tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post3912654691155283387..comments2024-02-23T01:30:06.101-08:00Comments on Early Warning: Biofuels and Farm PricesStuart Stanifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182839827506265860noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-47482143176598284202010-02-03T21:29:43.363-08:002010-02-03T21:29:43.363-08:00Right now I'm not even slightly worried about ...Right now I'm not even slightly worried about the idea of grain farmers not being able to afford fuel, the reverse seems to be the situation - grain farmers are doing much better than they have for several decades. I expect that to continue as long as society is big on the biofuel thing.Stuart Stanifordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07182839827506265860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-61941532966825641572010-02-03T13:27:56.538-08:002010-02-03T13:27:56.538-08:00The potato famine is the perfect example of how vu...The potato famine is the perfect example of how vulnerable monocultures are to pests of whatever kind. But it also shows how infrastructure and even social institutions can be built up around a crop when the local climate, soil conditions, etc are particularly favorable for that crop.<br /><br />The Irish specialized in potatoes to their detriment but the cost was only to them. Today, the entire world is becoming dependent on regional specialization and of course global transport.<br /><br />It comes as no surprise the US imports lots of bananas and beer (nos 2 & 3) but who would guess our number one import is hogs? At number 4 is cattle, then wheat, oats and sugar at no 7.<br /><br />30 years ago our top imports were sugar, bananas and coffee.<br /><br />I'm not talking about overnight armageddon here but a real problem of adjustment if transportation fuel costs continue the climb of the last decade.<br /><br />http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspxMike "Pops" Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11764915910014484680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-2234757635264151612010-02-03T09:29:31.830-08:002010-02-03T09:29:31.830-08:00Pops - in terms of the "massive blight destab...Pops - in terms of the "massive blight destabilizes food production" risk associated with monocultures, the last case like that I can think of was the Irish potato famine in the 19th century. Are there more recent examples?Stuart Stanifordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07182839827506265860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-90004684916484416962010-02-03T08:51:01.719-08:002010-02-03T08:51:01.719-08:00As usual, this goes way beyond simple supply and d...As usual, this goes way beyond simple supply and demand. <br /><br />All aspects of ag are distorted, from export subsidies and price supports to "breeding for transport" and "mialbox farming". By far my biggest worry is the continuing pressure farmers to economize by consolidating around mono-cropping - both geographically and genetically.<br /><br />Not only are we building a food system totally dependent on FFs for fuel and fertilizer, we are concentrating on fewer and fewer varieties of crops and growing them monolithically not only on the farm level but on the regional and global level. <br /><br />A staggeringly amount of infrastructure has been built trusting the fuel will always be available to transport the finished product worldwide.Mike "Pops" Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11764915910014484680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-66127181889115298462010-02-02T15:27:00.667-08:002010-02-02T15:27:00.667-08:00yeah feed cost have hurt a lot of farmers. Here in...yeah feed cost have hurt a lot of farmers. Here in Canada the impact of higher cdn dollar has made it a double edge sword. Pig farmers got slaughtered, beef is out in the pasture and milk farmers have the quata system, otherwise they would be gone...TJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17140637444274219850noreply@blogger.com