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Food Stress

  • Farm loan waiver- A closer look

    The escalating price rise and food crisis has put into focus the state of our agriculture yet again. Only a month-and-a-half back an estimated Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver for farmers hogged the headline for days together. The government's decision was on an unprecedented scale. And this aspect of Finance Minister Chidambaram's budget speech attracted widespread comment. Almost all political parties welcomed the move as most had been clamouring for such a step to relieve the farmers from debt.

  • Set Calorie Credits

    The current food crisis is nature's way of cocking a snook at man's pompousness. With all the tall claims of progress in science, we are yet to find a permanent solution for the most basic of needs i.e., food. Food riots have been reported from a number of countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Haiti and the Philippines. Elsewhere the prices of edible commodities are hitting the roof.

  • For all the food in a basket case

    One of the hardest concepts for a new student of monetary economics to grasp is that of a "bank run'

  • Azad calls upon agri-scientists to meet food shortage challenge

    Governor, Lt. Gen (Retd) S. K. Sinha has appreciated the headway made by Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology (SKUAST), Jammu in academic and research fields during the past few years even as Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad urged agricultural scientists in Jammu & Kashmir to prepare for the impending challenge of food shortage likely to confront the world.

  • OPEC's greed leads to global food crisis (Editorial)

    The world's food security structure seems to be crumbling and could give way to a serious crisis if not tackled on a war footing. Of course many factors -rising population, increasing demand for food in faster developing nations like India and China, drought conditions in many parts of world, expanding acreage for cash crops and finally diversion of farmlands to grow corn in America, Latin America and Europe for producing ethanol are responsible for depleting food stocks. But mainly it the sheer greed of oil producing countries that has driven the food prices to new unaffordable heights.

  • World's breadbasket faces food crisis

    World's breadbasket faces food crisis Food Shortages, An Unthinkable Phenomenon In US, Have Hit Many Parts Of The Country Mountain View (California): Many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing. Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks, the New York Sun reported on Monday.

  • Food crisis

    The unending food crisis may take a turn for the worse owing to an estimated poor wheat yield in Pakistan. According to Business Recorder (April 18), "the wheat output is likely to fall to 20-22 million tonnes as against the target of 24 million tonnes, necessitating imports of nearly 3 million tonnes this season.' Last year Pakistan had to import 1.7 million tonnes of wheat because of an acute shortage of this essential commodity.

  • Time for a green evolution

    Today, as we mark the 38th World Earth Day, in the light of the recent breaking of an ice shelf in the Antarctic region, the warning signals are clear: time is running out. The high pollution levels, the depletion of the ozone layer, and excessive global warming are no longer just predictions but are fast becoming a reality. The changes can be seen around us. According to reports, the number of hurricanes have almost doubled in the last 30 years.

  • Trade-off between food and bio-fuels (Debate)

    Food inflation in the time of rising fuel prices has a new dimension: diversion of more and more farmland for bio-fuel production. Three experts debate whether food and fuel are either/or choice. What is the long-term solution for obtaining food security? Can a multilateral body like the WTO or UN have a role in this? Can reneweable fuels meet growing energy demand? SUNITA NARAIN Director, Centre for Science and Environment

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