Reply #9: So far, the issue in the 3rd world has been that imports of food

[smoogatz]

staples (rice and other grains, mostly) from big producers like the U.S. and Canada have become prohibitively expensive, which in turn drives up the price of domestic and regionally produced rice, etc. Wealthier countries will still be able to buy all they need, it'll just be more expensive. I think it's unlikely, barring some sort of major drought or other ag catastrophe, that we'll be looking at food shortages in the U.S. anytime soon. What we will have are sharp increases in the cost of food, which have already begun, especially if we continue to burn a sizable chunk of our corn crop to run our cars. If the price of corn goes up, farmers react by devoting more acreage to growing corn, which means the wheat and soybean crop is smaller, which causes prices for those commodities to go up, too. Meat, eggs, dairy and produce are all affected, part of the ripple effect that starts with big increases in the price of corn. Rising fuel prices play a big role in driving up food costs, too: the more it costs to truck it from California to your local Piggly Wiggly, the bigger the bite it takes from your paycheck. Also, the higher the price for oil, the more demand there will be for corn ethanol. Good thing W's on it like a cheap suit, jaw-boning those pesky Saudis.