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Food rise has Bolivia's coca farmers planting rice
Soaring food prices may achieve what the United States has spent millions of dollars trying to do: persuade Bolivian farmers to sow their fields with less potent crops than cocaine's raw ingredient.
The unlikely advocate for change is Bolivian President Evo Morales, who as leader of a powerful coca growers union fought U.S. crop-substitution programs for two decades.
But rising grain prices and food shortages have made him reconsider. He's now asking coca farmers to supplement their crops with rice and corn as a way of holding down coca production while helping to feed South America's poorest country.
U.S. programs have often banned the planting of coca — a small green leaf sacred to Andean peoples and the base ingredient of cocaine — as a condition for farmers to receive aid to try new crops.
In his own twist on alternative development, Morales is willing to split the difference: Growers can maintain up to one "cato" of coca, or about a third of an acre, which earns them about $100 a month while they receive a loan to plant other products as well.
Soaring food prices may achieve what the United States has spent millions of dollars trying to do: persuade Bolivian farmers to sow th... more -
Koshary: Food of the poor
Even Koshary is no long affordable! Abdel Hameed juggles two jobs to barely provide for his family. At his lunch break, he usually eats Koshary; the cheapest meal you could get in Egypt.. but not anymore. Even Koshary is no long affordable! Abdel Hameed juggles two jobs to barely provide for his family. At his lunch break, he usually eat... more
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Got Rice? rice seller b-roll
The rising cost of rice at home and abroad has put an increased strain on Los Angeles' rice-serving restaurants. In some parts of the LA county, restaurant owners have begun stockpiling rice, causing wholesale dealers like Costco to impose sales limits. The rising cost of rice at home and abroad has put an increased strain on Los Angeles' rice-serving restaurants. In some parts of the ... more
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Got Rice? interview selects and restaurant b-roll
The rising cost of rice at home and abroad has put an increased strain on Los Angeles' rice-serving restaurants. In some parts of the LA county, restaurant owners have begun stockpiling rice, causing wholesale dealers like Costco to impose sales limits. The rising cost of rice at home and abroad has put an increased strain on Los Angeles' rice-serving restaurants. In some parts of the... more
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Restaurant (San Francisco) adapts to rice prices
Interview / The Slanted Door owner, remaining positive about adapting to the price of rice.
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The high cost of imported rice is leading restaurants to reconsider their options. Think Texas popcorn instead of Thai Jasmine. Stacey Delo interviews San Francisco's Charles Phan of The Slanted Door about how rising costs are affecting his menu. Interview / The Slanted Door owner, remaining positive about adapting to the price of rice. - ... more -
Burma exports rice as cyclone victims starve
Burma is still exporting rice even as it tries to curb the influx of international donations of food bound for the starving survivors of the cyclone that killed up to 116,000 people.
Sacks of rice destined for Bangladesh were being loaded on to a ship at the Thilawa container port at the mouth of the Yangon River at the end of last week, even though Burma's 'rice bowl' region was devastated by the deadly storm a week ago.
The Burmese regime, which has a monopoly on the country's rice exports, said it planned to meet all its contractual commitments.
With rice prices hitting a record high after more than doubling since January, the exports are a valuable source of foreign revenue for the junta and its allies. The fear is that with the rice-growing area in the Irrawaddy delta inundated with salt water from the huge tidal wave, Burma may need to import greater amounts of rice this year. Alarm at the prospect fuelled another spurt in rice prices during the week. The continuing rice sales looked like just another facet of the Burmese regime's insensitivity to the suffering of its own people as it continues to block international relief to cyclone victims and pressed ahead with the constitutional referendum yesterday. The Burmese leader, General Than Shwe, has urged people to vote 'yes' .
Critics claim the referendum is designed to cement the generals' hold on power as it reserves 25 per cent of the seats in parliament for the military. They say it should have been postponed because of the disaster.
Many of the cyclone's victims have received little aid. International relief from the UN and other agencies has been blocked, and disaster management experts barred from entering even though there has been little evidence that the Burmese military is alleviating the suffering. Burma is still exporting rice even as it tries to curb the influx of international donations of food bound for the starving survivors ... more -
Chinese man lived 256 years!
If this proves true, the late Li Ching-Yun of China would be the oldest person who has ever lived, surpassing the former record holder by more than 100 years. If this proves true, the late Li Ching-Yun of China would be the oldest person who has ever lived, surpassing the former record holder... more
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Liberians drop rice for spaghetti
"As surging rice prices threaten to halt progress in fragile countries like Liberia, local people are changing life-long habits and switching to cheaper staple foods such as spaghetti."
What kind of delicious hybrid dishes will come out of this? "As surging rice prices threaten to halt progress in fragile countries like Liberia, local people are changing life-long habits and sw... more -
Food rationing hits the US
Many parts of America are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing. Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks. Many parts of America are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing. Major retailers in New York, in areas of New ... more
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Rice shortage already affecting some areas of the US
Many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing.
Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks.
At a Costco Warehouse in Mountain View, Calif., yesterday, shoppers grew frustrated and occasionally uttered expletives as they searched in vain for the large sacks of rice they usually buy.
“Where’s the rice?” an engineer from Palo Alto, Calif., Yajun Liu, said. “You should be able to buy something like rice. This is ridiculous.”
The bustling store in the heart of Silicon Valley usually sells four or five varieties of rice to a clientele largely of Asian immigrants, but only about half a pallet of Indian-grown Basmati rice was left in stock. A 20-pound bag was selling for $15.99.
“You can’t eat this every day. It’s too heavy,” a health care executive from Palo Alto, Sharad Patel, grumbled as his son loaded two sacks of the Basmati into a shopping cart. “We only need one bag but I’m getting two in case a neighbor or a friend needs it,” the elder man said.
The Patels seemed headed for disappointment, as most Costco members were being allowed to buy only one bag. Moments earlier, a clerk dropped two sacks back on the stack after taking them from another customer who tried to exceed the one-bag cap.
“Due to the limited availability of rice, we are limiting rice purchases based on your prior purchasing history,” a sign above the dwindling supply said.
Shoppers said the limits had been in place for a few days, and that rice supplies had been spotty for a few weeks. A store manager referred questions to officials at Costco headquarters near Seattle, who did not return calls or e-mail messages yesterday.
Many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing... more -
Food shortages in Haiti
As food prices for staples like beans, corn and rice grow out of reach around the world, hunger in Haiti has become fierce.
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Asia grapples with rice shortages
Food security fears sweep Asia as huge demand for rice outstrips supply.
With rice a dietary staple for billions of people, analysts are warning of potential social unrest if crop prices continue their relentless rise.
Darcy Lambton reports. Food security fears sweep Asia as huge demand for rice outstrips supply. ... more -
UN game generates 21bn rice grains
When the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) launched a harmless Internet game six months ago, little did they know their innovation would succeed in generating nearly 21 billion grains of rice - enough to feed 1.1 million people for one day.
Aptly named “FreeRice”, the game’s an interactive vocabulary type that allows every player 20 grains of rice for every correct answer. The moneys raised through advertising are used to underwrite rice donations.
A simple yet iconic solution to help feed the world’s hungry children - not to mention it’s educational quotient in terms of helping people (children included) vastly improve their vocabularies — a task to which innumerable schools and nurseries around the globe are atleast partially dedicated.
Statistics reveal that the game is so popular that almost between 3 lac and 5 lac people play it every day. No wonder it’s generated as much as 21 billion grains of rice for the World Food Program.
As regards the beneficiaries of this aid, the first comprised refugees from Myanmar taking shelter in Bangladesh. The next batch will be distributed amongst Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Among other beneficiaries have been Ugandan school children and pregnant and nursing mothers in Cambodia.
The game’s creator, John Breen, preened that he’d never imagined that things would move this fast or that the game would be such a success. Breen elaborated that quite apart from the actual amount of rice generated, “FreeRice” is a fantastic way of spreading the message about world hunger. When the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) launched a harmless Internet game six months ago, little did they know their innova... more -
Every Word = 20 grains of rice donated
FreeRice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.
FreeRice has two goals:
Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.
This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.
Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.
Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you.
FreeRice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com. FreeRice has two goals: ... more -
Study:Growing More Rice With Less Water
The rice intensification method saves water, increases food production, and does not emit methane. These are the types of solutions we need to look for in this year to avoid a major global water crisis. And again, it will take a moral will on the part of people globally to use water more wisely in tune with more effective agricultural and irrigation methods to meet population demands. India, Asia, and Indonesia are the rice producers of the world experiencing the greatest effects of water scarcity which have also put their mainstay food source at tremendous risk. This is indeed a way to then offer hope and a balance to save lives./////excerpt:With a focus on India ? a country which faces a major water crisis, yet has the world?s largest rice cultivated area ? the study found that the system of rice intensification (SRI) method has helped increase yields by over 30% ? four to five tonnes per hectare instead of three tonnes per hectare, while using 40% less water than conventional methods./////The system is based on eight principles which are different to conventional rice cultivation. They include developing nutrient-rich and un-flooded nurseries instead of flooded ones; ensuring wider spacing between rice seedlings; preferring composts or manure to synthetic fertilizers; and managing water carefully to avoid that the plants? roots are not saturated./////The method was initially developed in the 1980s in Madagascar and has been demonstrated to be effective in 28 countries./////end of excerpt.
The rice intensification method saves water, increases food production, and does not emit methane. These are the types of solutions we... more -
Answer vocab questions, give rice to needy people
Gain a better vocabulary while helping people out, couldn't be better.
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