Of Rice, Men and God

A commentary by Cecil E. Maranville
United Church of God Elder, Phoenix, AZ

Have you noticed that you now pay more for your food? The reasons are many. Part of the cause is the subprime mortgage crisis, strange as that might seem!

In reacting to the recent financial earthquake that rattled the mortgage industry, investors generated an unintended tsunami wave that is only beginning to register at the supermarket checkout. Seeking safer investments, they poured money into commodities which, among other products, include food grains. The price of corn, wheat, soybeans and particularly rice has soared as a result.  

One might think that this would generate at least an economic benefit for farmers. Indeed, Bruce Babcock, an Iowa State University economist, interpreted the rising markets to mean that this "…is the greatest time in the world to be a farmer around the world" (Russell Blinch and Brian Love, "World Food Prices Soar as Asia Consumes More," International Herald Tribune, © Reuters, March 31, 2008). Western grain producers do stand to earn more but this is not true for all farmers "around the world."

Food riots broke out in Haiti on April 5 as people revolted against crushing increases in the prices of rice, beans and fruit—up 50 percent in this terribly poor nation since last year. Rice is a dietary staple for nearly half of the world's citizens. Nearly doubling just since the first of the year, the price of rice on international markets is causing great anxiety to hundreds of millions. There have already been violent protests over the scarcity and/or cost of food in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Pakistan.

The Philippines is the world's largest importer of rice and the skyrocketing cost has caused President Gloria Arroyo to order government investigators to be on the lookout for anyone hoarding rice. Doing so is an offense chargeable as "economic sabotage" and it carries a penalty of life in prison!

One can readily understand why the increased price would impact the economies of countries that have to import rice. But the price hike is also bad news for rice-producing nations.

Because many small rice farmers in Asia grow only enough to feed themselves and their extended families, they aren't getting any boost from a price increase on the international market. In addition, increasing oil prices (oil is needed for fuel, as well as fertilizers to produce the rice crops) mean that it is more expensive for Asia just to grow and consume its rice.

India, Cambodia and Vietnam (the world's largest rice exporter) are cutting or banning rice exports outright in order to ensure that they keep enough of the crop to feed their people. Thailand, the second-largest rice exporting nation is debating whether to ban all exports, as Vietnam did.

Governments used to maintain large stockpiles of rice for such times of shortage. But the practice has largely been abandoned over the past several years because of the expense. Consequently, price fluctuations now have near-immediate effects on the world market. Already they are creating hardship throughout the developing world.

There is little good news to hope for in the coming months as the cost of food, fuel and fertilizer continue to mount. Food relief agencies aren't able to buy or even to find the commodities that they would normally distribute to the world's needy.

In contrast, United States and Canadian farmers have vast resources of productive land. Not to minimize the impact of rising fuel and fertilizer costs on them, these farmers will eventually realize profits. And, even though consumers in the West will pay more for food, at least it is available for them to buy!

Why is that? Living in a society purposefully adrift from a sincere respect for its Creator some might blithely, if not arrogantly, assume that their good fortune is due to industriousness, ingenuity or a democratic government. To the contrary, the land's productivity is, according to the Bible, a blessing from man's Creator.

The special prosperity enjoyed by the American, Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand societies is not due to their superiority in respect to the peoples of other nations. It is due to an ancient commitment that the Creator God made to His faithful servant Abraham.

In fulfillment of that commitment, the nations mentioned above were founded by some of the direct descendants of Abraham's great, great grandson Joseph. You need to understand this commitment by God so you can understand the wonderful hope it offers all nations.

Let me recommend two of our free and truly heartening publications. Simply request, read online or download: The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy and "The Wonderful World Beyond Today... A Return to Eden: When Hunger and Disease Disappear."