| Recent food shortages in Egypt, Haiti, Cameroon and | | | | caused many farmers to produce crops for biofuel |
| Burkina Faso prompted the production of a series of | | | | production rather than human consumption. In 2008, |
| videos addressing the issue and how climate change | | | | almost 100 million tonnes of grain was used to create |
| is also contributing to the problem. The United Nations | | | | biofuel; grain that could have been used to feed the |
| Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has | | | | world's starving population. |
| subsequently called for greater action to be taken by | | | | While biofuel production presents a significant risk to |
| world leaders to address the risks of a food crisis as | | | | the supply of edible crops to the developing nations, |
| a result of climate change. While changing climate is a | | | | there is a greater threat causing food shortages. The |
| contributing factor to food shortages in developing | | | | world's appetite for meat has grown alarming in |
| nations, there are a number of other issues also | | | | recent decades, predominantly in the industrializing |
| involved. | | | | nations of China and India. The rapidly increasing |
| Climate change is predicted to affect the agricultural | | | | middle class believe meat consumption is a sign of |
| industry by shifting weather patterns and the | | | | affluence which is fueling an alarming increase in |
| increased frequency and severity of extreme | | | | demand for this commodity. The resulting pressure |
| weather events. This will result in previous arable land | | | | on grain supply comes from this inefficient way of |
| becoming unsuitable for crop cultivation and the | | | | producing food. It takes 8Kg of grain to produce 1Kg |
| destruction of crops from flooding and other storm | | | | of beef, resulting in vast amounts of edible crops |
| events. This will reduce the amount of edible crops | | | | previously grown for humans being used to feed |
| produced, raising global prices, causing the world's | | | | livestock. Developed nations are also responsible for |
| poorest inhabitants to struggle to feed themselves. | | | | the growth in meat consumption with an increase of |
| However there are additional causes of food | | | | 50% since the 1960s. To accommodate this demand |
| shortages faced by the planet's developing countries. | | | | over 760 million tonnes of grain were used in 2008 to |
| The increase in biofuel production in recent years is a | | | | feed animals. |
| major factor of the food crisis being experienced by | | | | In order to reduce the pressure on crops intended |
| people living on or below the poverty line. Many | | | | for human consumption, our demand for meat must |
| developed nations have introduced legislation requiring | | | | be reduced. Many of the videos produced for this |
| fossil fuels to contain a percentage of biofuel for the | | | | cause explain the value of becoming vegetarian or at |
| use in automobiles. Producers of staple food crops | | | | least reducing our weekly intake of meat and meat |
| such as maize and sugar cane receive a higher return | | | | products. In this way the likelihood of a food crisis |
| from selling their crops to fuel companies. This has | | | | for the planet's poorest residents can be minimised. |