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OverTime with Mike Adams
OVERTIME - MAY 5, 2008 May 5, 2008
We seem to have a strange approach to problem solving in this country. It's obvious that the main reason our food costs are going up is the higher cost of fuel. The solution that some are calling for is less ethanol production although ethanol keeps our fuel prices from being even higher. How does that make sense? It's like the situation we have with our economy. Many point to the weak dollar as our main economic problem. So what do we do, we keep lowering interest rates that in turn keep weakening the dollar! Here's another interesting story that most of our media will ignore. Jim Lane, editor of the Biofuels Digest, has released a study on Meat vs Fuel. It concludes that for every bushel of grain used to make U.S. ethanol, SIX are used to support Chinese meat demand! Jim will be on AgriTalk Monday to discuss his study. I've been shocked at how poor of job the media has done in reporting on these issues. I'm afraid it is a result of the total lack of knowledge much of our media and overall population has concerning agriculture. I've found that if you talk with someone and explain the facts about energy and food prices, often times they will say that makes sense and wonder why they hadn't heard that before. If the media is doing this poor of job of reporting on food and fuel, it makes me wonder how misled we are on other topics they cover. Unfortunately, credibility seems to have been replaced by entertainment! Another harsh critic of biofuels production has been the U.N.'s World Food Program. Now comes word that despite the claim of a "silent tsunami" in rising food prices and the urgent need for donations, the WFP actually had a cash stockpile of more than $1.22 billion! That should be able to buy quite a bit of food even at higher prices. I understand there are starving people in the world and we need to help them but it is amazing how ethanol is now being blamed for world hunger. As former Ag Secretary John Block pointed out last week, the U.S. used to get criticized by other countries for over producing and driving down world markets with our surpluses and our food donations. Doesn't seem American agriculture can win no matter what. The farm bill is supposedly close to being done in Congress but still a long ways from what the President will approve. I agree that reform is needed although it remains to be seen how much will be accomplished in this bill. It seems that in order to get a farm bill passed, more money must be taken from production agriculture and shifted to food stamp and nutrition programs. I understand these are important programs that need funding but if you keep taking from production, don't you risk being able to provide those programs with the food their recipients need. I find it interesting that with all of the concern and discussion of high food and fuel costs, there seems to be little talk about reducing speed limits to conserve fuel or cutting back on the amount of food wasted every day in this country. I guess it is a lot easier to blame ethanol! Have a good week and hopefully the weather will allow more planting to get done. Be sure to join us on AgriTalk! Those are my thoughts, what are yours? Email me at host@agritalk.com |
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