinces/cities that were not normally affected by the typhoon's path is affected. These provinces are usually unequipped to handle such emergencies. Moreover, our typhoons have generally been stronger lately (another effect of the global warming problem). Even typhoon prone areas cannot handle the effects of the stronger typhoons. We have islands bigger than the entire state of Ohio completely submerged in water due to typhoons.

Because of these devastating effects, rice and most of our crops are also affected. Our poultry and pork products are also affected. And as the law of supply and demand states, the lesser our food output is, the higher the prices.

Answer 18

Your explanation of your question shows a concern for this problem, and that is the first part of finding a solution.  Is there a direct link, no, because 'global warming' is a political, or faith based belief,  and has not been demonstrated scientifically.    Is 'climate change', whether cooler or warmer, a part of the overall problem, probably, but maybe not in the way you have thought.  There have been famines and human deaths  resulting from famines throughout recorded history.  It has always been a multi-factorial problem. Geopolitical problems, transportation problems, drought, floods, pestilence, all of these and other factors effect the world's food crisis.  We as a species depend upon growing things to eat.  Everything we eat for nutrition, has to be grown, either in the wild, or 'farmed'.  Animals grown for meat are dependent upon this relationship.  Droughts, and floods,  which are a function of the climate, adversely effect the ability of people to grow food products.  Now, developed countries are less susceptible to the 'whims of nature' than are the less developed countries.  Part of this development is to construct dams and canals to serve the agricultural needs of the community.  You might be interested to note that many of the proponents of 'global warming' are against development of dams and water delivery systems-interesting, no?  You mention the over-consumption of meat and dairy products, the misuse of certain biofuels, especially those utilizing corn and grain products, as being a causative factor in the increase of the cost of food.  You should be discerning enough to realize that farmers in the USA and Canada, produce enough products to feed most of the rest of the world.  The article suggest that it is wrong for farmers to sell their product for a higher price to increase their profits.  The implication is that these farmers should provide their products at a discount because people need it-that does no make sense to me personally.  Do not be taken in by the ultra-left liberal greenie/enviros driven politics of food distribution.  The reality is that these same groups are opposed to developing the famine stricken countries to help prevent thise types of food crisis' form occurring.  good question, keep thinking critically...

Answer 19

I'd say there's a link between hunger and not growing enough food.  Why aren't these people providing for themselves?  I've got plenty...THANKS global warming!

Answer 20

Not really.........With global warming just grow things that grow in warmer climates.

The good thing:   Maybe people will eat less, become more healthy and lose some weight.

Mmmmmm, Starbux Mocco Carmelato Gelato Melada Venti Fruicious.......800 calories and $5.00.

Sipping your Latte and looking out the window at a homeless person.......Priceless.

What a messed up community.