http://www.blackinformant.com/just-why/starving-people-in-africa-fuhgetabout-it-im-just-glad-were-saving-the-planet Engaging the culture by challenging the status quo Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:24:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.blackinformant.com/just-why/starving-people-in-africa-fuhgetabout-it-im-just-glad-were-saving-the-planet/comment-page-1#comment-9899 Nigel Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:41:39 +0000 http://www.blackinformant.com/?p=8380#comment-9899 Thanks and stay blessed. Thanks and stay blessed.

]]> http://www.blackinformant.com/just-why/starving-people-in-africa-fuhgetabout-it-im-just-glad-were-saving-the-planet/comment-page-1#comment-9898 Nigel Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:40:42 +0000 http://www.blackinformant.com/?p=8380#comment-9898 But don't just take my word for it- Look up some more and tell me what you find. But don’t just take my word for it- Look up some more and tell me what you find.

]]> http://www.blackinformant.com/just-why/starving-people-in-africa-fuhgetabout-it-im-just-glad-were-saving-the-planet/comment-page-1#comment-9897 Nigel Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:39:24 +0000 http://www.blackinformant.com/?p=8380#comment-9897 The bigger issue I see here is the subsidies and tariff protection of EU and US farmers. Sugar cane is much more efficient at producing biofuels than maize, but they're not talking about it. Why not? Because it grows in hot countries (most of which are poorer) would push up damand for those product, which are a luxury and consumed in rich countries. One of the reasons why there is a food shortage is because much of the previous so-called "aid" given was subsidised production in rich countries, shipped off to the poorer countries, with the efffect of depressing prices, lowering demand for local product alternatives and putting local farmers (some of the poorest people on the planet) out of business. At the same time products from these countries have traditionally been kept out by tariff barriers. To give some credit where it is due, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act addresses this in some way, but how much of an effect it has I haven't researched thoroughly enough.From what I've read, yes biofuels are not the complete answer. BUT by scientific accounts climate change (warming) and "food-insecurity/scarcity" are linked in many (hot) parts of the world and Africa in particular, so warming makes many food productive areas unproductive (to put a complex argument simply). Looking at the details of the production processes (of biofuels)is necessary, but the idea that it is worry about "climate change" or "starvation" is a misleading one, from what I understand. They are linked and other issues can have as big or a bigger impact on the outcome. The bigger issue I see here is the subsidies and tariff protection of EU and US farmers. Sugar cane is much more efficient at producing biofuels than maize, but they’re not talking about it. Why not? Because it grows in hot countries (most of which are poorer) would push up damand for those product, which are a luxury and consumed in rich countries. One of the reasons why there is a food shortage is because much of the previous so-called “aid” given was subsidised production in rich countries, shipped off to the poorer countries, with the efffect of depressing prices, lowering demand for local product alternatives and putting local farmers (some of the poorest people on the planet) out of business. At the same time products from these countries have traditionally been kept out by tariff barriers. To give some credit where it is due, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act addresses this in some way, but how much of an effect it has I haven’t researched thoroughly enough.From what I’ve read, yes biofuels are not the complete answer. BUT by scientific accounts climate change (warming) and “food-insecurity/scarcity” are linked in many (hot) parts of the world and Africa in particular, so warming makes many food productive areas unproductive (to put a complex argument simply). Looking at the details of the production processes (of biofuels)is necessary, but the idea that it is worry about “climate change” or “starvation” is a misleading one, from what I understand. They are linked and other issues can have as big or a bigger impact on the outcome.

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