4 ms·

Wheat properly stored keeps for at least thirty years without noticeable degradation[0]. I'm not sure how easy that is at scale, but on first glance it seems no

Wheat properly stored keeps for at least thirty years without noticeable degradation[0]. I'm not sure how easy that is at scale, but on first glance it seems not impractical. [0] https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/storing-wheat https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/stor...

nradov 5y ago
It's easy to store small quantities of wheat for years at home, but that's irrelevant to this situation. We're talking about grain elevators and warehouses.
- JasonFruit 5y ago
  I'm not convinced that an airtight grain storage facility filled with carbon dioxide is impractical. A quick search turns up several manufacturers of airtight grain silos.
  - littlestymaar 5y ago
    In fact, you don't even need the silo to be air-tight: moisture is the enemy. If you can keep you silo dry (including when air temperature change, which is really the only challenge you would face, for example in the ancient world), you're good[1], it won't rot. Humans have known how to keep wheat for several millennia ! [1]: at least if the goal is to eat the wheat. Replanting the seeds will become much harder after time passes.
- littlestymaar 5y ago
  These places have regulated hygrometry for exactly this reason.
  - nradov 5y ago
    The type of places at risk of food shortages don't necessarily have wheat storage facilities with regulated hygrometry. Developed countries will be fine, and have facilities for long term grain storage. It's the poorest countries that will be hit by rising wheat prices and intermittent shortages.
    - littlestymaar 5y ago
      > The type of places at risk of food shortages don't necessarily have wheat storage facilities with regulated hygrometry. First of all you're moving goalpost here, the thread started with a discussion about how some people can hoard a huge amount a microchips or wheat to make big profit, there's no reason for this hoarding to occur in developing countries (and in fact it's more likely to happen in countries where capital is flowing, for such a speculator to invest). Then when we're talking about countries that import wheat, that means taking wheat from tankers in big ports, not some remote rural places with no electricity or running water. In countries that import wheat, Middle East and North Africa that is, theses facilities are critical to the mere survival of the population, so of course they have access to at least the early/mid 20th century tech which is all you need…

nradov 5y ago

It's easy to store small quantities of wheat for years at home, but that's irrelevant to this situation. We're talking about grain elevators and warehouses.

JasonFruit 5y ago
I'm not convinced that an airtight grain storage facility filled with carbon dioxide is impractical. A quick search turns up several manufacturers of airtight grain silos.
- littlestymaar 5y ago
  In fact, you don't even need the silo to be air-tight: moisture is the enemy. If you can keep you silo dry (including when air temperature change, which is really the only challenge you would face, for example in the ancient world), you're good[1], it won't rot. Humans have known how to keep wheat for several millennia ! [1]: at least if the goal is to eat the wheat. Replanting the seeds will become much harder after time passes.
littlestymaar 5y ago
These places have regulated hygrometry for exactly this reason.
- nradov 5y ago
  The type of places at risk of food shortages don't necessarily have wheat storage facilities with regulated hygrometry. Developed countries will be fine, and have facilities for long term grain storage. It's the poorest countries that will be hit by rising wheat prices and intermittent shortages.
  - littlestymaar 5y ago
    > The type of places at risk of food shortages don't necessarily have wheat storage facilities with regulated hygrometry. First of all you're moving goalpost here, the thread started with a discussion about how some people can hoard a huge amount a microchips or wheat to make big profit, there's no reason for this hoarding to occur in developing countries (and in fact it's more likely to happen in countries where capital is flowing, for such a speculator to invest). Then when we're talking about countries that import wheat, that means taking wheat from tankers in big ports, not some remote rural places with no electricity or running water. In countries that import wheat, Middle East and North Africa that is, theses facilities are critical to the mere survival of the population, so of course they have access to at least the early/mid 20th century tech which is all you need…