"food shortage" news and stories

The Icelandic volcano eruption made life miserable for thousands of people (there are still people sleeping on cots at JFK airport), but it's been an unexpected bonus for an unlikely collective: British asparagus farmers.

The United Kingdom gets their out-of-season produce from Kenya. But with flight schedules in havoc because of the volcano, British supermarkets have turned to local suppliers to fill the demand. And right now the only spring veggie available is asparagus.

One of the largest growers, Western Asparagus Growers, have sold double the amount that was initially ordered. And because the harvest season doesn't really start until today, St.George's Day (April 23), it means the demand is outstripping the supply. And even those of us who flunked economics (which includes me) know what that means -- higher prices for asparagus.

"Short term, the market has gone bonkers," succinctly said a spokesman for the British Asparagus Festival. Don't you love those quaint British expressions?

Over the past few weeks, headlines concerning food shortages and poor harvests have become more gloomy. In today's New York Times there is an article that depicts the global food crisis with greater urgency. According to the article, rain in the Midwest and drought in Australia are responsible for lower yields in wheat, corn, rice, and soybeans. With much of the world depending on American farmers, the problem seems as though it will only escalate?

Perhaps, Cuba has a solution to this problem. Yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer had an article praising Cuba's urban farming program for being able to supply much of Cuba's vegetables. It also provides 350,000 jobs with considerably high pay. Futhermore, it has increased food options for a country that was heavily dependent on a diet of rice and beans and canned goods from Eastern Europe. With a population that is 80 perecent urban, it would only make sense for them to develop an urban agricultural agenda.

Since the majority of people in the United States live in urban areas, it seems like this model might help relieve the current food shortages. Can cities like New York City adapt the Cuban program? The article reveals that Cuba's urban farming program is driven by the employees' incentive. 80 percent of the profits go to the workers! Are we still talking about a communist country?