Borsch And The Russia - Ukraine War

 

WNU Editor: The AP story is here .... Borsch without a ‘t’: Kyiv chef uses food to reclaim culture (AP). 

I have been eating borsch all my life, and from my experience the recipe is basically the same from both sides of my family. But I will admit that my Ukrainian cousin makes one kick-ass borsch. I do not know what she does, but it always tastes better than what I can make, and I am who is always making borsch during the winter months.

This Afghan Restaurant Owner Fed Up To 3,000 Soldiers A Day On A Military Base In Southern Afghanistan By Using A Shipping Container As His Kitchen

Helal Dur built his restaurant on a NATO military base using one shipping container.Helal Dur  

Business Insider: How an Afghan restaurant owner fed up to 3,000 soldiers a day on a military base by using a shipping container as his kitchen 

* The Afghan Kabob restaurant first started out on a military base in Afghanistan. 

* The owner told Insider they built the restaurant to give soldiers a taste of authentic Afghan food. 

* After many logistical challenges, Helal Dur said he managed to feed up to 3,000 soldiers a day. 

Afghan Kabob is a restaurant laden with history. 

While it is now located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, its original site was on a military base in southern Afghanistan. 

The restaurant, originally named Kabob House, was founded by Helal Dur in 2008 when he was deployed to Kandahar as a civilian contractor. He told Insider he was assigned to one of the most elite teams, the US Navy SEALs. 

Born and raised in Kabul, Dur understood authentic Afghan cuisine. But during his time on the military base, he noticed that soldiers didn't get the opportunity to experience it. 

"One thing that bothered me the most is I wanted my team to try authentic food. How can you go to Afghanistan for six months 12 months and not even try the food?" Dur said. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Throughout history all armies needed food to march and fight. The Afghan war was not an exception.

China Hoards Over Half The World's Grain Supplies

Zero Hedge: China Panic-Hoards Half Of World's Grain Supply Amid Threats Of Collapse 

About two and a half years ago, we told readers China was panic hoarding food, which was several months before the virus pandemic began to spread worldwide; Beijing has managed to stockpile more than half of the world's maize and other grains that have resulted in rapid food inflation and triggered famine in some countries. 

In August 2019, we asked the question: 

 Does China believe that we are on the verge of a major global crisis? The communist Chinese government has always been very big into planning, and it appears that they have decided that now is the time to hoard food, gold and other commodities. 

Fast forward today, the answer is most likely "yes." China maintains "historically high levels" of beans and grains stockpiled at COFCO Group's (a major Chinese state-owned food processor) 310 storage facilities in the northeastern part of the country, according to Nikkei Asia.  

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WNU Editor: Beijing has also been warning its citizens to stock up on food for the past two months .... China Urges Stockpiling on Winter Food Supply, Prompting Online Worry (Bloomberg).

Hmmmm.... what does China know that we do not?

Global Food Prices Hit A New Decade High

Fortune: Food prices are already at a 10-year high. There’s no relief coming in 2022, a grim new report says 

Upward pressure on global food prices, fueled by a perfect storm of unpredictable weather, rising consumer inflation, and an energy and labor crisis, is unlikely to let up any time soon, says Dutch bank Rabobank—even with prices already sitting at 10-year highs. 

Even if 2022 brings fewer COVID-related disruptions—far from a sure thing, as the new Omicron variant starts to rip around the world—"when it comes to agricultural commodity prices, any sense of normalcy looks unlikely, and inflation in this space is almost certainly not just 'temporary'," the bank said in a report, titled "Hell in the Handbasket."  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The UN report is here .... World Food Situation (FAO). 

Global Food Prices Hit A New Decade High  

Food, gas prices pinch families as inflation surges globally -- AP  

Global food prices are at their highest in a decade: UN -- Al Jazeera  

Global Food Prices Rise Again, Hitting New Decade High -- Zero Hedge

As Oil And Gas Prices Rise Dramatically, Global Food Prices Soar

OilPrice.com: Global Food Prices Set To Soar As The Oil And Gas Crunch Continues 

* Oil and gas prices have risen dramatically this year as a result of underinvestment and recovering demand. 

