Presumably, not many people would have expected the buoyant economy to culminate into such a food shortages crisis? The phenomenon can be attributed to rising demand of crops for biofuel, which ultimately alleviates the need for fossil fuel, and thus improves our air quality. In addition, rice export countries such as Thailand, is trying to export less to curb the soaring inflation within the borders. In another perspective, there is no such thing as a food shortage, but rather panic buying of people that is adding pressure to inflation.
One typical example is China. With a fifth of the population in the world confined in limited arable lands, China is in dire need for rice export. Initially, when the oil price and other raw materials is not at such a high price as today, there were quite a number of people who is willing to pursue the occupation of being a farmer. However, now with the price for fertilizers and insecticides increased to a rather exorbitant level for them, a lot of farmers would rather choose to work in urban areas, earning a higher income to support the family. Not only with the farmers gone, but the arable lands for cultivation have shrink due to industrialisation. All in all, amid rising cost for exported rice, China is asking for more from export countries due to the reason that farmers and lands have both decreased substantially to an intimidating and worrying level.
Luckily, China is endeavouring to solve this plight. The leaders and governors have realised the importance of not being short-sighted and to consider policies in a long-term point of view. An increased minimum compensation benefited the farmers growing crops for human consumption and they have been given a farm subsidy to sustain their production and living.
But not only China requires a change. Everywhere in the world must act to save the people in poverty who cannot afford expensive rice and suffer from malnutrition. In a more preferable way, it is advised that the impoverished people should receive funds to buy the daily necessities by themselves instead of relying to the export countries to offer lower prices for the poor.
Most importantly, it is the consume habit of the people that requires a change. There is nothing like a famine situation that we are facing now. It is the panic buying and uneven distribution of commodities. To improve the prospects, every countries has to develop a better policy and make sure development doesn’t overwhelm the need for the most basic thing in a society—food. The developing and developed countries have to strike a balance between demand and supply before they go ahead blindly for short-term prosperity.