Potential Instability

Rice is the staple food for more than a billion people in Asia. It’s eaten for 3 meals a day and many people base their well being on the amount of rice and quality of the rice they eat. Right now the news seems to be limited to the Philippines, but an impending rice shortage could have major political implications throughout Asia.

The Philippines is bracing for severe rice shortages this fall, so severe that they are unable to buy rice on the open market to satisfy demand. This means that people may not be able to have enough rice to feed their families at any price. This particularly bodes badly for the marginalized families.

But this is a problem not limited to the Philippines, it affect the all of Asia. Without enough food to feed its people, rice importing nations could experience severe instability. Lacking food, people will become angry and may become violent. I guess time will tell what happens.

Tags: rice shortage, rice stocks