* Higher fuel prices are weighing on global food supply chains, with transportation and farming costs continuing to climb. 

* The hardest hit will, once again, be those living in developing economies that are still struggling to recover from the impact of the pandemic. 

The potential for a knock-on effect of rising fuel prices to be felt by other industries is becoming more likely, as oil and gas prices continue to rise to an all-time high, companies are finding it hard to maintain their costs and may have to shift this burden to the consumer any day now. 

Petrol prices have risen higher and higher this year, as oil makes a comeback in 2021 following a difficult year of pandemic restrictions and low demand. This has, of course, been aided by the OPEC+ curbs on production that restricted oil output across member states for the first half of 2021. And while production levels are slowly rising, some countries are finding it difficult to reach new OPEC targets as they revive their oil and gas industries, meaning the global shortage continues.  

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WNU Editor: The last time global food prices were at this level was in 2011 (see above graph), and the result was the Arab spring and revolution spreading throughout North Africa and the Middle East. 

Are we going to see a repeat, but in other parts of the world? 

You tell me.

Is Steak About To Become A Luxury?

Bloomberg: Steaks Could Soon Become Champagne-Like Luxury 

(Bloomberg) -- The boss of Europe’s top meat processor said beef will become a luxury like champagne because of the climate impact of producing it. 

“Beef is not going to be super climate friendly,” Danish Crown Chief Executive Officer Jais Valeur said in an interview with Danish newspaper Berlingske. “It will be a luxury product that we eat when we want to treat ourselves.” 

Valeur said pork would be a more climate-friendly protein. Danish Crown is one of Europe’s largest pork producers, although it is also a player in the beef market. 

Meat companies are coming under pressure to curb greenhouse gases, with 57% of all food industry emissions coming from making animal products, according to one study. Tackling methane emissions from livestock is one of the most critical climate challenges for producers. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Will a majority of the electorate accept this type of government policy and regulation to be implemented? I think not.

United Nations Say Global Food Prices Post The Biggest Jump In A Decade

 

Straits Times/Financial Times: Global food prices post biggest jump in decade 

LONDON (FINANCIAL TIMES) - Global food prices have surged by the biggest margin in a decade, as one closely watched index jumped 40 per cent in May, heightening fears that the inflation initially stoked by pandemic disruption was accelerating. 

The year-on-year rise in the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations monthly index was the largest jump since 2011, as commodity prices surged. The higher inflation will hit poorer countries reliant on imports for staple goods. For richer countries, the cost of raw ingredients accounts for only part of the overall price paid for products at supermarkets and restaurants. 

Read more .... 

More News On Global food Prices 

UN: Cost of food rises at fastest pace in over a decade -- BBC  

Global Food Prices Surge to Highest in Almost a Decade, UN Says -- Bloomberg  

World food prices haven't climbed this high in almost a decade -- Financial Post  

UN says global food prices have reached their highest mark in a decade -- ABC News (Australia)

Here Are Five Global Hotspots Where Food Prices Are Getting People Worried

Bloomberg: The Five Hotspots Where Food Prices Are Getting People Worried 

(Bloomberg) -- The world is racing to vaccinate its way out of the coronavirus pandemic, but another challenge has already emerged for some more vulnerable governments and economies. 

Global food prices are at the highest in more than six years, driven by a jump in the cost of everything from soybeans to palm oil because of demand from China, vulnerable supply chains and adverse weather. 

Some banks warn the world is heading into a commodities “supercycle.” Inflation is putting another squeeze on consumers hurting from pandemic-induced recession and—in some places—falling currencies. 

Since the start of the year, protests have raged in Sudan, while anxieties over securing food contributed to strife in Lebanon and Tunisia, ground zero for the Arab Spring uprisings a decade ago. 

In India, farmers revolted against efforts to bring prices down. Russia and Argentina have restricted crop shipments to suppress prices at home. Even rich countries like the United Arab Emirates are considering possible price caps on some foods. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The five countries that Bloomberg listed are Brazil, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, and India. In the case of Russia I have been told by family and friends that prices have increased, but it is not a worry now. I live in Canada, and there is no question that prices for my favorite foods have increased significantly. 

