How record harvests generate food inequality

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)says that world cereal production will hit a record high in 2014.

World cereal consumption has steadily increased for the past 10 years, while production has generally kept pace or beaten demand. But while the picture was generally positive this year, FAO’s report also highlighted how conflict, weather and disease can prove to be the tipping points in places in fragile food security situations.

For instance, in Syria, a weak harvest combined with civil war put 6.8 million people at risk of “severe food insecurity”.

Violence in the Central African Republic has put one in three people “in need of urgent food assistance”, while bad weather south of the Sahara caused harvests in Senegal to see yields up to 38 per cent below average.

The timing of this year’s Ebola outbreak, which coincided with the planting season, pushed staple food prices higher in some West African cities.

Beyond these sobering statistics is the proof — as if any more were needed — of the growing gap between the world’s haves and have-nots.

For instance, both Europe and the US reported bumper crops this year, with the report noting that “the US’ record maize output comes despite less acreage being sowed”, yet, 49 million Americans have trouble finding enough food to eat.

— Reuters