IFAS Matters - September 2012

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Jack Payne

Hungry for Democracy or Just Hungry?

When it comes to inciting the multitudes, even a ruthless dictator is diminished by the hollow ache of hunger. This can be illustrated vividly by a common scenario in the Middle East or North Africa, where as much as 70 percent of household income may go toward food.  Most of that food is imported. When a major food supplier has a bout with bad conditions, such as drought, floods or pestilence, sudden and severe shortages can lead to outrageous prices. Food staples become scarce for those who once had an adequate supply. With the food security system failing, the regime becomes vulnerable to further criticisms and rebellion.

So in 2010, when Russia—Egypt’s main source of wheat—saw its crops fail from drought, consumer prices spiked. Those food shortages, coupled with a harsh regime, gave rise to the Arab Spring.

Similarly, this year’s failed crop in the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter of corn and wheat, could wreak havoc on global food supplies – and lead to more political turbulence around the world.

So why am I writing about this?  Because food, water, and the natural resources that nourish and maintain us are IFAS matters.  Although IFAS seeks first and foremost to improve the lives of Floridians, it is also an integral part of a global economic and environmental community in which we have both a shared responsibility and destiny. 

To that end, IFAS researchers are working to develop more beef with fewer cows. They are working to reduce the amount of pesticides, fertilizers and energy used in farming. They are finding new ways to produce higher yields on less land, using less water. And while IFAS is serrving Floridians, it’s also helping to fill the stomachs of those who hunger for democracy.

-Jack

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