Starve the World, Save the Environment

I'm used to articles about the obesity epidemic or the organic food revolution, so this seemed like a bad joke. But then I cracked open the Economist, and there it was again.

Indeed, it looks like food shortages are replacing food overabundance in the news. Few are surprised by hunger in the third world. The fact that Haitians are rioting in the streets over food shortages and subsisting on mud (yes, mud) "cookies" shocks few Americans.

But now it appears middle-class Americans are beginning to face the food crunch. Rice and wheat prices have soared, causing the price of basic staple foods to rise precipitously. While Americans are unlikely to be making brownies out of their backyard dirt anytime soon, it appears the era of cheap food is over.

Of course when a crisis like this comes up, government's sticky fingers are never too far away. While we may expect this global disaster to be caused by drought or soil problems, no unusual climate patterns are to blame. Instead, it appears government biofuel programs are at least partially at fault. By raising the demand for grain (to turn into ethanol), these programs are literally taking bread out of people's mouths. And as grain prices rise, UN World Food Programme head Josette Sheeran notes:

“For the middle classes it means cutting out medical care. For those on $2 a day, it means cutting out meat and taking the children out of school. For those on $1 a day, it means cutting out meat and vegetables and eating only cereals. And for those on 50 cents a day, it means total disaster.”

Disturbing stuff. Haiti's prime minister has resigned, while Egypt's president has ordered the army to bake bread (!) And American engineers are beginning to hoard bags of rice. I'm really at a loss for words - have any of you noticed this trend in your own food shopping lives?