Reports that Thailand is interested in starting an international cartel of rice producing countries, the Organization of Rice Exporting Countries, should not be a surprise. Temporarily high prices in the past have caused governments to contemplate maintaining those prices to the advantage of their producers at the expense of consumers in other countries. That the proposal comes after seven years of negotiations on a new WTO agreement on freer trade is an indication of why a new agreement has been so difficult to achieve.
Have you seen any political bumper stickers recently? Of course you have: It’s an election year, and candidates have handed out bumper stickers the way they’ve passed out promises.
Rice prices at $1,000 per metric ton compared to $200-300 per metric ton for most of this decade have grabbed media attention around the world. The easy explanation is increased production of biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. A closer look at the numbers shows a global industry at the beginning of a transition that will have major impacts on production, consumption and trade.
Kermit the Frog wasn’t talking about farmers when he sang his song on Sesame Street. Yet many of us appreciate his lament because we don’t get enough credit for our environmentally sound practices.
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Perhaps you’re wondering what American biofuels have to do with the price of tea in China.
Reports that Thailand is interested in starting an international cartel of rice producing countries, the Organization of Rice Exporting Countries, should not be a surprise. Temporarily high prices in the past have caused governments to contemplate maintaining those prices to the advantage of their producers at the expense of consumers in other countries. That the proposal comes after seven years of negotiations on a new WTO agreement on freer trade is an indication of why a new agreement has been so difficult to achieve.
Have you seen any political bumper stickers recently? Of course you have: It’s an election year, and candidates have handed out bumper stickers the way they’ve passed out promises.
Rice prices at $1,000 per metric ton compared to $200-300 per metric ton for most of this decade have grabbed media attention around the world. The easy explanation is increased production of biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. A closer look at the numbers shows a global industry at the beginning of a transition that will have major impacts on production, consumption and trade.
“It’s not that easy being green”