I would also add a few more countries to Bloomberg's list. China has experienced serious food inflation in the past year. Egypt is another worry. Iran is struggling. 

Update: I forgot. The U.S. is also struggling .... Food banks struggling to feed hungry during Covid look forward to Biden's fixes to SNAP program (NBC).

Global Food Inflation Deepens As Feed Prices Explode

Bloomberg: The World Will Pay More for Meat as Food Inflation Deepens 

(Bloomberg) -- There are signs that the food inflation that’s gripped the world over the past year, raising prices of everything from shredded cheese to peanut butter, is about to get worse. 

The Covid-19 pandemic upended food supply chains, paralyzing shipping, sickening workers that keep the world fed and ultimately raising consumer grocery costs around the globe last year. Now farmers -- especially ones raising cattle, hogs and poultry -- are getting squeezed by the highest corn and soybean prices in seven years. It’s lifted the costs of feeding their herds by 30% or more. To stay profitable, producers including Tyson Foods Inc. are increasing prices, which will ripple through supply chains and show up in the coming months as higher price tags for beef, pork and chicken around the world. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I have seen this play out more than once in my life. In every case inflation made life difficult for most people. But this cycle is going to be worse. The pandemic and current fiscal and monetary policies to address this health crisis have put into motion an inflation explosion that most people have not seen in their lifetime.

World Food Prices Hit 6-Year High

DW: World food prices hit 6-year high amid COVID pandemic 

World food prices have risen for the sixth month in a row, hitting the "highest level since December 2014" according to the FAO. A UN report said the coronavirus pandemic has been a major driver of food inequality. 

World food prices jumped to an almost six-year high in November, according to the United Nations food agency. 

An index published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday said prices for several food products had risen significantly. 

The index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of food products, averaged 105 points in November compared with the previous month when it stood at 101 according to an adjusted figure. 

The monthly increase was the sharpest since July 2012, putting the index at its "highest level since December 2014," the Rome-based agency said. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The impact of these price increases will be broad .... UN: COVID-19 to worsen poverty in 47 poorest nations (DW).

Update: World food prices hit nearly six-year high in November (TASS)

With Famine Threats Now Emerging, Global Food Prices Continue To Rise

Zero Hedge: Global Food Prices Rise As Famine Threat Emerges 

Food prices continue rising during the coronavirus pandemic, jeopardizing food security for tens of millions worldwide. 

On Thursday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said world food prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in September, led by surging prices for cereals and vegetable oils, reported Reuters. 

FAO's food price index, which tracks the international prices of the top traded food commodities (cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat, and sugar), averaged 97.9 in September versus a downwardly revised 95.9 in August. FAO's cereal price index jumped 5.1% in September and is 13.6% above its value one year earlier. 

Read more .... 

Update: World food price index rise 5% year-on-year in September - FAO (Reuters) 

WNU Editor: In another sign that food insecurity is becoming a global issue, this year's Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Program .... World Food Program wins Nobel Peace Prize as hunger surges (AP).

US Grocery Costs Jump The Most In 46 years

CNBC: US grocery costs jump the most in 46 years, led by rising prices for meat and eggs

* The Labor Department reported Tuesday that prices U.S. consumers paid for groceries jumped 2.6% in April, the largest one-month pop since February 1974.
* The price of the meats, poultry, fish and eggs category rose 4.3%, fruits and vegetables climbed 1.5%, cereals and bakery products advanced 2.9%.
* The grocery numbers stand in stark contrast to the broader trend in U.S. prices, which fell 0.8% in April and clinched their largest one-month decline since 2008.

Prices Americans paid for eggs, meat, cereal and milk shot higher in April as people flocked to grocery stores to stock up on food amid government lockdowns designed to slow the spread of Covid-19.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that prices U.S. consumers paid for groceries jumped 2.6% in April, the largest one-month pop since February 1974. The spike in supermarket prices was broad-based and impacted items from broccoli and ham to oatmeal and tuna.

