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South-eastern Mediterranean situation was caused by repeating drought since 2006 collapsing their agricultural production. A drought in 2010 in Russia reduced t
by orwin 6y ago
South-eastern Mediterranean situation was caused by repeating drought since 2006 collapsing their agricultural production. A drought in 2010 in Russia reduced their grain production by 30% and doubled the price of grain during the winter 2010-2011: it was basically a death sentence to already famished people in some African countries (Centrafrique, but also Sudan at the time), but what wasn't expected was the price of oil declining sharply, making Syria, Lybia, Tunisia and Egypt and Algeria less solvent. Algeria managed, but other countries less so. What do you think these countries have in common?
- kspacewalk2 6y agoAgain, these famines are also entirely a socioeconomic crisis, not actual lack of food. If Sudan wasn't a terribly run place at war with itself on two fronts, it would not have food shortages. If Somalia had a functioning government at any point in the preceding two decades, it would not have food shortages. Supply chain disruptions occur all the time in the global food market, but in non-basketcase countries there's enough resiliency for this to never reach anywhere near "death sentence" territory. >What do you think these countries have in common? Terrible authoritarian governments that buy off its impoverished populaces with a mirage of huge food subsidies, while stealing most of the wealth of their nations for themselves.
- inglor_cz 6y agoThis is a chicken-and-egg problem. Every famine has a socioeconomic component. Theoretically you could just dump food from elsewhere into every Somali village, practically you cannot, because of the lack of security. Is it possible to build a functional government and maintain peace if food shortages are a regular thing? I am not so sure. This kind of conditions brings warlords to power, who cement economic instability, thus never alleviating food shortages. A vicious cycle.