WSJ: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing global hunger and galloping food prices, and future supply-chain disruptions will bring more such misery. Many countries are realizing that they should grow more food, but they’ve sold much of their best land to China, which uses it to feed its own population. A few years ago, China bought nearly one-tenth of Ukraine’s arable farmland. Countries should start screening those seeking to buy their farmland, as they already do with prospective purchasers of sensitive technology.
“There can be no effective solution to the global food crisis without reintegrating Ukraine’s food production, as well as the food and fertilizer produced by Russia, into world markets,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on June 24, warning that the world faces multiple famines this year and worse in 2023. But Ukrainian grains and other foods won’t be able to enter the world market any time soon because the sea route remains blocked by Russia. Ukraine is sending some grain to world markets via rail to Poland and Romania, but doing so is laborious and expensive. Before the war, around 90% of Ukraine’s grain was exported via its sea ports.
Over the past few years, Chinese buyers have bought farmland in countries ranging from the U.S. and France to Vietnam. In 2013 Hong Kong-based food giant WH Group bought Smithfield, America’s largest pork producer, and more than 146,000 acres of Missouri farmland. In the same year, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps bought 9% of Ukraine’s famously fertile farmland, equal to 5% of the country’s total territory, with a 50-year lease. (In 2020, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Chinese company over human-rights abuses.) Between 2011 and 2020, China bought nearly seven million hectares of farmland around the world. Firms from the U.K. bought nearly two million hectares, while U.S. and Japanese firms bought less than a million hectares. more
Ask Hunter.
Why don’t we own Mesiko? Same principle. Someplace has crap that you want. BUY IT. Armed conflict is so 20th century.
all part of the plan.
Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe. The Chicoms use food as a weapon against those they need to control. I saw that in China back in the ’70’s. Submit or starve!
Whatever happens in Ukraine should not affect the US food supply. We have our own breadbasket, as does Canada, Australia, Argentina, and probably lots of other countries.
Screw this idea of blaming the Ukraine War on the disaster that’s overtaking us.
Isn’t there some way to stop the pillaging of America by Biden who is sending millions of dollars, products, and our military (on the border) to the clowngressional and Biden money laundering Ukraine???
What’s with the ‘800’ million being sent over and over again by Biden. Why that magic number?
Then there is the funding clowngress faux faught to send.
There is NO food crisis.
There IS a governance crisis.
Traitorous usurpers rarely govern well.
mortem tyrannis
izlamo delenda est …
Wow! Imagine that!?
The Wall Street Journal. Insisting Free Market(TM) Capitalism(TM). Needs more government control. To be betterer.
For Freedom(TM)!
F***k Smithfield!