Food Scarcity/Prices Impact Defense

Food Scarcity Impact Defense

Won’t go to war over foodChang 2/21/11 Gordon G Chang, Graduated Cornell Law School “Global Food Wars” http://blogs.forbes.com/gordonchang/2011/02/21/global-food-wars/ In any event, food-price increases have apparently been factors in the unrest now sweeping North Africa and the Middle East. The poor spend up to half their disposable income on edibles,

making rapid food inflation a cause of concern for dictators, strongmen, and assorted autocrats everywhere. So even if humankind does not go to war over bad harvests, Paskal may be right when she contends that climate change may end up altering the global map. This is not the first time in human history that food shortages looked like they would be the motor of violent geopolitical change. Yet amazing agronomic advances, especially Norman Borlaug’s Green Revolution in the middle of the 20th century, have consistently proved the pessimists wrong. In these days when capitalism is being blamed for most everything, it’s important to remember the power of human innovation in free societies—and the efficiency of free markets.

Tech development solves shortagesThompson 5/13/11 – Dr. Robert L. Thompson is a senior fellow for The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Proving Malthus Wrong, Sustainable agriculture in 2050” http://scienceblogs.com/tomorrowstable/2011/05/proving_malthus_wrong_sustaina.php

Tools available today, including plant breeding and biotechnology, can make presently unusable soils productive and increase the genetic potential of individual crops - enhancing drought and stress tolerance, for example - while also producing gains in yields.

Existing tools can also internalize plants' resistance to disease, and even improve a plant's nutritional content -

meaning consumers can get more nutritional value without increasing their consumption. Furthermore, modern high-productivity agriculture minimizes farmers' impact on the environment. Failure to embrace these technologies will result in further destruction of remaining forests. Adoption of technologies that produce more output from fewer resources has been hugely successful from an economic standpoint: prior to the price spike in 2008, there was a 150-year downward trend in the real price of food. The jury is still out on whether the long-term downward trend will resume, prices will flatten out on a new higher plateau, or they will trend upward in the future. The key is investing in research in the public and private sectors to increase agricultural productivity faster

than global demand grows. Long ago, British scholar Thomas Malthus predicted that the human population would eventually outgrow its ability to feed itself. However, Malthus has been proven wrong for more than two centuries precisely because he underestimated the power of agricultural research and technology to increase productivity faster than demand. There is no more reason for Malthus to be right in the 21st century than he was in the 19th or 20th - but only if we work to support, not impede, continued agricultural research and adoption of new technologies around the world.

CIR -Turns the Case- (Food Prices)Immigration reform key to decreasing food prices:Cache Walker, 11/10/2011 (staff writer, “Food Prices and Immigration Reform,” http://informuscitizens.com/food-prices-and-immigration-reform/, Accessed 1/24/2013, rwg)

What is it going to take in order for Immigration Reform to get the focus that it needs? With continued news of farmers facing a shortage of workers to harvest fruits and vegetables it may just be food prices. Farmers in Alabama complained about the lack of workers following the states crackdown on immigration and now in Washington apple farmers are saying they need more workers. I am not much of an economist but even I understand that the more food wasted in the fields and orchards waiting to be harvested will drive the prices up. The recent movement of Occupy Wallstreet has gained momentum because of the focus it attracted maybe immigration will get its focus when we realize there is a lack of occupation of the farm roads in many communities. The response of American’s needing the fill the open jobs is pointless, they aren’t filling the open jobs and in many cases aren’t even willing to do much of the work. How long are we going to mull around our options and continue to deport a million more people (Pres. Obama) before we start caring about immigration.

(--) Comprehensive immigration reform key to bolstering local food supplies:Georgia Rubenstein, 2009 (staff writer, “Sustainable Food Requires Sustainable Immigration Reform,” http://www.themix.coop/?q=node/850, Accessed 1/24/2013, rwg)

Those of us who care about good food and farming have many opportunities to speak up in support of comprehensive immigration reform, and it is important that we do so. We can all participate in the structural and policy change that needs to happen, and we can buy food that is created with fair labor practices. Both kinds of change are necessary to build the food and farming system that we need.

(--) Obama’s plan includes guest worker provisions:Chris Johnson, 1/23/2013 (staff writer, “Will Obama include gay couples in immigration reform?” http://www.washingtonblade.com/2013/01/23/will-obama-include-gay-couples-in-immigration-reform/, Accessed 1/23/2013, rwg)

According to a report in the New York Times earlier this month, Obama plans to push Congress to enact a massive overhaul of the immigration system — a large proposal as opposed to a series of separate bills — that would include a path to citizenship for most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. Additionally, it would set up a nationwide verification system of legal status for all newly hired workers; add visas to relieve backlogs and allow skilled immigrants to stay

in the country; and create a guest-worker program to attract low-wage immigrants in the future.

CIR Turns the Case- Food Scarcity(--) Immigration reform key to sustainable agriculture:Georgia Rubenstein, 2009 (staff writer, “Sustainable Food Requires Sustainable Immigration Reform,” http://www.themix.coop/?q=node/850, Accessed 1/24/2013, rwg)

To achieve a sustainable food and farming system, we need more farmers on the land. Fair immigration reforms would create pathways for immigrant workers, many with extensive agricultural experience, to enter agriculture as farm owners and entrepreneurs. Illegal hiring, immigration raids, and deportation exploit immigrant workers and create fear among those who seek to strengthen their communities. We all rely on the work of reform that will create stronger local economies, healthier land and communities, and justice for these workers and their families.

(--) Sustainable agriculture key to the environment:Georgia Rubenstein, 2009 (staff writer, “Sustainable Food Requires Sustainable Immigration Reform,” http://www.themix.coop/?q=node/850, Accessed 1/24/2013, rwg)

Those are all practical reasons. But on a broader level, I am a member of LSP because I believe in working together to build a healthy, sustainable community based food system. A sustainable food and farming system contributes to the health of the Earth, health of people and health of the local economy for all members of our community, including immigrants and new Americans from all countries.