Archive for the 'Food' Category
Mideast Reels as Hunger Outgrows Oil Earnings
May 9th, 2008Most of the Middle East oil wealth flows into the bank accounts of just a few thousand people, so, with that in mind… Via: Financial Times: For years, food policy in the Middle East and North Africa was very simple: hydrocarbon exports paid for carbohydrate imports. Rising agricultural commodities prices and a large population increase […]
India Extends Futures Trading Ban
May 9th, 2008Via: Financial Times: India has extended its futures trading ban to four more food commodities despite warnings, including from the government-appointed market regulator, that such measures will do nothing to quell inflation. The regulator, the forward markets commission, acting under instruction from the Congress party-led coalition government, suspended futures trading on Thursday in potatoes, soy […]
China Eyes Overseas Land in Food Push
May 9th, 2008Standard operating procedure for empires. Via: Financial Times: Chinese companies will be encouraged to buy farmland abroad, particularly in Africa and South America, to help guarantee food security under a plan being considered by Beijing. A proposal drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture would make supporting offshore land acquisition by domestic agricultural companies a central […]
Multinationals Make Billions in Profit Out of Growing Global Food Crisis
May 5th, 2008Via: Independent: Giant agribusinesses are enjoying soaring earnings and profits out of the world food crisis which is driving millions of people towards starvation, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. And speculation is helping to drive the prices of basic foodstuffs out of the reach of the hungry. The prices of wheat, corn and rice […]
China ‘May Lease Foreign Fields’
May 2nd, 2008Via: BBC: China could lease overseas farming land to beat rising food prices, according to reports from Beijing. Soaring grain prices have encouraged the ministry of agriculture to consider the scheme, according to the Beijing Morning newspaper. Chinese enterprises would lease or even buy farmland in Latin America, Australia and the former Soviet Union. The […]
Shortages Threaten Farmers’ Key Tool: Fertilizer
April 30th, 2008What’s going through Bill Mollison’s head right now, in the twilight of his days, as he sees all of this crap unfolding? Is it weird to have seen this coming for 30 years, to have dedicated his life to building and teaching people about other realities, and then, well, watch this unfold? I’ve seen some […]
Nitro-Pak Pushes Back Ship Times to 10-18 Days
April 26th, 2008Note: Cryptogon is a Nitro-Pak affiliate. Nitro-Pak was running only 4-8 days behind for a long time. They just now increased order processing times to 10-18 days. Like I said, I’m not going to preach about this. Just FYI. Via: Nitro-Pak: PLEASE NOTE 04/26/08 UPDATE: Due to EXTREMELY high customer demand and market volatility, our […]
New Zealand Food Prices Increasd 28.5% Over the Last Year
April 26th, 2008I feel pretty silly for being coy about mentioning specifics related to the food situation here in New Zealand recently. Look at what was plastered across the New Zealand Herald front page today, in Second-Coming-of-Jeebis typeface: Front page, New Zealand Herald, April 26, 2008 Via: New Zealand Herald: Shoppers can expect price rises on all […]
UK: Rice Rationing
April 24th, 2008Hint to Kiwis: I don’t want to mention specifics, but don’t dawdle. If I can clear out Amazon of their organic brown rice just by mentioning it on Cryptogon, I don’t want to rock the boat too much here at home, especially since supplies of goods are spotty to begin with. Hint to Kiwis 2: […]
Now Sam’s Club Limits Rice Purchases
April 24th, 2008Via: Bloomberg: Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Sam’s Club warehouse unit is restricting purchases of some types of rice to four bags a visit as prices reached a record in Chicago futures trading. The limits on jasmine, basmati and long-grain white rice, a response to “recent supply and demand trends,” will be put into effect in all […]