The price of the meats, poultry, fish and eggs category rose 4.3%, fruits and vegetables climbed 1.5%, cereals and bakery products advanced 2.9% and dairy goods gained 1.5%.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If the price for fuel to transport these goods did not collapse, these increases would be significantly worse. Where I live (Montreal), I have noticed a significant increase in grocery costs. Especially on fresh products.Here is an easy prediction. If we get a more serious second wave of the Covid-19 coronavirus this fall, shortages and higher prices would make last month's price increases pale in comparison.

Major U.S. Meat Processor Warns ‘Food Supply Chain Is Breaking’ As Coronavirus Pandemic Forces Plant Closures

CNBC: Tyson Foods chairman warns ‘food supply chain is breaking’ as coronavirus forces plant closures

* Meat processors, including Tyson, Smithfield and JBS, are closing U.S. facilities after workers test positive for Covid-19.
* “The food supply chain is breaking,” Tyson Foods Chairman John Tyson wrote in a full-page newspaper ad that ran on Sunday.
* More than a dozen packing and food processing workers have died after contracting Covid-19, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

Tyson Foods expects that millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the food supply as the company temporarily shutters beef, pork and chicken plants due to local coronavirus outbreaks.

Meat processors, including Tyson, Smithfield and JBS, are closing U.S. facilities after workers test positive for Covid-19. Meatpacking workers often work shoulder to shoulder for hours at a time, increasing their risk of exposure to the virus.

Tyson placed a full-page ad in The New York Times, Washington Post and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Sunday addressing the plant closures.

“The food supply chain is breaking,” Tyson Chairman John Tyson wrote.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: There may not be noticeable shortages, but prices are definitely going to go up ..... Donald Trump tries to calm mounting alarm over food shortages as meat processing plants close tweeting that 'there is no shortage of meat heading for grocery stores' (Daily Mail).

More News On Tyson Foods Warning That The ‘Food Supply Chain Is Breaking’

"Food supply chain is breaking," Tyson Foods chairman warns amid meat plant shutdowns -- CBS
Supermarket meat aisle may have less variety, higher prices in coming weeks, analysts predict -- FOX News
Tyson Foods Warns "Food Supply Chain Is Breaking" -- Zero Hedge
Meat processors warn of shortages. Here's why they're getting hit so hard -- CNN

U.S. Soldiers Prefer To Use Their Own Cash To Get Better Food While In Quarantine

Pictures sent by soldiers of several meals served from unitized group rations, as well as one of MREs, which soldiers sometimes opt for over the "steam-bathed" group rations.

Army Times: Soldiers use their own cash to get better food in quarantine

Some soldiers in quarantine are opting to order delivery from nearby restaurants rather than eat the rations provided to them from government stockpiles.

At FOB Westbrook, a training site turned quarantine facility outside Fort Bliss, Texas, soldiers have been ordering food from establishments like Smash Burger, local pizzerias and even eating extra MREs rather than the “steam bathed” rations contracted for them.

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WNU Editor: I would not even feed that stuff (above picture) to my dog.

Here Are Five Threats To The US Food Supply Chains

The Hill: Five threats to US food supply chains

The coronavirus pandemic has upended food supply chains, led to closures of meat producing plants and left Americans with the unsettling experience of seeing empty shelves at supermarkets.

Coupled with the run on toilet paper that led to severe shortages, recent events are leading Americans to wonder if the nation's food supply is secure.

Experts say that by and large, Americans don’t need to worry about food running out, but that does not mean all food will be readily available.

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WNU Editor: These threats to the US food supply chains are becoming very real .... Eight Meatpacking Plants Close In Weeks Across America Stoking Food Shortage Fears (Zero Hedge).

UN Warns That The Coronavirus Pandemic Could Threaten The Global Food Supply

CNN: The coronavirus pandemic could threaten global food supply, UN warns

Hong Kong (CNN)As the novel coronavirus pandemic shuts down businesses globally and sends countries into lockdown, the disruptions are threatening to cut off supply chains and increase food insecurity.

"Supermarket shelves remain stocked for now," the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in a report released late last month. "But a protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on the food supply chains, a complex web of interactions involving farmers, agricultural inputs, processing plants, shipping, retailers and more."

