Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
Food Shortages Hitting Home
Sam's Club is calling for limits on how much rice customers can buy due to food shortages. This is rice, not corn, who people are expecting to be the culprit due to bio fuels. Rice, its a staple in most peoples diets around the world.
It is also Sam's Club here in the USA, the richest country in the world that is starting to see a little of what is plaguing the rest of the world.
I hate to keep sounding down when I write about world issues like this and global warming and other environmental issues, but has anyone seen this stuff and actually started to think that maybe, just maybe we have hit a tipping point in terms of world population and what the earth can sustain?
We are at 6 billion right now give or take a few million. Realistically, its more if you take into consideration all the animals in captivity, family pets and wild animals that need to feed themselves. You do have to take them all into consideration because like it or not, humans are apart of the global ecology and its balance.
From oil to food and other raw materials, we are starting to see that maybe, we are starting to outstrip what this planet can sustain.
This has nothing to do with a shortage. It has to do with pricing.
The move comes as U. S. rice futures hit a record high amid global food inflation, although one rice expert said the warehouse chains may be reacting less to any shortages than to stockpiling by restaurants and small stores.
Sam’s Club move followed that of Seattle-based Costco Wholesale Corp., which put limits in at least some stores on bulk rice purchases.
Sam’s Club declined to say if this is first time it has restricted sales of bulk foods. The limits affect 20-lb bags, not retail-sized portions. Costco could not immediately be reached for comment on its limits or whether they are the first ever.
Sam’s Club said it will limit customers to four bags at a time of imported jasmine, basmati and long-grain white rice.
The warehouse chain caters heavily to small businesses, including restaurants. Sam’s Club spokeswoman Kristy Reed said she could not comment on whether the problem was caused by short supplies or by customers stocking up in anticipation of higher prices.
USA Rice Federation spokesman David Coia said there is no rice shortage in the United States.
“It’s possible that small restaurants and bodega-type neighborhood stores may be purchasing rice in larger quantities than they do typically to avoid higher prices,” Coia said about the warehouse chain restrictions.
And when do prices go up? when supply is short and demand remains high. Its a supply shortage. Plain and simple.