Global Inventories

Brazilian Corn Damage Is ‘Irreversible,’ Somar Says
By Carlos Caminada — Corn and soybean crops in parts of Brazil and Argentina have suffered “irreversible” damage because of a drought
Jan 15 2009, NEW YORK, USA (BLOOMBERG)

Neglect of Farming Led to Rice Crisis
By Marwaan Macan-Markar — Alarms were being raised for years about an impending rice shortage
Dec 04 2008, BANGKOK, THAILAND (COMMON DREAMS)

The Famine Of 2009
By 'Stranded Wind' — Financial meltdown causing severe problems for food growers, in ways consumers could never guess
Nov 27 2008, USA (DAILY KOS)

In Brazil, Credit to Farmers Dries Up
By Lauren Etter — Brazilians are reducing the size of their crops and even forgoing debt payments
Nov 29 2008, NEW YORK, USA (WALL STREET JOURNAL)

The Famine Of 2009
By 'Stranded Wind' — Fuel, fertilizers, finances... all conspiring to create huge problems in delivery food to consumers
Nov 27 2008, USA (DAILY KOS.COM)

2009: Few Good Choices
By David Bennett — Price, production expectations don't bode well for southern delta food producers
Nov 21 2008, USA (FARM PRESS)

Experts Think 2009 will be Lean Year for Grain Farmers
By Lee News Service — Northeast Iowa grain farmers better have a big piggy bank
Nov 14 2008, WATERLOO, IOWA, USA (GLOBA GAZETTE)

Food, Fuel and Water Crises Converging
By Thalif Dean — A spectre is haunting the cities and villages of most developing nations
Aug 22 2008, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (IPS)

Genocide through engineered food shortage
By Arun Shrivastava — A handful of European families control world''s food supplies, raw materials and oil. Interlinked, they determine who should eat and who should not
Aug 05 2008, INDIA (MY NEWS.IN)

Prices & Availability

Supermarkets' emergency plans to keep shelves full
By Zoe Wood — Fears that scores of supermarket suppliers will go bust next year have led the country's major chains to draw up emergency plans to replace them
Dec 05 2008, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (GUARDIAN)

Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More
By Andre Martin — With economy in tatters, Hormel is cranking out as much Spam as workers can produce
Nov 14 2008, AUSTIN, MINNESOTA, USA (NY TIMES)

On store shelves, stealthy shrinking of containers keeps prices from rising
By Jerry Hirsch — Quantities of peanut butter, soap and other products are reduced to keep up with rising costs
Nov 09 2008, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA (LA TIMES)

Food Prices to Post Biggest Rise Since 1990: USDA
By Christopher Doering — U.S. consumers should brace for the biggest increase in food prices in nearly 20 years in 2008 and even more pain next year
Aug 20 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (REUTERS)

Weather & Climate

Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin (WAOB)
By World Agricultural Outlook Board — Current data for weather, temperature and precipitation, and international agricultural weather.
2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (USDA)

Genetically Modified (GMO) & Frankenfoods

Top Five Ways to Avoid GMOs in Your Food
By Dr. Gregory Damato, Ph.D — Large multinationals take extensive measures to prevent you from knowing if your food contains contaminants of GMOs
Nov 20 2008, USA (NATURAL NEWS)

Six Reasons Why Obama Appointing Monsanto's Buddy, Former Iowa Governor Vilsack, for USDA Head Would be a Terrible Idea
By Organic Consumers Association — Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto
Nov 12 2008, FINLAND, MINNESOTA, USA (OCA)

FDA Draft Guidance on Regulating Genetically Engineered (GE) Animals
By News Staff — Franken-animals poised to enter the Franken-food supply
Nov 04 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (IEX.NL)

The GM Genocide
By Andrew Malone — Thousands of Indian farmers are committing suicide after using genetically modified crops
Nov 03 2008, UK (DAILYMAIL)

Transgenic Animals: Genetically engineered meal close to your table
By Megan Ogilvie — A snippet of mouse DNA has been slipped into the piggy's chromosomes
Oct 22 2008, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (STAR)

