Food aid overseas

[Bongopete]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. President George W. Bush has ordered the release of $200 million in emergency aid to help countries where the soaring cost of basic food has spurred riots and instability.
http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/POLITICS/04/15/whitehouse.food.crisis/art.haiti.riot.afp.gi.jpg People stand near the ruins of a gas station after recent rioting over high food prices near Port-au-Prince, Haiti.


http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif


The money, to be drawn down from a food reserve, will address food needs in Africa and elsewhere, the White House said.
The announcement follows an appeal to the international community by World Bank President Robert Zoellick.
"The international community must fill the at least a $500 million food gap identified by the U.N.'s World Food Programme to meet emergency needs," he said. "Governments should be able to come up with this assistance and come up with it now."
The United States is the world's largest provider of food aid, delivering more than $2.1 billion in food aid to 78 countries last year, the White House said in a statement.
Riots from Haiti to Bangladesh to Egypt over surging food prices have brought the issue to a boiling point and catapulted it to the forefront of the world's attention.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/15/whitehouse.food.crisis/

Are we profiding food out of the kindness of our hearts or for political reasons? What about our own people?

[BugHunt]

Well give with the AID hand - and slamp them about with inflated grain prices with the Biofuels subsidy....


Some days you think its every governments ambition to have every person on earth a refugee or a total dependant on there handouts.


Hopefully the food shortages will be allleviated in a period of years due to more farmers switching to more profitable crops.


Are we profiding food out of the kindness of our hearts or for political reasons? What about our own people?

Its most definately in "our" interests to have a stable world without widespread conflicts.

[Dragonscript]

Most certainly political, but anything any government does is political. The US gives out massive amounts of aid to other countries, it makes the US look good and helps people around the world. Just because something is politically motivated doesn't mean it is always a bad thing.

[Bongopete]

Most certainly political, but anything any government does is political. The US gives out massive amounts of aid to other countries, it makes the US look good and helps people around the world. Just because something is politically motivated doesn't mean it is always a bad thing.


'Look good'? We dont seem to be doing a very good job it seems.

[umutferhat]

Are we going to the world of Mad Max ???

[Bongopete]

Are we going to the world of Mad Max ???


If we are, I refuse to have a mohawk and wear tires on my shoulders.

[Bulletproof]

Its most definately in "our" interests to have a stable world without widespread conflicts.

Yep, we have to preserve our system against these kind of antagonists. The situation isn't better in Asia, a lot of countries are destroying theirs forests and farms in the name of the holy biofuel. Giving away food is just a way to make them quiet. The concept of food aid is just a bad a joke, it just another word for "dumping".

[Dragonscript]

'Look good'? We dont seem to be doing a very good job it seems.


Reminds me of the scene from the movie Life of Brian. "What have the Romans ever done for us becides..."

People around the world hate the US for a myriad of reason, some our fault and others not. Honestly, i think most people expect too much out of the US and then get mad at the US for not delivering.

[Bongopete]

Reminds me of the scene from the movie Life of Brian. "What have the Romans ever done for us becides..."

People around the world hate the US for a myriad of reason, some our fault and others not. Honestly, i think most people expect too much out of the US and then get mad at the US for not delivering.


I actually rather like the Roman Empire....well, except for a few of its crazy Emperors.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Are we profiding food out of the kindness of our hearts or for political reasons? What about our own people?

Our kids are a lot more likely to go to the doctor to be treated for morbid obesity than for malnutrition.


If we are, I refuse to have a mohawk and wear tires on my shoulders.

Dibs on the ass-less chaps.

[Ordie]

I just got back from Argentina.

Here's the situation with food production.

Argentine farmers, (300 families) are switching from traditional crops and livestock production to soybean production which yeilds a higher price. Soybeans are exclusively for export since there is little or no domestic demand for soy products. As a result there is a scarcity of domestic produce and livestock that drives up the cost for domestic consumers.

In reaction, the Argentine government stopped the exportation of beef and proposed a 50% export tax on soybeans to dissuade farmers from abandoning traditional crops for domestic consumption.

In reaction, the farmers blockaded the shipment of beef into Buenos Aires for 20 days in protest. The net result was higher cost of food for Buenos Aires and a spike in soybeans prices in the global market. The farmers agreed to a 30 day suspension and are in talks with the government.

There is always enough land and food, the problems are distribution, and balancing the demands between the global and local markets.

[Fifty Gut]

What about our own people?

Good question.

We waste all this money on foreign aid while our own people and infrastructure suffer. More deficit spending by our government so that foreigners can eat. :roll: