Warfare: Food Supply/Access

[Jedburgh]

Don't forget food needs water. Water is the short pole.

RIA Novosti, 15 Mar 08: EU warns water shortage in Central Asia could spark conflicts

The severe impact of climate change in Central Asia is causing water and food shortages that could lead to regional conflicts, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned.

Solana delivered a climate change and security report from the High Representative and the European Commission to leaders at the European Union summit held on Thursday and Friday.

"An increasing shortage of water, which is both a key resource for agriculture and a strategic resource for electricity generation, is already noticeable" in Central Asia, the report said.....

[Jedburgh]

EIU Brief, 25 Mar 08: Egypt the pressure cooker: Soaring food prices lead to widespread protests

.....The government has sought to address the discontent in several ways. It is especially attempting to improve subsidy provision, separating the production and sale of subsidised bread—the main element in the Egyptian diet—in order to reduce corruption. Families were allowed to add children to their ration cards in February for the first time since 1988 (increasing the total number of beneficiaries from 40m to an estimated 55m). Nevertheless, as rising wheat prices force more and more people to rely on subsidised bread, the queues are lengthening and supplies are coming under strain. Similar problems have also arisen regarding diesel fuel, which is used to power machinery and farm equipment. Shortages have led to outbreaks of fights at petrol stations, and accusations that the government is deliberately keeping stocks hidden to boost prices.....

.....international commodity prices, especially for wheat and food oils, have increased strongly, by nearly 70% during 2007. This has forced the government to increase domestic wheat prices, from E£220 ($439)per bushel to E£320 ($639)per bushel—the price paid by the government to farmers for the 2008 crop, in the hope that more wheat will be made available for the domestic market. Egypt is the world's largest wheat importer, importing around 6m tonnes/year, about half the country's needs. Rising food prices led the government to increase subsidies by E£4.7bn ($9.4 bn)in the fourth quarter of 2007, taking total subsidies for fiscal 2007/08 to E£14.4bn ($28.75 bn).....