Dear List & Co a few figures for the bean coutners.... On 1999 levels of "food" production each person in the world could consume a daily intake of 2808 Calories..... With Cereals making up 1359 Caloiries. There is no reason for people in the world to starve....it is a lack of distribution an age old problem of economic and more pointedly "capitalism". The other major issue is inefficent farming practices and land use, Australia has one of the highest inefficencies in water and land useage, ironic in the fact that we also inhabit the driest Continent on the planet.
http://apps.fao.org/lim500/wrap.pl?FoodBalanceSheet&Domain=FoodBalanceSheet&Language=english AVERAGE CALORIE CONSUMPTION PER DAY (1999) Highest Lowest Ireland 3,873 Ethiopia 1,610 Greece 3,814 Sierra Leone 1,694 Cyprus 3,779 Peru 1,882 US 3,732 Nepal 1,957 Spain 3,705 Tanzania 2,018 Source http://www.worldpaper.com/Observe/calendar/may99.html WHO averge recommended Cal' per day per caput 2260 Females daily Cal' 2000-2500 (with most falling around 2300+/- Cal per day) Males daily Cal' 2200-3000 (with most falling around 2600+/- Cal per day) Given that babie,children,elderly and infirm consume under the above levels there is more than enought food to go around...hence the oft quoted figure of 2.5 times the amount of food produced than consumed. Food wastage in Australia is exremely high espcially in the Urban areas and we are contrary to popular myth the most Urbanized nation in the world. Cheers "Gentle" Ox "consuming less, growing more"