GM is Dangerous and Futile
By Institute of Science in Society — New genetics research invalidates the science underpinning the $73.5 billon global biotech industry and confirms why genetic modification is futile and dangerous
Jun 10 2008, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (ISIS)

Monsanto , Seed Control , & Animal Control

The plight of the honey bee
By News Staff — Britain Honey Association predicts there will be no English honey by the end of the year
Oct 31 2008, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (TIMES ONLINE)

The Lunatic National Animal Identification System
By Hightower & Frazer — This is the Marx Brothers, bumbling around Animal Farm!
Sep 2007, AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (HIGHTOWER LOWDOWN)

Contaminated & Adulterated Foods

MSG Sprayed on Growing Fruits and Vegetables
By TruthInLabeling.org — MSG is being sprayed right on fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables as they grow -- even those used in baby food
Apr 20, 2009, NEW YORK, USA (TIL)

Tainted meats point to superbug C. diff in food
By JoNel Aleccia — Study finds gut germ in 40 percent of grocery meats; CDC says not to worry
Nov 18 2008, NEW YORK, USA (MSNBC)

Nanotechnology

Food Safety Implications of Nanotechnology on Agenda of World Health Organization and FAO
By News Staff — Study to take stock of actual and anticipated applications of nanotechnologies in the food and agriculture sectors
Nov 28 2008, HONOLULU, HAWAII, USA (NANO WERK)

Attack of the Tiny Particles - be slightly afraid
By Ian Sample — Hundreds of products made with nanoparticles, which can be 100 times smaller than a virus, are already on the market despite a complete lack of knowledge of potential dangers
Nov 12 2008, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (GUARDIAN)

Out of the laboratory and on to our plates: Nanotechnology in food and agriculture
By Friends of the Earth — Report lists 104 foods, food packaging and agricultural products containing nano-ingredients, now on sale internationally
Mar 2008, NEW YORK, USA (FOE)

Just-in-Time Inventory

The just-in-time economy crumbles
By Kurt Cobb — Just-in-time inventory systems combined with food shortages could cause parabolic spikes in prices, and further hoarding
May 04 2008, USA (RESOURCE INSIGHTS)

Is just-in-time nearly out of time?
By Kurt Cobb — Just-in-time inventory management means everything needed for the manufacture is delivered to the factory just as it is needed
Aug 13 2006, USA (RESOURCE INSIGHTS)

Life Without Trucks (UK)
By Alan McKinnon — A temporary disruption of road freight transport on national economy
2006, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UK (BLOOMBERG)

Small Producer & Family Farms

40,000 Swarm Farm To Gather Free Food
By News Staff — Farmers got huge surprise when 40,000 people showed up to help gleen leftover vegetables from their fields
Nov 21 2008, PLATTEVILLE, COLORADO, USA (WASHINGTON POST)

Credit Storm Hits Farmers
By Eric Roseman — Farmers increasingly being denied credit to fund purchases of fertilizer (potash) and machinery
Nov 11 2008, MONTREAL, CANADA (ROSEMAN ERUPTIONS)

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
By News Staff — Advocacy for sustainable farming and direct farm-to-consumer transactions, for the common good and general welfare of all Americans
2008, FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, USA (FTCLDF.ORG)

Consolidation in the Food and Agriculture System
By Dr. William Heffernan — Report to the National Farmers Union on vulnerabilities and problems in the national/global food system
Feb 05, 1999, COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, USA (DIXIELAND LAW JOURNAL)

Home & Community Food Production

Americans buying up seeds to plant 'recession gardens'
By Gillian Flaccus — Burpee saw a 20 percent spike in sales in the last year and started marketing a kit for first-time gardeners called "The Money Garden"
Mar 15, 2009, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, USA (DESERET NEWS)

Game beware: it's the return of the poacher
By News Staff — Armed gangs from Britain's cities are heading for the countryside, stealing deer, salmon and rabbits to feed a burgeoning black market in food
Nov 17 2008, LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (INDEPENDENT)

Root Cellars Thrive as Food Prices Rise
By Michael Tortorello, NY Times — Root cellars are no longer the province of Midwestern grandmothers
Nov 16 2008, NEW YORK, USA (SFGATE.COM)