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The Coming Food Catastrophe

economist.com

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Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#141

Post by codefreeordie »

londons_explore wrote: post #78
codefreeordie wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Energy is having an even greater supply crunch than food (indeed part of the food shortage is that agricultural inputs can't get delivered in adequate quantities because the energy to transport them doesn't exist). The energy market is willing to outbid the food market, so I wouldn't expect the conversion of agricultural inputs into fuel outputs to decelerate.

When people run out of money, they prioritize eating over electricity for the TV. Eventually, that effect should bring down the amount that energy companies want to pay for corn. But lots of people might starve first...

Yes, but rich westerners will keep paying higher prices for gasoline while people in poor places get outbid for basic survival ration.

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#142

Post by Scoundreller »

ezekg wrote: post #56
excalibur wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Been practicing since 2020. Never ceases to amaze me how LONG it's taking society to fall apart.

In my experience, it takes a couple years to get a decent garden going. If you're reading and you haven't yet -- start now.

I scored free topsoil for my 5gal buckets 2 weeks ago. Good luck scoring that in a decade!

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#143

Post by AnimalMuppet »

husainfazel wrote: post #81

You would think that with a food catastrophe on the way - the current administration's finest minds wouldn't be encouraging even higher corn prices (already at a 10 year high in April) with this mix of legislative action: > Washington announced the EPA will allow a 50% increase in corn-based biodiesel and ethanol fuel mix for the summer. On April 12 the Secretary of Agriculture announced a “bold” initiative by the US…

Because Union Pacific is out to destroy food production? Riiiiight...

Or because the government didn't prevent a stupidity from a private company?

Never attribute to malice...

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#144

Post by bryanlarsen »

The article actually has four solutions at the bottom. Compared to the severity of the problem, all four solutions are surprisingly simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple and straightforward.

1. Stop using so much corn to make ethanol.

2. Stop using so much seed oil to make biodiesel.

3. Stop feeding so much food to livestock. Bonus: reducing the livestock population provides short term calories!

4. Break the Black Sea blockade.

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#145

Post by [deleted] »

BigBubbleButt wrote: post #138
dang wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> one of the neighborhood Karens Please keep that sort of slur off HN. We don't need it here, and you don't need it to make your substantive points.

I don't know if the comment was edited or not, but I hope you're not claiming "vigilante" is a slur. I looked up the definition of slur just to be sure and you are technically correct, but I'd say you're abusing language far more than the person you're responding to.

[deleted]

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#146

Post by [deleted] »

husainfazel wrote: post #81

You would think that with a food catastrophe on the way - the current administration's finest minds wouldn't be encouraging even higher corn prices (already at a 10 year high in April) with this mix of legislative action: > Washington announced the EPA will allow a 50% increase in corn-based biodiesel and ethanol fuel mix for the summer. On April 12 the Secretary of Agriculture announced a “bold” initiative by the US…

[deleted]

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#147

Post by Scoundreller »

barbazoo wrote: post #58
EddieDante wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your local zoning board might object. I live in PA, and one of the neighborhood vigilantes immediately ratted me out to the local government when I started growing corn, squash, and beans in my backyard while raising a couple of chickens for eggs.

What an outdated policy but I've heard of that happening here too, Stratas not allowing people to use their outdoor space to grow any kind of food.

At least the FCC protects your ability to put up a satellite dish (and “An antenna that is designed to receive local television broadcast signals.”)

If they hated my garden and chickens, they’re really gonna hate my 40’ Rohn and guidewires!

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#148

Post by bryanlarsen »

roflyear wrote: post #101
wyager wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> where roughly 10 units of plant create one unit of meat Those units are not remotely fungible. Protein quality of plant protein (as measured by PER or other metrics not explicitly designed to favor soy) is horrendous compared to beef. Much of the plant material fed to cows is also not even slightly edible to humans, like soy meal. I would rather have 1lb beef than 10lb nominally edible soy extractives (or wheat, or…

They are comparable in many ways. The fact is it takes more land to make meat than it does to make plants we can eat.

Much of the land cattle are raised on is not suitable for growing crops.

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#149

Post by throwaway821909 »

elzbardico wrote: post #113
closedloop129 wrote: post #42

Haven't ethanol fuels been introduced to have a buffer for this situation? If we don't turn grain and corn into petrol then there should be some reserves. Additionally, if we stop rising live-stock, where roughly 10 units of plant create one unit of meat, there should be even more calories available.

If you are not able to digest cellulose, it doesn't matter if it takes 100, 1000 units of plant calories to create one of meat. This criticism against meat only works for grain-fed beef, for grass-fed animals it makes no sense at all.

I suppose it gets more complicated though because in at least some cases, we could plant human-edible food where the grass is and still come out ahead (after taking into account that it's harder to grow pretty much anything than grass)

Re: The Coming Food Catastrophe

#150

Post by jasonlotito »

BigBubbleButt wrote: post #138
dang wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> one of the neighborhood Karens Please keep that sort of slur off HN. We don't need it here, and you don't need it to make your substantive points.

I don't know if the comment was edited or not, but I hope you're not claiming "vigilante" is a slur. I looked up the definition of slur just to be sure and you are technically correct, but I'd say you're abusing language far more than the person you're responding to.

Also, that's the user dang. He pretty much runs HN. I'd assume anything he says in these regards as fact and trust him.
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