Food Crisis

We've all been hearing about the food crisis going on in the world, and its been pretty easy to ignore here in Iowa. Yesterday as I was driving to work, I was listening to On Point, a radio show on NPR, that was discussing the food crisis. One of the guests, I believe it was Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved, told the story of a farmer in India who had taken out a loan to drill for a well on his property. Unfortunately, the well was dry, so he took out another loan, now more desperate for money to pay back the previous debt. This well was also dry. This went on a few times until the farmer despaired, mixed a farm chemical with water and drank it after his wife and children had gone to bed one night. He died, all for a farm loan of around $350 USD.

My husband and I bought a playstation 3 last weekend. It cost $400. I cried on the way to work yesterday.