Taking into account global warming, the sheer stupidity of using food crops to make fuel, and industrial agriculture (cattle are supposed to eat grass, not grain), this looks too much like a snapshot of the near future for my comfort- near future for the world, that is, not merely Egypt. A couple of quotations from the article that add to my worries:
The shortage of food has now assumed a global dimension; some 73 million people in 78 countries depend on the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP).
According to their figures, 1 out of every 80 person relies on somebody else to provide for basic food requirements.
Most of these handouts are taking place in Africa, Asia and Central America, but developed countries are feeling the impact for the first time as well.
Rice, corn, dairy and poultry products are the worst affected commodities,around the globe.
and:
Prior said that there has been an enormous increase in the demand from booming economies such as India and China.
“People there are eating a lot more meat than they used to,” he said.
The UNWFP said another key factor contributing in the global decrease of productivity was weather irregularities all across the world.
