Same region all the new data centers are being built. Unfortunately, humans can't eat data like they can wheat.
"All the new data centers" are being built everywhere.
They are planned everywhere, if they are actually being built is a different story
USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
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Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#22Why do we have a drought USDA?
Little to no rain.
Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#23Title claims "due to plains drought" but the article text largely attributes this to increased planting of soy for its lower fertilizer requirements (related to Strait of Hormuz).
Has the USA's potash supply been reduced due to strained relations with Canada? They are our top supplier, by far.
Fertilizer is pretty fungible and is a global market, so even if the US is primarily supplied by Canada, and overall global demand remained constant, prices would go up since there will be supply reduction due to the Hormuz strait being closed.
Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#24It will only get worse for the next generation as the aquafers are continuing to be depleted.
we live in a closed greenhouse system, the water just doesn't just disappear and most of the Earth is covered in it. Plenty of countries completely rely on desalination already, I think we'll be fine. I'm much more concerned about everyone becoming a moron from using AI. edit: cloud seeding too.
This is by far the dumbest post in this thread by a mile. It's funny saying AI will make people dumber when you've obviously don't understand this issue in the first place. Food security is human security. When you take a huge percentage of a countries grow able land out because it stops raining then food proces go up, often dramatically.
Desalination uses far more power than AI ever would.
Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
> growers expanded plantings of soybeans A year ago China stopped buying soybeans from the US is seems ("China Bought $12.6 Billion in U.S. Soybeans Last Year. Now, It’s $0." - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/business/china-soybean-sa... ), was that resumed, or who are all these new soybeans going to? Is it all for national use instead of export?
I expect other nations are still consuming US soybeans. China stopped because it was particularly negatively targeted by US tariff policy. But make no mistake, it has caused problems for farmers. The report from my small hometown farmers is that everything, except for beef, is down right now while the prices of inputs like fertilizer are high. Some of the farmers in my hometown have already sold their land to megacor…
It wouldn't surprise me, at all, if the soybeans rotted away with no consumers.
Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#26It will only get worse for the next generation as the aquafers are continuing to be depleted.
we live in a closed greenhouse system, the water just doesn't just disappear and most of the Earth is covered in it. Plenty of countries completely rely on desalination already, I think we'll be fine. I'm much more concerned about everyone becoming a moron from using AI. edit: cloud seeding too.
Plants require a ton of desalinated water and Animals who eat plants as such require desalinated water too.
There are countries in middle east like UAE, Saudi arabia etc. which rely on desalination but they are relying it for the clean drinking water, not for the food generation. They import almost 90% of their food iirc.
The amount of energy required to desalinate all water and the environmental impacts to get that energy would literally be quite catastrophic and I am not even sure if it would be even feasible and food prices would literally skyrocket or food would simply be produced even more less by magnitudes of order.
Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#27It will only get worse for the next generation as the aquafers are continuing to be depleted.
we live in a closed greenhouse system, the water just doesn't just disappear and most of the Earth is covered in it. Plenty of countries completely rely on desalination already, I think we'll be fine. I'm much more concerned about everyone becoming a moron from using AI. edit: cloud seeding too.
Desalination isn't really much of an option for deeper inland and much higher than sea level areas. Tell me, which ocean is Dodge City KS going to pull from?
Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#28This is about China. The timing of this article coming out during the Trump-China summit is no accident. The article beat around the bush (pun intended) that the real issue here is that China stopped buying (or seriously cut back) US agricultural products (particularly soy) because of tariffs imposed on China last year that got to over 100% at one point. China now buys significantly more soy from Argentina instead.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is another big factor here as fertilizer prices have massively gone up. Diesel is more expensive too. Many crops this planting season (in the northern hemisphere) haven't been fertilized like they would normally and it's too late now so that will absolutely impact food prices later this year. The Global South will be disproportionately affected.
Lastly, the continued Russia-Ukraine war continues to impact Ukraine's wheat crops. Ukraine is (or was?) often called the "bread basket of Europe" because it was such a significant wheat grower and exporter.
We (the world) are genuinely going to have much more expensive food prices later this year and, in some places, there will be genuine famine.
Re: USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought
#29Same region all the new data centers are being built. Unfortunately, humans can't eat data like they can wheat.
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