[Radix] Re: Preparations for food crises?

Thu Jun 19 04:40:21 PDT 2008

Well done the USA ! For those measures to function, an established 
and operating infrastructure is prerequisite: roads, railways and 
vehicles, fuel supplies, administrations for equable distribution, 
communications, access to reachable distribution points, domestic 
storage capacity (refrigerators !), power supplies, cooking 
facilities, drinking water and shelter, clothing and warmth, and 
employment and income - of which millions of people worldwide are 
deprived and for whom just the chance of food hoarding would be a miracle.

James

At 04:26 19/06/2008, you wrote:
>To a certain degree, preemptive food hoarding is encouraged in 
>disaster-prone areas.  FEMA suggests keeping a two-week food supply 
>on hand (see 
><http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf>http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf 
>).  In addition, every state and U.S. territory has stocks of 
>commodity foods that include the National School Lunch Program, the 
>Emergency Food Assistance Program, and the Food Distribution Program 
>on Indian Reservations.  In an emergency, USDA can authorize states 
>to release these food stocks to disaster relief agencies to feed 
>people at shelters and mass feeding sites. If a Presidential 
>declaration occurs, states can, with USDA approval, distribute 
>commodity foods directly to households (including the use of 
>disaster food stamps) whenever normal commercial food supply 
>channels such as grocery stores have been disrupted, damaged or 
>destroyed. (see 
><http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/fd-disasters/>http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/fd-disasters/ 
>).
>
>Educating the public about disasters and disaster preparedness is 
>one method of mitigating attempts to hoard after disasters strike.
>
>Carl Southwell
>On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 1:17 PM, George Kent 
><<mailto:kent at hawaii.edu>kent at hawaii.edu> wrote:
>Radixers --
>I got no reply to this, so I'll try a variation on the theme.
>One of the first indicators that a food crisis is anticipated is 
>food hoarding. When it gets to a high level, it may be possible to 
>institute some sort of rationing scheme, but there is a need to 
>prepare for that. Has anyone seen good plans, or at least ideas, on 
>how to limit hoarding through means short of rationing, and how to 
>conduct rationing if and when that becomes necessary?
>Food systems would show decisive breakdown when people start 
>resorting to violence to get food, by breaking into stores, stealing 
>farm produce, etc. Where is the planning to deal with the 
>possibility of breakdown of food systems?
>Aloha, George
>
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>>From: George Kent <<mailto:kent at hawaii.edu>kent at hawaii.edu>
>>Date: June 12, 2008 12:08:34 PM HST
>>To: <mailto:radix at ecie.org>radix at ecie.org
>>Subject: Preparations for food crises?
>>Radix pals --
>>Amid the current worldwide talk about a food crisis, there are some 
>>people imagining the possibility of extreme food shortages in the 
>>US. See, for example, 
>><http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=29974028>http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=29974028
>>What can you tell us about the current status of planning for a 
>>food crisis in the US, at the federal level or the state level?
>>I think the key to disaster planning regarding food would be food 
>>storage. Warehouses in the US generally hold no more than a few 
>>days worth of food. However, there would also have to be a 
>>rationing plan of some sort, since the impulse to hoard would be so 
>>strong. We recently had a run on rice here in Hawai'i, provoked by 
>>rumors about short supplies. The run would be much bigger in a true crisis.
>>
>>There is now rapidly escalating trade in food commodity futures. 
>>That is just another form of hoarding.
>>I think the probability of a serious food crisis in the US is 
>>relatively low, partly because each state has multiple food sources 
>>and backup from the federal government. However, food crises 
>>certainly are imaginable. It would be irresponsible for the states 
>>and the federal government to not have food crisis plans in place.
>>So, what is the current state of preparation for food crises? Do we 
>>have any good model plans anywhere?
>>Aloha, George
>>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>Professor George Kent
>>Department of Political Science
>>2424 Maile Way, Saunders 610
>>University of Hawai'i
>>Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822
>>USA
>>Phone:    1 808 396-9422
>>Cell:         1 808 389-9422
>>Fax:          1 808 956-6877
>>Email:       <mailto:kent at hawaii.edu>kent at hawaii.edu
>>Website:   <http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kent>http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kent
>>Skype ID: geokent
>>
>>
>
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>
>--
>Carl Southwell
>
>Contact me at :
><mailto:carl.southwell at gmail.com>carl.southwell at gmail.com
><mailto:southwel at usc.edu>southwel at usc.edu
><mailto:carl at iriskmanager.com>carl at iriskmanager.com
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