Friday, May 23, 2008
Truly Shocking News of the Day
Like you, I would never have guessed that higher food costs might make it harder for some people to feed themselves or for relief agencies to buy enough food to distribute to needy throughout the world. It never occurred to me to imagine a relationship between food prices and hunger.
Thank God that the UN is there to fill the gaps in my knowledge.
Sustaining high food prices will throw millions more people into hunger, the United Nations said in a recent report.
World food prices, which are now more than 50% higher than a year ago, are unlikely to return to low levels, and poor countries are expected to pay 40% more this year than a year ago to feed their people, the U.N Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report released Thursday.
“Food is no longer the cheap commodity that it once was,” said Hafez Ghanem, FAO assistant director-general, in a news release. “We are facing the risk that the number of hungry will increase by many more millions of people.”
Thank goodness I have a reserve supply of Ramen. Which hardly qualifies as food, I know, but is still mighty tasty.
Mmmm.
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There was a time when I just about lived on ramen. I still eat a fair amount of it, because it’s a cheap meal, but I seldom take it plain anymore. I like to go to the Saigon market down at Alameda and Federal, where I can pick up Chinese sausage, as well as inexpensive ginger root and fresh basil. Then, I slice up one sausage, some vegetables, add garlic and ginger, garnish with basil, and it’s almost not recognizable as ramen to most people.
It’s given me an undeserved reputation as a good cook at work ("What smells so good?” “Ramen.” “You’re kidding!")
TW: record55. For the record, I’ll turn 55 later this year.
I get good reputation cook at work in kitchen. high food prices will throw millions more people into hunger, the United Nations.