Comments on: Where’s All the World’s Food? http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/07/07/wheres-all-the-worlds-food/ News & commentary on sustainability, activism, urban planning, politics, and our world. Wed, 23 May 2012 18:26:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Marie P. http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/07/07/wheres-all-the-worlds-food/comment-page-1/#comment-60017 Marie P. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:36:45 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=1233#comment-60017 Where are you getting your information? Where are you getting your information?

]]> By: David C http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/07/07/wheres-all-the-worlds-food/comment-page-1/#comment-60016 David C Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:16:08 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=1233#comment-60016 I wish people would understand that the problem isn't food, but is monetary policy and central bankers watering down the money and making food unfordable. In fact, food production is up this year faster than both population growth and consumption. In fact, it is up in spite of oil, ethanol, floods, China, and so on. It is up from 2-8% across the board. The real problem is that the USA central bank expanded it's money supply by 18% this year, 14% the year before that, and 9% the year before that. That's 41%, and other countries have followed or watered down their money even more to keep their exports competitive. Well WTF, 41%!!!!, did the economy grow 41% since then? did trade and commerce? did factories and infrastructure? How could all that printed up money do anything other than water down the value of the money and cause inflation. Hint, all other commodities have gone up sharply in price too. It is almost bizarre and pathetic watching people grasp for excuses, while in practice they are being screwed over right under their nose. I wish people would understand that the problem isn’t food, but is monetary policy and central bankers watering down the money and making food unfordable. In fact, food production is up this year faster than both population growth and consumption. In fact, it is up in spite of oil, ethanol, floods, China, and so on. It is up from 2-8% across the board.

The real problem is that the USA central bank expanded it’s money supply by 18% this year, 14% the year before that, and 9% the year before that. That’s 41%, and other countries have followed or watered down their money even more to keep their exports competitive. Well WTF, 41%!!!!, did the economy grow 41% since then? did trade and commerce? did factories and infrastructure? How could all that printed up money do anything other than water down the value of the money and cause inflation. Hint, all other commodities have gone up sharply in price too. It is almost bizarre and pathetic watching people grasp for excuses, while in practice they are being screwed over right under their nose.

]]> By: Roxanne Christensen http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/07/07/wheres-all-the-worlds-food/comment-page-1/#comment-60015 Roxanne Christensen Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:20:01 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/?p=1233#comment-60015 Many in both developed and developing countries are realizing that one solution to the food crisis is to relocalize a significant portion of food production. What is needed to do that quickly and on a broad scale is a franchise-ready sustainable farming system. That is the concept behind SPIN (S-mall P-lot IN-tensive ) Farming. SPIN farmers work plots less than an acre in size, utilize relay cropping to increase yield and achieve good economic returns by growing only the most profitable food crops tailored to local markets. SPIN's farming techniques are not, in themselves, breakthrough. What is novel is the way a SPIN farm business is run. Contained in the seven SPIN Guides, which can be purchased online and downloaded for immediate access, is everything you'd expect from a good franchise: a business plan, marketing advice, and a detailed day-to-day workflow. In standardizing the system and creating a reproducible process it really isn't any different from McDonalds. SPIN-style farming removes the two big barriers to entry for first generation farmers – sizeable acreage and significant start-up capital. By offering a non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement farming system, it allows many more people to farm, and every day more and more entrepreneurs throughout the U.S, Canada,Australia and the UK are using the SPIN system as an entry point into the farming profession. They are using front lawns and backyards and neighborhood lots as their land base. Perhaps most importantly, this is happening without significant policy changes or government supports. This is entrepreneurially-driven. This is not subsistence farming. This is recasting farming as a small business in cities and towns and integrating it into the built environment in an economically viable manner. It is "right sizing" agriculture for an urbanized century and helping to make local food production a viable business proposition once again. SPIN is scaleable and adaptable, and in the developed world, it is providing those who are already equipped with marketing and business savvy with a growing system that can help them become successful farmers. In the developing world, SPIN can provide those who are already possessed of farming skills with the marketing and business expertise to help them become successful entrepreneurs. The bigger potential, however, is the common ground SPIN-farming can provide for these two disparate groups to be - and interact - as equals. It can provide a platform for collaboration and problem solving and give rise to a multi-national farming class united behind a new kind of farming that spans geography, class and ideology and which will help redefine agriculture for the 21st century. Many in both developed and developing countries are realizing that one solution to the food crisis is to relocalize a significant portion of food production. What is needed to do that quickly and on a broad scale is a franchise-ready sustainable farming system. That is the concept behind SPIN (S-mall P-lot IN-tensive ) Farming. SPIN farmers work plots less than an acre in size, utilize relay cropping to increase yield and achieve good economic returns by growing only the most profitable food crops tailored to local markets. SPIN’s farming techniques are not, in themselves, breakthrough. What is novel is the way a SPIN farm business is run. Contained in the seven SPIN Guides, which can be purchased online and downloaded for immediate access, is everything you’d expect from a good franchise: a business plan, marketing advice, and a detailed day-to-day workflow. In standardizing the system and creating a reproducible process it really isn’t any different from McDonalds.

SPIN-style farming removes the two big barriers to entry for first generation farmers – sizeable acreage and significant start-up capital. By offering a non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement farming system, it allows many more people to farm, and every day more and more entrepreneurs throughout the U.S, Canada,Australia and the UK are using the SPIN system as an entry point into the farming profession. They are using front lawns and backyards and neighborhood lots as their land base. Perhaps most importantly, this is happening without significant policy changes or government supports. This is entrepreneurially-driven. This is not subsistence farming. This is recasting farming as a small business in cities and towns and integrating it into the built environment in an economically viable manner. It is “right sizing” agriculture for an urbanized century and helping to make local food production a viable business proposition once again.
SPIN is scaleable and adaptable, and in the developed world, it is providing those who are already equipped with marketing and business savvy with a growing system that can help them become successful farmers. In the developing world, SPIN can provide those who are already possessed of farming skills with the marketing and business expertise to help them become successful entrepreneurs. The bigger potential, however, is the common ground SPIN-farming can provide for these two disparate groups to be – and interact – as equals. It can provide a platform for collaboration and problem solving and give rise to a multi-national farming class united behind a new kind of farming that spans geography, class and ideology and which will help redefine agriculture for the 21st century.

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