Milk today, but what about tomorrow?

[oilman]

Link

We don't have to worry about food, as it will either be exported, or reclassified as "bio-fuel". Well done politicians.

 

[ricicle]

What a brilliant article.Just sums up our demand for cheap goods in this country and then wondering why our industries, whatever they be, are in decline.

We are all guilty, be warned.....

 

[crystal ball]

What a brilliant article.Just somes up our demand for cheap goods in this country and then wondering why our industries, whatever they be, are in decline.

We are all guilty, be warned.....

I agree entirely, I have been made redundant twice due to plant closures, and production moving east.

I remember the sparks and fitters quizzing the manager about the reasons for closure and who was responsible, he said "we all are, when was the last time you paid a bit extra for Uk made goods"

 

[oilman]

Mmmm....., but this is a bit more fundamental, in that it is the demise of food production. More goings on which have a direct effect available Link[/url]

 

[Mike2007]

Globalisation. It tends these days to mean the demise of the richer countries to the benefit if the developing ones!
Well we live in a "developed" one, so its hard cheese (no pun intended) for us!

 

[JohnD]

I have my milk delivered from a local dairy farm

 

[Steve]

removed

 

[Mike2007]

Mmmm....., but this is a bit more fundamental, in that it is the demise of food production. More goings on which have a direct effect available Link[/url]

Heard the same story about the cost of bread today, a great deal of farming land has now been turned over to make cattle food (meat/dairy)or Bio-fuel.
Bio-fuel is turning out to be a nasty for the environment after all, no wheat or air to breath as rain forest is destroyed for palm oil!
If China/India just remained poor (well its sad but true) they would not be draining world food resources like we/ the West already do.
Eating plants by way of crops is the simplest way to gain food rather than meat or dairy products which take more time yield less food per acre.

 

[oilman]

Eating plants by way of crops is the simplest way to gain food rather than meat or dairy products which take more time yield less food per acre.

Not sure if this is always true. Lots of crops need careful tending, on the other hand, grass grows without much attention, but you need a suitable converter (cow, sheep, rabbit, horse, etc) to be able to make use of it as food. When fertilisers are no longer abundant (phosphates in particular), many crops will grow much less per acre.

 

[Mike2007]

That may be the case with a field of strawberries or lettuce, but many, many crop grow and yield in a relatively short time. The only real solution is back to battery farming and use the fields for grain!
Anyway, I don't have the solution and it looks increasingly grim?

 

[JohnD]

... The only real solution is back to battery farming and use the fields for grain!

surely not? you can produce more tons of human food by growong potoes, turnips, beans or oats than by growing stuff you feed to animals (battery or not)

then you can use land that's impractical, to let sheep graze it and make them walk downhill when you want to eat them.

 

[Mike2007]

In Cumbria we have sheep to "decorate" the hillsides and not sure what is done with wool?

 

[BoxBasher]

many crop grow and yield in a relatively short time.

Hence why cereal crops take most of the year to grow...

 

[Mike2007]

many crop grow and yield in a relatively short time.

Hence why cereal crops take most of the year to grow...

And the time taken to turn grass/growth hormones into beef is??

 

[megawatt]

The amount of grain needed to make enough ethanol to fill a range rover petrol tank would feed an adult for a year (and you only get 70% of the mpg that you get with the equivalent amount of petrol).

As more agricultural space is devoted to cultivating crops for fuel there will be less for cultivating food and the price will rise.

If bio-fuels become mainstream the decision may be ... To eat or to drive

Damned if we do ... Damned if we don't