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"It's the opinion of some that crops could be grown on the moon. Which raises the fear that it may not be long before we're paying somebody not to." -Franklin P. Jones

Are we reaching the brink of a food crisis? Economic growth, contamination and harsh climate change have hit crops hard around the world. China is facing food shortages and price hikes that could translate into billions of yuan, while growers in Florida are shielding crops from record cold spells that could be devastating for the economy.

Stories

Stories 61 - 65 of 65

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January 2008
- Wheat Shortage is the Real Problem
  
  Times South Africa | Jan 19, 08
  
  The soaring wheat price is to blame for bread price increases, with farmers battling to produce enough %u2018%u2018white gold%u201D to meet local demand, industry stakeholders said this week. The Chamber of Milling, which represents about 95% of South Africa%u2019s wheat producers, said wheat prices had risen from less than R2000 a ton last January to R3100 a ton this month.
- Fla. Growers Fight Record Cold
  
  Miami Herald | Jan 3, 08 8:31 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Florida shivered last night last night as a cold snap set new lows—35 degrees in Ft. Lauderdale—and threatened serious damage to crops. Farmers spent the night in the fields, spraying strawberries and oranges with water to create a protective glaze of ice. In Plant City, dubbed the winter strawberry capital of the world, temperatures hit freezing at midnight, and dropped to 28 by 2:30am. More »
November 2007
- World on Brink of Food Crisis
  
  Guardian (UK) | Nov 4, 07 6:30 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Recent food riots and famine warnings in response to soaring world prices for food staples are only a taste of graver problems to come, the Guardian reports. Food price inflation is at record levels, and global food reserves are at their lowest in 25 years, according to a United Nations report. From Russia to Latin America, the threat of food-related political instability is escalating. More »
September 2007
- In China, Thirst for Growth Leaves Land Parched
  
  New York Times | Sep 27, 07 5:12 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Economic growth, rampant contamination, vast crops and a population explosion are sapping China's groundwater supply at an unprecedented pace. And with 20% of the world's population but only 7% of its water supply, the Chinese government is hard-pressed for solutions, the New York Times reports. "They will run out of water if the current rate continues," says one hydrologist. More »
May 2007
- Livestock Pigging Out on Junk Food
  
  Wall Street Journal | May 21, 07 3:41 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The biofuel craze has doubled the price of corn in just a few years, forcing farmers from Pennsylvania to California find alternatives to feed their livestock. What they're coming up with is cookies, candy bars, cheese curls, breakfast cereal and french fries, reports the Wall Street Journal. More »

Stories 61 - 65 of 65

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Ice forms on strawberries at Trio Farms in Bradenton, Florida, Friday January 24, 2003. An overnight freeze could threaten this year's strawberry crop. (KRT Photos)

Icicles hang on a strawberry plant just after sunrise Thursday Jan. 3, 2008 at a field in Dover, Fla. Temperatures in the area dipped into the low 20's forcing berry farmers to coat the fruit with water... (Associated Press)

Hans Katros, owner of Katros Groves, checks the irrigation system on a pumello citrus tree on his grove in Haines City, Fla., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008. Florida citrus growers are preparing for freezing... (Associated Press)

An orange is surrounded by ice in a grove in Eustis, Florida, Friday, January 24, 2003. Similarly cold temperatures could threaten this year's crop. (KRT Photos)

Icicles hang on a strawberry plant just after sunrise Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008, at a field in Dover, Fla. Temperatures in the area dipped into the low 20's forcing berry farmers to coat the fruit with... (Associated Press)

Icicles hang on a small shrub just after sunrise Thursday Jan. 3, 2008 at a strawberry field in Dover, Fla. Temperatures in the area dipped into the low 20's forcing berry farmers to coat the fruit with... (Associated Press)

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Background

National Farmers Union, Web site
http://nfu.org/

National Farmers Union, Web site

famine
World Encyclopedia

famine Extreme prolonged shortage of food, produced by both natural and man-made causes. If it persists, famine results in widespread starvation and death. Famine is often associated with drought, or ...

drought
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Lack or insufficiency of rain for an extended period that severely disturbs the hydrologic cycle in an area. Droughts involve water shortages, crop damage, streamflow reduction, and depletion of groundwater and soil moisture. They occur when evaporation and ...

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News Sections

Newser Specials

Crop Woes

Stories

Wheat Shortage is the Real Problem

Fla. Growers Fight Record Cold

World on Brink of Food Crisis

In China, Thirst for Growth Leaves Land Parched

Livestock Pigging Out on Junk Food

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Background

What is Newser?