Food Shortage Tsunami

I am going to tap on the drum of the environment a little more during this week of Earth Day. I had a conversation with my brother recently about the price of bread. He is a sales manager for a specialty bread company and the industry has been hit by both rising fuel costs and soaring prices for wheat. While most of us can afford a few more cents for a loaf of bread, millions in the world cannot.

The United Nations is warning of what it is calling a food shortage tsunami sweeping across the world. You may have noticed that there have been demonstrations and even riots over the rising cost of food staples such as rice, corn, and wheat. In Egypt soldiers were taught to make bread to help address demand. Food stockpiles are diminishing and must be guarded.

Why has this happened? Corn is being diverted from tortillas to ethanol. Large areas of rice production are affected by water shortages and urbanization. All these crops are affected by the cost of transportation which climbs steadily because of rising oil prices.

The U.N. is calling on wealthier nations to respond to this global crisis and surely we believe that in our world of abundance no one should go hungry. Jesus described himself as the Bread of Life , an important reminder that there should be enough of the basics for all.