Harvest Of Teff - Source Of Ethiopia's Staple Bread - Has Largely Failed - Age

[hatrack]

AS THE food crisis hitting the world's poor forces food security onto the agenda at today's meeting of G8 leaders in Japan, across the world in Ethiopia it has taken its toll on their most common source of nutrition.

Poor rainfall on already arid land has meant that last season's crop of teff, a cereal that is ground down to make a sour pancake-like dish called injera, has largely failed. World Vision aid worker Joseph Kamara said that was "a big, big blow to them". Last week, World Bank President Robert Zoellick urged G8 leaders to commit more aid to prevent starvation in developing countries affected by the rising costs of food and oil.

The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Jacques Diouf, has warned that climate change is also affecting global food supply, potentially reducing crop yields in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America by as much as 40% if global temperatures rise more than three degrees.

EDIT

The UN says that the production of cereal crops in developing countries excluding China and India dropped by 2.2% in 2007 and stocks are at their lowest levels in 30 years.

EDIT

http://www.theage.com.au/national/crop-failure-shows-scale-of-food-crisis-20080706-32nk.html

[MountainLaurel]

1. That country can't catch a break

This is just going to exacerbate the ongoing crisis there.

[kestrel91316]

2. Is it FAMINE yet?

[Nihil]

4. Nah ... just "demand destruction" ...

Honestly, some people keep trying to link *any* natural phenomena
to global warming these days ... so, what's on TV next?

[eppur_se_muova]

3. That is serious drought -- teff produces a crop when other grains fail.

Its one big strength is the fact that it will still produce seed even if there is no rain at all after early growth. Most grains will simply not produce seed.