Thread: 7 Billion... Is there enough food for that many?

Will we ultimately end up having to eat the flying Beagles some day?

guy_faukes is right. I'm reading Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva and it's all about how corporations that control farming all over the world are actually decreasing productivity by forcing farmers to use unsustainable methods. Originally there's enough resources to feed everyone, but new technologies are wasting farmland and destroying food diversity...

Originally Posted by Trides

guy_faukes is right. I'm reading Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva and it's all about how corporations that control farming all over the world are actually decreasing productivity by forcing farmers to use unsustainable methods. Originally there's enough resources to feed everyone, but new technologies are wasting farmland and destroying food diversity...

Guy was talking about earth resources that go into producing goods other than food. People don't eat plasma televisions.

Contrary to the world is ending cliches... the rising global problem is obesity and not starvation.

Plus, capitalism is only sustainable with consumers. That means capitalist will seek to maintain a strong global consumer base to maintain or increase their wealth.

Yes, but in the end, food is produced with land, people, and money, and so are luxury items like televisions...

What the heck. There are seven billion global problems. The thread was originally about food. Disgruntled teenager is out of here.

By the way, this thesaurus says "Mickey Mouse" is a synonym of "shallow." Just saying.

*Hopefully* we'll be off the Earth and off terraforming planets elsewhere before we run out of food. I say hopefully because the US stopped funding their space program...hopefully Russia/China/Virgin Airlines/some other country that I'm too lazy to list, will come up with something new and efficient before anything bad happens to earth...I kinda wanna go into "Cryostasis" until this happens....

Yes, there's enough food. We actually pay farmers to throw away their surpluses, so yeah, I'm thinking we'll be okay.

Originally Posted by Trides

guy_faukes is right. I'm reading Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva and it's all about how corporations that control farming all over the world are actually decreasing productivity by forcing farmers to use unsustainable methods. Originally there's enough resources to feed everyone, but new technologies are wasting farmland and destroying food diversity...

Good angle. There are a lot of problems with how we produce and consume foods even. Food might not even get onto a truck and rot in the field for a number of reasons, either by food regulations or a lack of a labour force to pick them. When food does get shipped, there's waste if it doesn't get sold in time.

It's ironic that farmers, for the vital service they provide everyone, are some of the most over worked and underpaid?

Originally Posted by Writ-with-Hand

Guy was talking about earth resources that go into producing goods other than food. People don't eat plasma televisions.

Contrary to the world is ending cliches... the rising global problem is obesity and not starvation.

Plus, capitalism is only sustainable with consumers. That means capitalist will seek to maintain a strong global consumer base to maintain or increase their wealth.

I think we all forget how much of a luxury it is to have food constantly available on store shelves. When the end of the world does happen, I tell you that people will be shooting each other over food, water and gasoline... and will be wishing that plasma was edible.

Obesity is a growing problem in developed nations, which is kinda sad. But I guess that's what happens when it's easier to eat out than it is to eat healthy. I know that up here, it's cheaper to buy proper foods and cook than to go out. Across the border is another story.