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as an indian, this bit was particularly fascinating: > The bill was unpopular among traders, some of whom argued that onion shortages were not a crucial issue
by zem 8y ago
as an indian, this bit was particularly fascinating:
> The bill was unpopular among traders, some of whom argued that onion shortages were not a crucial issue since they were used as a condiment rather than a staple food.
in india, onions are so vital a staple that the onion price is a major economic index. see https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/news/onion-index-falls-by-11/articleshow/65653094.cms https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/new... for instance.
- jpatokal 8y agoOnions are pretty fundamental to Western cooking as well, but they're not a staple in the sense that people will starve if they're unavailable, the way potatoes or wheat are.
- ryan-allen 8y agoI've always thought staples were the bulk of the energy content in cultures, i.e. rice, bread from wheat/corn/etc, potatoes. I checked anyway, there's a bunch more I hadn't considered! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staple_food https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staple_food
- ahazred8ta 8y agoYes, but when you get your vitamins from one main vegetable, it can be a public health problem if a moth eats the whole crop several years in a row. NIGERIA has been limping along since 2016. #TomatoEbola https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/05/26/479517680/a-moth-nicknamed-tomato-ebola-ravages-nigerias-tomatoes https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/05/26/4795176...
- pkaye 8y agoIts probably more that the traders are trying to find an argument to block the bill.