One in six countries facing food shortage (Guardian)

[Bozita]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,1517831,00.html#article_continue

One in six countries facing food shortage

John Vidal and Tim Radford
Thursday June 30, 2005
The Guardian

One in six countries in the world face food shortages this year because of severe droughts that could become semi-permanent under climate change, UN scientists warned yesterday.

In a stark message for world leaders who meet in Gleneagles next week to discuss global warming, Wulf Killman, chairman of the UN food and agriculture organisation's climate change group, said the droughts that have devastated crops across Africa, central America and south-east Asia in the past year are part of an emerging pattern.

"Africa is our greatest worry," he said. "Many countries are already in difficulties ... and we see a pattern emerging. Southern Africa is definitely becoming drier and everyone agrees that the climate there is changing. We would expect areas which are already prone to drought to become drier with climate change."

The food and agriculture organisation and the US government, both of which monitor global food shortages, agree that 34 countries are now experiencing droughts and food shortages and others could join them. Up to 30 million people will need assistance because of the droughts and other natural disasters such as the Asian tsunami.

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[burrowowl]

1. This was LBN a year or so ago

It seems to be getting worse.
Also back 20 years or so it took 11 calories or energy to raise 1 calorie of food using mechanized means opposed to 1 calorie to raise 11 calories (read energy) read non-mechanized. This di not take the energy to ship it all over the place.
Something to cogitate.
When will the developed countries, especially the U$ begin to see the shortfall?