How and Why Our World Faces the Possibility of a Decade or More of Conflict, Climatic Changes and Famine on a Global Scale.
How and why our world faces the possibility of a decade or more of conflict, climatic changes and famine on a global scale.
Three of the most important global issues today are; global security, climate change and the food crisis. The following section ties globalisation to a convergence of factors in China, India and other countries around the world which have compounded these crises. Such factors include the increasing scarcity of resources, unequal distribution of food and water, unresolved international and domestic disputes leading to war and criminality, and uncontrolled environmental pollutants changing world climates.
Global Food Crisis * In China the main problem associated with the food crisis includes the increased global dependence and movement of grain leading to surpluses from grain rich countries to replenish poorer countries, so maintaining costly grain reserves became unnecessary (Development Industry, 2008.). The Chinese population increased drastically and migrants moved from rural to suburban areas adopting higher standards of living resulting primarily from increased availability of more products and services from international sources (Decline of the Empire, 2010). These 2 major factors dwindled food stocks in China, and also in the EU and the US leading to famine in the poorest nations and contributing further to the global food crisis. * Currently India has 214 million people going hungry with state poverty recently increasing by 4% to 48.6%. Such widespread food shortage and poverty is primarily a result of the government’s focus being on development rather than agriculture, as well as high food pricing and hoarding (The Guardian, 2011). The 2 major causes of this famine in India are droughts and globalisation. With rice and wheat becoming luxury crops all around the world their exporting has increased on a much larger scale leading to India giving away what it requires most as it keeps almost nothing for itself. In following
Three of the most important global issues today are; global security, climate change and the food crisis. The following section ties globalisation to a convergence of factors in China, India and other countries around the world which have compounded these crises. Such factors include the increasing scarcity of resources, unequal distribution of food and water, unresolved international and domestic disputes leading to war and criminality, and uncontrolled environmental pollutants changing world climates.
Global Food Crisis * In China the main problem associated with the food crisis includes the increased global dependence and movement of grain leading to surpluses from grain rich countries to replenish poorer countries, so maintaining costly grain reserves became unnecessary (Development Industry, 2008.). The Chinese population increased drastically and migrants moved from rural to suburban areas adopting higher standards of living resulting primarily from increased availability of more products and services from international sources (Decline of the Empire, 2010). These 2 major factors dwindled food stocks in China, and also in the EU and the US leading to famine in the poorest nations and contributing further to the global food crisis. * Currently India has 214 million people going hungry with state poverty recently increasing by 4% to 48.6%. Such widespread food shortage and poverty is primarily a result of the government’s focus being on development rather than agriculture, as well as high food pricing and hoarding (The Guardian, 2011). The 2 major causes of this famine in India are droughts and globalisation. With rice and wheat becoming luxury crops all around the world their exporting has increased on a much larger scale leading to India giving away what it requires most as it keeps almost nothing for itself. In following
References: Task 3 1. CBS, 2011. Food Riots in China: It Could Happen in the Center of Global Manufacturing. [online] available at: <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505124_162-43448365/food-riots-in-china-it-could-happen-in-the-center-of-global-manufacturing/> (accessed on 2nd November 2012)