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Hopefully this won't lead to any actual starvation? As I understand it, staples like grains and root vegetables can mostly be harvested by machine. While it wou

by klipt 7y ago

Hopefully this won't lead to any actual starvation? As I understand it, staples like grains and root vegetables can mostly be harvested by machine. While it would be sad to waste fruits and leafy vegetables, I expect you can survive without them for quite a while, especially if you have access to multivitamins.

simonh 7y ago
I don't think there's much risk of serious food shortages. We'll just be eating more staples and fewer exotics and luxury foods. That may mean less meat, so we can use the grains those animals would usually eat to feed us. The economic impact on farmers, as on many other industries will be pretty traumatic and we'll have to decide as society how to deal with all of that, but we'll still be able to eat.
- baybal2 7y ago
  The meat price across the globe has actually seen a U shaped move. A lot of panic slaughter was done when people though that they need to sell their meat before the price crashes through the floor. And before that, there were people capitalising on historically high meat prices because of ASF in China. Now it is shooting up again across the globe as lockdowns spread to more countries. Industrial meatpackers are making a killing now thought
KarlKemp 7y ago
Zero risk of starvation. The labor-intensive produce at this time of year (and the next 3 months) is mostly asparagus and strawberries. Grain & corn is all machines. If there’s a second wave, or it takes very long, olives could become a major problem (Nov/Dec). Not for nutrition, but economically and my breakfast routine. There’s still a lot of fresh fruit in warehouses. Apples, for example, which will last until the end of year.
- csomar 7y ago
  > olives could become a major problem (Nov/Dec) I don't think so. My country is a top olive oil exporter and I can tell you that stocks and harvest are at full capacity. Many people (my father included) did not harvest this year because of the low prices. Many exporters are also struggling to sell their produce.

by klipt 7y ago

simonh 7y ago

I don't think there's much risk of serious food shortages. We'll just be eating more staples and fewer exotics and luxury foods. That may mean less meat, so we can use the grains those animals would usually eat to feed us. The economic impact on farmers, as on many other industries will be pretty traumatic and we'll have to decide as society how to deal with all of that, but we'll still be able to eat.

baybal2 7y ago
The meat price across the globe has actually seen a U shaped move. A lot of panic slaughter was done when people though that they need to sell their meat before the price crashes through the floor. And before that, there were people capitalising on historically high meat prices because of ASF in China. Now it is shooting up again across the globe as lockdowns spread to more countries. Industrial meatpackers are making a killing now thought

KarlKemp 7y ago

Zero risk of starvation. The labor-intensive produce at this time of year (and the next 3 months) is mostly asparagus and strawberries. Grain & corn is all machines. If there’s a second wave, or it takes very long, olives could become a major problem (Nov/Dec). Not for nutrition, but economically and my breakfast routine. There’s still a lot of fresh fruit in warehouses. Apples, for example, which will last until the end of year.

csomar 7y ago
> olives could become a major problem (Nov/Dec) I don't think so. My country is a top olive oil exporter and I can tell you that stocks and harvest are at full capacity. Many people (my father included) did not harvest this year because of the low prices. Many exporters are also struggling to sell their produce.