Who Put the Con in Economics (Harvest at the End of the World)
In , the global corn harvest came in at million tons, while million tons of wheat and million tons of rice were produced. Wheat takes up the most land because corn yields are typically much higher, averaging close to 5 tons per hectare globally compared with about 3 tons per hectare for wheat and rice. In the United States, corn yields in the top-producing areas exceed 10 tons per hectare when conditions are favorable. China, the United States, and India. China produced an estimated million tons of grain in —its largest harvest ever—compared with million tons in the United States.
India harvested million tons. The countries in the European Union together produced million tons. The heat and drought that gripped nearly two thirds of the contiguous United States during the summer was particularly severe throughout the midwestern Corn Belt. Yields in Iowa, the top corn-producing state, were down 20 percent from In Illinois, typically the number two producer, yields dropped by 33 percent, ending up at the lowest level since the historic drought.
The drop would have been far worse were it not for strong production in states less affected by dryness or with ample irrigation; in fact, Minnesota and North Dakota had record high output. The result was that some of the trains and barges that normally transport corn out of the Corn Belt reversed routes to bring corn in for meat and ethanol producers. Such a low corn-stocks-to-use ratio—unseen before by farmers working the land today—presages further price volatility.
About a third of the total U. The reduction of corn use for ethanol production and wheat use for feed contributed to an abrupt pause in the growth in global grain consumption, which over the past decade averaged close to 40 million more tons per year. January estimates by the U.
also refer to the symposium on social norms that appeared in the Fall issue of this journal, gave rise to the dominant convention of left-hand driving. . assumption that the world around them is going to continue today much as it did .. contract specifies the fractions of the harvest for the landowner and the laborer. Many of these studies rely upon a set of untested assumptions about the effects the economic value of wild plants and animals sumptions from the late 1 s. . of different income and will approach the world . Social and economic con-.
Department of Agriculture put global grain consumption at 2, million tons, down 27 million tons from Even with the drop in use, global grain production fell short of consumption by 43 million tons. Global grain consumption has exceeded production in 8 of the last 13 years, leading to a drawdown in reserves. Worldwide, carryover grain stocks—the amount left in the bin when the new harvest begins—stand at million tons, enough to cover 68 days of consumption.
This is just 6 days more than the low that preceded the —08 grain crisis , when several countries restricted exports and food riots broke out in dozens of countries because of the spike in prices. Grain prices receded somewhat during the recent recession, only to jump again in when heat and drought withered wheat in Russia, prompting an export ban. The poor prospects for the harvest led to the third spike in world market prices in just six years.
Eco-Economy Indicators - Grain Harvest | EPI
This time around, even with its harvest forecast to be smaller than in , Russia announced that it would avoid suspending exports. Following a record high year in , global grain trade in dropped back to levels.
The million tons of traded grain made up 13 percent of global consumption. Densely populated South Korea imported 13 million tons of grain, also amounting to 73 percent of its consumption. Feed corn dominated imports in Mexico—the cradle of corn—as well, with 15 million tons of grain imports accounting for 32 percent of its use.
In the arid Middle East, Egypt took in 14 million tons of grain, largely wheat for bread, making up 39 percent of its grain consumption. Enforcing Patents and the Economic Challenges Trying to enforce a patent can be very challenging because some of the farmers who have grown GM products from companies such as Monsanto have cited that they did not do so by choice. Instead, they claim that their GM crops are the result of cross-pollination.
To handle this kind of issue, biotechnology companies can insert a 'suicide gene' into the modified plant.
Then, the plant can only be sustained for one growing season and there would be the production of seeds that are unable to germinate. The end result is that farmers would be forced to purchase new seeds each year.
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Yet, if you consider the economic challenges of third world countries and developing nations, this would be an economic disaster. They would be unable to afford the seeds every year. In contrast, most farmers would usually put a portion of their harvest aside each year to plant in the following year.
Consumer Costs The pricing of GM foods at the consumer level can vary a great deal.
In some instances, prices are higher while other times they can be lower, which reflect the complex array of factors influencing GM food pricing as well as the impact of various production levels. For consumers against GM foods, they can expect to spend more if they choose organic products. This increased cost tends to relate to the smaller scale of many organic operations — particularly local ones.
In fact, the organics industry has experienced rapid growth, which some partially attribute to the public mistrust of GM products in Britain. While the full economic impact of GM foods is difficult to determine, it is clear that there is little consistency from one GM crop or market to another. At the present time, more focus needs to be placed on resolving the issues relating to the economical impact of GM foods. In turn, this can help countries to successfully grow GM crops and allow for economic prosperity at every level of the production process.
Economic Impact of GM Foods. You might also like Controversial Drugs from GM Animals. GM Foods and Fertility. Greenhouse Gases and GM Foods. Maybe you could break it down a little easier? So I am doing a debate on why GMO foods should be banned.
Due to the small and uneven number of students in my class I have to do both sides. From what i have seen this sounds like good evidence for GMO foods hurting the economy, but i could not find your credentials any where, and in debate it is important to name credentials other wise this evidence will not help me that much. Nat - Jan 8: Are there any sources or references for this?
Economic Impact of GM Foods
Specifically on the pricing of GM foods at the consumer level, or on farmers not being able to afford the GM varieties of crops? StillLearning - Dec 7: This was very helpful for my essay on the impacts of modified food. KK - Sep Basics of GM Foods