The shelves in Japanese supermarkets that normally hold butter are turning up bare these days. There is currently a shortage of milk in Japan, which has resulted in dearth of butter (since butter obviously comes from milk). Prices of imported butter are also rising, which means that the butter that does arrive in the country is very expensive. There are a variety of factors that are playing a part in the butter scarcity in Japan. As shifts in global eating patterns occur, the demand for butter increases, so exports that used to arrive in Japan are now landing in Russia, China and India. Also, milk has gotten a bad rap in Japan over the past few years, leading to declining consumption and the slaughter of dairy herds.
To read more about the butter shortage, go here and here.
[via Boing Boing]
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