Commentaries

粮食安全和国家安全的关系–中国的粮食供应管理

Minneapolis, May 5, 2011 — 今年二月,联合国粮农组织(FAO)宣布中国陷入“粮食危机,”原因是百年不遇的干旱损伤了中国三分之一的麦田。这条消息引起了国际媒体的关注。中国是世界上最大的小麦生产国,每年产量约有1亿1千5百万吨,相当于国际小麦贸易额的总量。中国目前的粮食进口量不高,但是,假如中国转向全球市场出高价购买粮食来缓解因干旱而引起的“粮食危机”,粮价有可能急剧上升。

Is famine the new normal?

Minneapolis, February 7, 2011 — When global food prices spiked in 2007-08, a hundred million people were added to the ranks of the world’s hungry, pushing the total number over 1 billion for the first time in history. Now, just two years later, we are seeing another food price hike, and more famine is likely to follow.

Farmers’ new normal

Minneapolis, September 29, 2010* — The Minnesota River near Jordan is expected to reach its fifth-highest crest at 32.7 feet on Tuesday. Jordan and much of the rest of southern Minnesota were hit with some 10 inches of rain last week—flooding houses, farm fields, and shutting down highways and bridges.