tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12561574.post5234950272401020255..comments2023-06-19T01:03:37.234-07:00Comments on Kent's Life: The Cost of Food: Why?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607288418709850612noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12561574.post-41328505930863399382008-05-03T11:50:00.000-07:002008-05-03T11:50:00.000-07:00incredible post. i'd put that bumper sticker on my...incredible post. i'd put that bumper sticker on my car too. :)Bethany Fegles Photographyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04642902915589891196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12561574.post-55619799302091639652008-04-27T16:02:00.000-07:002008-04-27T16:02:00.000-07:00Kate, U.S. meat consumption in 2005 was 200 lbs p...Kate, U.S. meat consumption in 2005 was 200 lbs per capita and was declining slightly and shifting more to chicken instead of beef. Chinese consumption was 44 lb. per person in 1980 and is now estimated at 110 lbs per person. So yes, of course China's impact (and India's) is greatly maginified by total population.<BR/>China 1.2 billion, India 1 billion, U.S. 0.3 billion. But a gradual increase of meat eating anywhere over time doesn't come close to explaining why commodities prices skyrocketed recently. Rice tripled in just a few months.<BR/><BR/>Using local markets would be a great way to starve most of the world except the U.S. and few other major grain exporters. Grain moves in trains in the U.S. at what is very likely an extremely lost cost per pound (both money and enviromentally). In places like Tanzania, transport is so expensive that farmers can't ecomomically transport their crops even a couple of hundred miles. U.S. farm productivity is so good and transportation is so cheap that we are feeding a large chunk of the world on our exports at prices that are lower than most nations can do on their own with practically free labor. The money that the U.S. spends on stuff like bananas from Central America, coffee from all over the place, grapes from Chile, veggies from Mexico, etc. etc. helps keep a lot of developing countries solvent. So I just can't see the "eat local" idea.<BR/><BR/>I think eating less meat probably would improve our health. So would smoking less and watching less TV and driving less and plus many other of the dumb things that rich people tend to do :-) I tried the <BR/>enviro vegetarian diet for a few years when I was in my twenties. It stands out in my mind as the least enjoyable diet in my life :-)<BR/>So I just try to eat a bit more bread and rice and potatoes and less meat. I like it better that way anyway.<BR/><BR/>As always Kate, it is a pleasure dialoguing (is that a word? I don't have spell check.) with you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11607288418709850612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12561574.post-47081179087506796542008-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:002008-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00I've been following the food shortage news as well...I've been following the food shortage news as well. I think to be far to China, one of the reasons it is such a big consumer of goods is because of it's population size. In fact, in this article by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4272577.stm)<BR/> they note that, "However, per capita consumption in China - the world's most populous country - remains far below that of the US.". Given this fact, I think it might be wise to scrutinize our own consumption patterns. In fact, yesterday on NPR I heard that if the the world's population took on the consumer habits of the United States that we would need 5 planets to support us. (I've been looking for the link to that story but can't find it yet). One long term strategy to fighting food shortages is to cultivate local markets by eating food within 250 miles of your home. Also, have you heard that the United Nations and Worldwatch Institute have said that vegetarianism "will help improve public health and curb starvation"? (taken from this article:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_vegetarianism)<BR/>Just "food" for thought. (hehe, I get my soft spot for bad puns from Grandpa :))Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11286737136343460404noreply@blogger.com