Similar situation is now with entire world, demand is more and production is less due to imbalanced economic policies. More attention is given to urban economic growth than the rural research and development. A day will come when a slogan or will find ad “Buy one kg of rice and get a laptops free” as computers and other electronic products will be much cheaper. Economic growth has to be balanced considering social condition of the country. Banning exports of essential items is only temporary solution to overcome present situation but for future food grain shortage will further aggravate as
• Global warming – Nature earth’s own modifications and adjustments is the natural. Excessive human population, Excessive concrete buildings – industries (even excessive urbanization has role to warm our globe), carbon fuel based transportations heat up environment to reduce moisture in land results shortage and uncertain rain, river shrinkage, draught, shortage of water and so on.
• 25 years back there was more agricultural land than of today many of them converted to more and more housing and industrial lands; whereas population growing fast, feeding will become challenge to most countries even developed countries will not escape. Nature’s priority is water, food and then shelter. Economic and scientific growth need to be first based on human needs.
• Urban related economic growth thrusts agricultural land conversion to cities and building to accommodate urban population and industries. Over 20% of farm lands of developing countries have been converted to cities and buildings for the past decades and Over 50% of farmlands of villages (close to cities) got merged with cities.
• Non profitable food grain production (international organization and appropriate governments shall have to reconsider bring back agricultural subsidies). Also make agriculture more profitable by linking customer and farmers by way of direct procurement by large stores, and other agencies so mediators and brokers are kept away. There are many reasons for high cost of production of food grain but as food comes in highest priority WTO and the Governments need to reconsider bringing back subsidies or other incentives to farmers as is the only solution to make agriculture more profitable to farmers. Present situation is such that farmers get more profit selling their land to builders than farming.
• Escalation of essential food prices by “futures” trading (without add on value to product) helps hording so less and less mediators between producer and final customer. Present system of trading agricultural goods only helps middlemen from wholesalers to brokers. Their financial power helps them hold back stock to create artificial shortage.
• Irrigation and water shortage (In fact water crisis is there but in some states and countries water is excessive causing disaster or consumed by sea. If scientists of missiles or warplanes work on how river water reaches sea after consumed by entire world, would convert desert land to fertile land).
• Bio fuel is not alone the reason for food crisis as one day world will have to switch over to alternate source for fuel usage and bio fuel will be one of the substitutes. However, using human food as fuel is unjustified as food is the first priority than the fuel. Need to source other plants such as river or sea plants or from land plants not used for growing food grain.

I was reading about the rationing in the U.S., naturallyinteresting, and I have to admit that it amazes me how many people panic when they are told they can only buy one bag of rice. I mean, how many bags do you usually buy? I guess we humans are just contrary by nature: we don’t like having our choices limited!

I wonder, even, if WWII was responsible for a lot of obesity in today’s wealthier nations. Rationing must have really played with people’s heads. Their responses to renewed postwar riches were probably often exaggerated — either continuing to shortchange their own offspring (who would rebel as adults, having been cheated in a time of prosperity), or stuffing them silly.
Just a thought.

I appreciate the Spelt vs Durum info, too — I didn’t know about hulled version free-threshing qualities. Although there’s no farming in my background, I don’t want to forget where my food comes from or the real cost of providing it, plastic-wrapped and sanitized, in my local grocery store.