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U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

bloomberg.com

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Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#11

Post by BLKNSLVR »

hpoe wrote: post #2

This is what concerns as many people have acted like the economy only effects rich people, or any move that trades the economy for lives is inherently immoral. Food falls under the economy, the economy isn't just the stock market or things rich people do rich people things in. The economy is the vast network stretching across the globe that works to supply goods and services in the places they are needed, when the ec…

That becomes an exercise in defining essential services. I'd be interested in seeing the web of dependency for the absolute basics like food, and what other seemingly non-essential services are required in the production and distribution of food.

Then, just within food itself, what of people with allergies and special needs, and separating the "real" from the "I think gluten free means healthier" types.

It's the kind of dependency complexity that economists would drool over, but during good times it's probably a far less profitable area of research than those that cause economics to be looked down upon as part of the problem.

Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#12

Post by mlyle »

vkou wrote: post #9
empath75 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fact, government stimulus will just cause hyperinflation as more money chases less goods and services.

1. We would need to print quadrillions of dollars to get hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is a boogieman, unless this administration completely loses its mind. 2. Recessions cause the destruction of money (Due to defaults, and lack of new loans). This causes deflation. If the new money created by the printing press does not exceed these deflationary pressures, you won't even get inflation, let alone hyperinflation. 3.…

Some stimulus measures are creating money to chase flour and ground beef-- the paycheck protection program, etc, are borrowing (and re-lending) in order to preserve pay to consumers. But I agree it's not most of it.

Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#14

Post by throwlaplace »

hpoe wrote: post #2

This is what concerns as many people have acted like the economy only effects rich people, or any move that trades the economy for lives is inherently immoral. Food falls under the economy, the economy isn't just the stock market or things rich people do rich people things in. The economy is the vast network stretching across the globe that works to supply goods and services in the places they are needed, when the ec…

>Food falls under the economy, the economy isn't just the stock market or things rich people do rich people things in.

i'm not a vegetarian but if the choice is between people living and me having access to pork i choose the former.

Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#16

Post by barkingcat »

hpoe wrote: post #2

This is what concerns as many people have acted like the economy only effects rich people, or any move that trades the economy for lives is inherently immoral. Food falls under the economy, the economy isn't just the stock market or things rich people do rich people things in. The economy is the vast network stretching across the globe that works to supply goods and services in the places they are needed, when the ec…

If you didn't get the memo - meat plants and slaughterhouses are places where you definitely don't want sick workers handling raw meat.

If you think about it, meat plants are the wet markets of the US. Albeit with sanitary standards, refrigeration, etc, but if there was going to be another zoonotic crossbreeding event, where the human coronavirus from a sick plant worker merges and mutates with a bovine coronavirus within dying slaughterhouse animals - you could be looking at a worse event.

These plants are not shutting down because of precautions, they are shutting down because the plant workers are sick and test positive.

Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#17

Post by IIAOPSW »

One pet peeve I have with this article is that it doesn't explicitly state the cause of the shutdowns are Corona virus infected employees until half way through. I was 90% sure, but there was still a chance of coincidence.

Anyway the meat industry isn't special. The whole economy needs to run on stocked up supplies and skeleton crews for a while. That's why its so important to get this right the first time. If the lock down only consists of half-measures and the crisis is prolonged there aren't enough supplies to take another shot at it. Scarily, I'm seeing a whole lot of half-measures right now.

Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#18

Post by missedthecue »

vkou wrote: post #9
empath75 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fact, government stimulus will just cause hyperinflation as more money chases less goods and services.

1. We would need to print quadrillions of dollars to get hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is a boogieman, unless this administration completely loses its mind. 2. Recessions cause the destruction of money (Due to defaults, and lack of new loans). This causes deflation. If the new money created by the printing press does not exceed these deflationary pressures, you won't even get inflation, let alone hyperinflation. 3.…

>1. We would need to print quadrillions of dollars to get hyperinflation.

Is there actually a mathematical equation that proves this or is that your conjecture?

Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#19

Post by markdown »

hpoe wrote: post #2

This is what concerns as many people have acted like the economy only effects rich people, or any move that trades the economy for lives is inherently immoral. Food falls under the economy, the economy isn't just the stock market or things rich people do rich people things in. The economy is the vast network stretching across the globe that works to supply goods and services in the places they are needed, when the ec…

> or any move that trades the economy for lives is inherently immoral.

I'd love to see some rich people forced to work in meat packing plants alongside men and women infected with this coronavirus.

It's inherently immoral to force people to work at great risk to themselves and their families just because "the economy", as would be the case in states where the abhorrent practice of at-will employment is law.

Re: U.S. Reels to a Meat Shortage and Prices Are Getting Weird

#20

Post by wtallis »

flomk wrote: post #13

I wonder if a meat shortage that causes people who previously hadn't eaten plant substitutes, will be enough to let plant substitute companies take a bigger chunk of the meat market for good.

Are any of those plant substitute companies in a position to help offset a meat supply shortfall in any meaningful way? Are the substitutes less labor-intensive to produce or otherwise less affected by the coronavirus?
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