Comments on: Food security in Britain: time to head for the hills? http://www.globaldashboard.org/2008/05/15/food-security-in-britain-time-to-head-for-the-hills/ global risks and how to respond to them, edited by Alex Evans and David Steven Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:25:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jake http://www.globaldashboard.org/2008/05/15/food-security-in-britain-time-to-head-for-the-hills/comment-page-1/#comment-1337 Jake Sun, 25 May 2008 17:53:06 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=926#comment-1337 There is a problem: mammals are opportunistic breeders and WILL breed to in excess of the available food supply. This is to allow for - primarily - infant mortality. Old Mother Nature then thins out the excess population by means of food shortages, so the population drops. We are equally mammals, and have the same propensity to breed opportunistically. Unfortunately, we also have the ability - to a limited extent - to engineer additional food supplies during shortages to enable us to breed even more opportunistically. That's why we've got this problem. It is even apparent in such things as worries over falling birth rates. Dammit, we NEED falling birth rates: there are too many people in the world already. For Britain to be able to entirely self sufficient, I estimate our optimum population to be about fourteen million. We have enough land to feed that many and allow for a small reserve. What we do not have is enough land to feed the Lillies of the Field whose only toiling and spinning lies in selling money to each other, and driving up the costs of everything while in no way increasing production. It's callous: it's Malthusian - but it is true: populations expand to exceed the amount of food available, and every time some group or other is baled out, we are making a rod for the backs of the world. So, if you want to give food aid, lace it with contraceptive drugs, and make that an absolute condition. Spray reservoirs with contraceptive drugs: force the population down, - otherwise we are all done for. There is a problem: mammals are opportunistic breeders and WILL breed to in excess of the available food supply. This is to allow for – primarily – infant mortality.
Old Mother Nature then thins out the excess population by means of food shortages, so the population drops.
We are equally mammals, and have the same propensity to breed opportunistically. Unfortunately, we also have the ability – to a limited extent – to engineer additional food supplies during shortages to enable us to breed even more opportunistically.
That’s why we’ve got this problem. It is even apparent in such things as worries over falling birth rates. Dammit, we NEED falling birth rates: there are too many people in the world already.
For Britain to be able to entirely self sufficient, I estimate our optimum population to be about fourteen million. We have enough land to feed that many and allow for a small reserve.
What we do not have is enough land to feed the Lillies of the Field whose only toiling and spinning lies in selling money to each other, and driving up the costs of everything while in no way increasing production.
It’s callous: it’s Malthusian – but it is true: populations expand to exceed the amount of food available, and every time some group or other is baled out, we are making a rod for the backs of the world.
So, if you want to give food aid, lace it with contraceptive drugs, and make that an absolute condition. Spray reservoirs with contraceptive drugs: force the population down, – otherwise we are all done for.

]]> By: Alex Evans http://www.globaldashboard.org/2008/05/15/food-security-in-britain-time-to-head-for-the-hills/comment-page-1/#comment-1327 Alex Evans Sat, 17 May 2008 09:37:24 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=926#comment-1327 I take the point, but empirically, countries and regions in famine do tend to keep exporting even in appalling conditions of hardship for the poor - this was the case in the Irish potato famine in the 19th century and the Ethiopian famine in 1983/4, for example. On the other hand, it's also fair to point out that food inflation can be incendiary in political terms - 1789 in France, 1917 in Russia and 1989 in China all being cases in point. I guess the variable is how well-organised the poor are. I take the point, but empirically, countries and regions in famine do tend to keep exporting even in appalling conditions of hardship for the poor – this was the case in the Irish potato famine in the 19th century and the Ethiopian famine in 1983/4, for example.

On the other hand, it’s also fair to point out that food inflation can be incendiary in political terms – 1789 in France, 1917 in Russia and 1989 in China all being cases in point. I guess the variable is how well-organised the poor are.

]]> By: Kerux http://www.globaldashboard.org/2008/05/15/food-security-in-britain-time-to-head-for-the-hills/comment-page-1/#comment-1325 Kerux Fri, 16 May 2008 11:42:49 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=926#comment-1325 Interesting analysis, but I wonder whether outbidding the poor will really work in the long run (assuming that is basically what we do now, not arguing that it is fair). When food shortage gets even worse, I would guess that developing countries will just stop exporting food to prevent massive food riots. You already mentioned India stopping export to Bangladesh, but won't the same export stop be applied to more developed countries when food supplies are really low? Local food production sounds like a wonderful idea in that particular scenario. Interesting analysis, but I wonder whether outbidding the poor will really work in the long run (assuming that is basically what we do now, not arguing that it is fair). When food shortage gets even worse, I would guess that developing countries will just stop exporting food to prevent massive food riots. You already mentioned India stopping export to Bangladesh, but won’t the same export stop be applied to more developed countries when food supplies are really low?
Local food production sounds like a wonderful idea in that particular scenario.

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