The issue, however, is not food scarcity -- at least, not yet. Rather, it's the world's drastic measures in response to the virus.

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WNU Editor: It is already threatened with supply chain disruptions. Bottom line. Expect higher prices. For poor countries, this is always a recipe for unrest.

Are U.S. Grocers And Consumers About To Face Meat Shortages?

FILE PHOTO: A truck arrives at Smithfield Foods' pork plant in Smithfield

Reuters: Smithfield shutting U.S. pork plant indefinitely, warns of meat shortages during pandemic

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Smithfield Foods, the world's biggest pork processor, said on Sunday it will shut a U.S. plant indefinitely due to a rash of coronavirus cases among employees and warned the country was moving "perilously close to the edge" in supplies for grocers.

Slaughterhouse shutdowns are disrupting the U.S. food supply chain, crimping availability of meat at retail stores and leaving farmers without outlets for their livestock.

Smithfield extended the closure of its Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant after initially saying it would idle temporarily for cleaning. The facility is one of the nation's largest pork processing facilities, representing 4% to 5% of U.S. pork production, according to the company.

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WNU Editor: These disruptions will continue for the foreseeable future .... Coronavirus outbreaks plague meatpacking plants (Axios). Translation. Expect higher prices. But the biggest impact will not be on the U.S., Canada, or the First World. The real impact will be felt in the developing world.

More News On Concerns That The U.S. Food Supply Chain Will Continue To Be Disrupted During The Pandemic

One of America's largest meat producers has ominous warning about the grocery store supply -- The Blaze
One of the largest pork processing facilities in the US is closing until further notice -- CNN
Top pork producer shutting SD plant indefinitely amid pandemic -- The Hill
Smithfield Foods plant closure sparks fear of food supply disruption -- The Washington Times
One of America's largest pork processing plants closes due to coronavirus -- Axios

Is The U.S. Food Distribution System Breaking Down?

End Of The American Dream: Supplies Are Starting To Get Really Tight Nationwide As Food Distribution Systems Break Down

All across America, store shelves are emptying and people are becoming increasingly frustrated because they can’t get their hands on needed supplies. Most Americans are blaming “hoarders” for the current mess, but it is actually much more complicated than that. Normally, Americans get a lot of their food from restaurants. In fact, during normal times 36 percent of all Americans eat at a fast food restaurant on any given day. But now that approximately 75 percent of the U.S. is under some sort of a “shelter-in-place” order and most of our restaurants have shut down, things have completely changed. Suddenly our grocery stores are being flooded with unexpected traffic, and many people are buying far more than usual in anticipation of a long pandemic. Unfortunately, our food distribution systems were not designed to handle this sort of a surge, and things are really starting to get crazy out there.

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WNU Editor: The above video of hundreds of cars waiting to receive food from the Greater Community Food Bank in Duquesne (Pensylvania) should be a wake-up call on how bad the situation is out there, and how bad it could get.

24 Hours As A U.S. Navy Ship Line Cook (Video)

WNU Editor: Talk about a high pressure job. If the crew is not fed, the blow-back is immediate. Bottom line. How these guys and gals do it always amazes me.

Here Is One Way To Avoid Military Service

Takeout: South Korean man acquitted of gorging on delicious wings to avoid military service

In 2016, a 22-year old college student reported for a physical exam to determine his eligibility for mandatory military service in the South Korean armed forces. This week, the Incheon District Court ruled that he was not guilty of breaking conscription law, after prosecutors alleged he gorged himself on fried chicken and booze before showing up in order to avoid service.

Munchies directs us to this story from the Korea Herald, which says that at the time of the student’s test, he weighed 106 kilograms (approximately 234 lbs.) and was around 170 centimeters tall (5 ft., approximately 5 in.), for a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 36.8. Per the Herald, those with a BMI of 33 and above are eligible for exemption from full-time military service, and can instead take a public service job. If you’re a male between the ages of 18-28 in South Korea, you are required to enlist in military service. (Click here for an interesting Quartz piece about whether K-Pop stars—like BTS—should be required to serve.)

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WNU Editor: Darn. I feel hungry.