Farms gain MONEY

Scott Kilman compiled a very statistical analysis of how the growth of farms economically are increasing in the Wall Street Journal. On a more interesting scale, the American farm belt is doing fairly well even though the American economy as a whole is still struggling out of the recession. Globally, the Asian economic bloom is supporting the American farming sector with Asia's exports. Even the cotton belt owned by America is starting to see a betterment economically. These cotton farms are able to sell for more while producing more products with newly bought machinery.

Overall, the USDA projects net farm income to climb 24% this year to $77.1 billion, the fourth highest ever. In September, farmers were being paid 62% more for hogs than a year earlier, and 32% more for milk.

 This unexpected growth in the farming industry of the United States can only benefit the efforts in trying to bring the overall American economy back on its feet. The main fact is that the American producing sector is doing well. The production unit of America is the base foundation of a good economy. A producing country that is able to escape the hole that drags nations into becoming a consuming nation, aka present day US, can finally look towards gain instead of lose. Hopefully the farm belt will continue growing positively and start bringing other sectors of production in America economy back up.

Global Food Shortage

The United Nations has recently brought attention to this global crisis, or is it? While is it a fact that many countries are low of food, for example, grain, and prices are skyrocketing, the United States, Europe and Australia make up for the supply.

“People still remember what happened a few years ago, so it is a combination of psychology and the expectation that worse may come,” he added. “There are critical months ahead.”

 -Abdolreza Abbassian, an economist at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization

 Although it is true that the food prices have been lowered to 30% when compared to the stats of 2008, it is surprising that many less fortunate countries are already resorting to food riots. Maybe Abbassian is correct, as a whole, all the countries have the ability to advert this crisis with minimal damage to the economy, locally and globally, but will the countries around the world be able to psychologically handle the crisis. It can be done, but I believe it is up to the lower tier countries to contain themselves a bit longer and that will be the key in pulling through this shortage.

Is going Organic ACTUALLY better?

Karen Kaplan discusses an article about how beneficial organic strawberries really are. While scientists have indeed shown results of heightened nutrition and other beneficiaries, many critics argue the profitable means of the Organic Strawberry business.

"We eat considerably more potatoes, apples and bananas per capita annually," Clark said. "Changing what people eat — increasing fruits and vegetables and decreasing meats, fats and total daily calories, for example — could have a more profound impact on public health and longevity than switching from conventional to organic strawberries." 

-Sean Clark, a professor of agriculture and natural resources at Berea College in Kentucky

While the issue of eating organic foods because one doesn't believe in eating pesticidal  fruits and vegetables is still valid. When compared statistically with the nutrition actually gained and the amount of fruits, in this case, strawberries, is actually decreased. In addition, it takes more money to grow organic fruits which results in a lower overall yield.

No Jobs? What's the REAL problem?

Gerald F. Seib of The Wall Street Journal posts a very interesting proposition.
He summarizes that there are two facts that politicians cannot ignore today:

"Fact One: The unemployment rate is the most important of all leading political indicators.

Fact Two: If the August unemployment number to be announced Friday tops 9%—which seems highly likely—the jobless rate will have been above that level for 16 straight months. Already, the U.S. is mired in the longest such stretch of 9%-plus joblessness in more than a quarter of a century." -Gerald F. Seib, The Wall Street Journal

This may very well lead to the beginning of many debates to come of whether the democrats, or the Obama administration, is on the right path. There is no doubt that even though we can advocate protectionist programs for the environment as well as international policies, we must solve the problem on the home-front, unemployment, before we can get out of this recession.