Do you believe food shortages are coming? (1 Viewer)

[guidomerkinsrules]

Someone’s trying to attack the issue multiple pronged

 

[efil4stnias]

Learning cannibalism

Someone’s trying to attack the issue multiple pronged

Pattern developing?

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Pattern developing?

If I pass this year, maybe I can find out in Advanced Cannibalism

 

[SystemShock]

No. The US supply will mostly be fine. Specialty items, like baby formula will be problematic here and there. Also, certain products, or things that need certain packaging may be an issue. It's hard for manufacturers to just switch packaging / containers.

We are pretty self-sufficient on food. We only import about 13 - 20% of our food supply. We also export a ton of food items, especially soybeans (which we probably won't eat a lot of). We also subsidize corn or use it for Ethanol, if we had a corn shortage, that would be the first thing to go.

To be honest, there is a lot of bull floating around crying wolf.

A couple things:

Baby formula is not a "specialty item".

As far as overall food, 20% is actually a substantial amount of food imports. But beyond actual food, there are other things that can severely affect the supply chain: a simple example, a shortage in farm tractors and farm tractor parts will affect the ability of farmers to harvest grains/fruits, and you can't sell what you can't harvest.

Are we going to see bread lines in the U.S.? Probably not, but surely we'd see price increases, and those price increases will probably price some people out of some items.

Not food, but remember the shortage on paper goods? Or new cars? Or the issues that ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal created?

So, yeah, many ways shortages can happen.

 

[superchuck500]

I'm just going by what Biden has even said.



Is Biden slinging bull and crying wolf?

He said the world will experience food shortages. From what I have seen, most experts believe that is true. As always, the impacts will first be felt in the places with the fewest resources to combat it. Famine in some places is expected on top what is already experienced.

The United States is not likely to experience the kind of impact that would require most Americans to "prepare".

 

[efil4stnias]

A couple things:

Baby formula is not a "specialty item".

As far as overall food, 20% is actually a substantial amount of food imports. But beyond actual food, there are other things that can severely affect the food supply chain: a simple example, a shortage in farm tractors and farm tractor parts will affect the ability of farmers to harvest grains/fruits, and you can't sell what you can't harvest.

Are we going to see bread lines in the U.S.? Probably not, but surely we'd see price increases, and those price increases will probably price some people out of some items.

Not food, but remember the shortage on paper goods?

So, yeah, many ways to shortages to happen.

Anecdote here...

Spoke witha client today from Thibodaux area. He is expecting delivery of a new tractor, bushhooging attachment and baler (hay). When he ordered in 2021, the total was to be around 115,000 total. He now will owe just under 150,000 upon delivery first week of June.

He also mentioned the baler. He has a 3 yr old John Deere that used baler wire. However, apparently baler wire is no longer mfg due to product liability suits from livestock owners because if you cut improperly or don't pay close attention, it splinters and then you have a needle in a haystack. But livestock (incl thoroughbreds ) were dying from ingesting, getting punctures in stomach etc.

So now only twine is used. But his 3 yr old baler cannot be modified from wire to twine. So he effectively has a useless piece of farming equipment and was forced to buy a new one.

No real point here other than to share that anecdote that I was told just this afternoon. Honestly I never thought I'd get to use it. Lol

 

[superchuck500]

 

[ChrisinNOLA]

And if so, what are you currently doing to prepare for it?

Well we got through the toilet paper and paper towel shortages. We will be fine.

 

[Devildog]

Find a prepper, kill him, and take his stuff.

 

[Sun Wukong]

Find a prepper, kill him, and take his stuff.

Then you just become the prepper someone else will come along and kill.

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

Guess the waif look will make a resurgence.

 

[tenordas]

Someone’s trying to attack the issue multiple pronged

 

[Saint_Ward]

A couple things:

Baby formula is not a "specialty item".

As far as overall food, 20% is actually a substantial amount of food imports. But beyond actual food, there are other things that can severely affect the supply chain: a simple example, a shortage in farm tractors and farm tractor parts will affect the ability of farmers to harvest grains/fruits, and you can't sell what you can't harvest.

Are we going to see bread lines in the U.S.? Probably not, but surely we'd see price increases, and those price increases will probably price some people out of some items.

Not food, but remember the shortage on paper goods? Or new cars? Or the issues that ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal created?

So, yeah, many ways shortages can happen.

It depends on how you define specialty. I mean, it's not as simple as apples, corn, wheat, even bread. it requires cows milk to be processed to be more digestible, then added oils, minerals, etc. Some use soy, some are hydrolyzed proteins, then can be ready to go, concentrated, or powdered. So, there is some significant processing that goes into baby formula. That's what I meant by specialty. it's more manufactured than harvested. Just like wet cat food isn't all that special, but it comes in Aluminum cans, and that was in short supply for a month or so. Baby formula is more complicated than milk.

20% is substantial, but as I said, we also export a much more significant portion of our food supply. We do so, because some things are cheaper for us to import. However, we are one of a handful of countries that are considered to have food stability. meaning, we don't need food from outside countries to survive. We can make enough on our own. Russia, Canada, I think Mexico, and a few others are similar. As I and others have said, we use a lot of corn towards ethanol, we'd just stop that. There is plenty of food here.

And I did say we'd see price increases. Just not overall food shortages. Again, where is the OP going with this? Global food issues, or US food shortages? Is the expectation that we should all raise our own chickens and have urban farms? Should be go full "prepper" and have a 500 gallon tank of water in the garage, and a 50 day supply of MRE's?

 

[bigdaddysaints]

It's a win-win..

 

[Saint_Ward]

It's a win-win..

Better version. NSFW language.