While giving a “What Is Permaculture?” lecture recently one of the audience members asked me “Why do you do this?”. This episode stems from that question. Though not a long...
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While giving a “What Is Permaculture?” lecture recently one of the audience members asked me “Why do you do this?”. This episode stems from that question. Though not a long show, even for my short standards, it is an expression of my passion for this work and why I find it important.
The following links are to information related to the issues of food security, including access and quality. If you have information to counter this, please post them in the comments.
Rising food prices:
USDA expects food prices to rise 2% to 3% this year
Food prices increase as production costs rise
Food Price Outlook, 2011
Civil unrest and turmoil due to food prices:
Riots, instability spread as food prices skyrocket (2008)
How Governments are Reacting in the Face of Food Riots (2011)
Surging Food Prices Are Sparking Riots All Around The World
Food Recalls due to contamination:
Multiple beef recalls:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2010/1231/Ground-beef-recall-34-000-pounds-of-contaminated-beef-in-six-states
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_034_2009_Release/index.asp
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/06/valley-meat-beef-recall-e-coli-1-million-pounds_n_674191.html
Spinach recall due to e. coli:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/the-problem-solver/2010/07/recall-bagged-baby-spinach-salads.html
Lettuce recall due to e. coli:
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-05-11/health/lettuce.recall_1_lettuce-food-borne-illness-food-safety?_s=PM:HEALTH
Over 500 million eggs recalled due to salmonella:
http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm223248.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38741401/ns/health-food_safety/
ERS/USDA Food Consumer Price Index for 2007
The table in the following link shows how much, as measured by percentage of disposable income, the average citizen from various nations spends on food consumed at home. It bring clarity to many of the situations currently occurring in the world at large but also reflects how easily it could happen elsewhere if there were to be a spike in the price of food in those countries.
