A series of extreme weather events around the world have caused food production failures sparking fear of a global food crisis.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization was forced to have emergency meetings to evaluate the growing food concerns. They blame extreme weather as one of the major factors for shortages, and that urgent action is necessary.
Extreme weather has affected the global food shortages on various levels. Since July 2010, prices on basic staples wheat, corn, soybeans and rice have reached record highs.
History-making heat waves and droughts devastated Russia's wheat crops, destroying the harvest. One-third of the Russian buckwheat harvest has been lost.
As a result, this past summer Russia banned the exportation of wheat to protect their nation's supply. Many countries are suffering from the loss, while Mozambique and Egypt experienced spikes in prices as a direct outcome.
Those countries which are highly dependent on food imports are faced with continuing raising costs and the struggles that accompany it.
The U.S. agriculture community has begun discussions in regards to rationing corn over ethanol mandates versus supply concerns.
The United States and Europe were stuck with unusual winter cold, making an already weak 2011 harvest more critical for repair in 2011.
Flooding in Pakistan, the worst in eight years, affected four million people and killed a substantial amount of food reserves.
Pakistan army soldiers evacuate a child from flooded areas on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010 in Khangarh near Multan, Pakistan. Angry flood survivors in Pakistan blocked a highway to protest slow delivery of aid, and heavy rain lashed makeshift housing Monday as a forecast of more flooding increased the urgency of the massive international relief effort. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Some additional weather events that have been linked to the food shortages include the flooding in Australia and excessively hot temperatures in Latin America.
The weather is significant in cultivating and sustaining crops. Climate change in key farming regions could threaten world food supplies because crops are damaged or ruined when exposed to temperatures above or below a certain threshold.
While the decisions of mother nature are out of our control, there are other factors that the public should take into consideration in respect to the potential food crisis.
The bee colony collapse is detrimental to the pollination of around 90 percent of the world's commercial crops. The decline in bee colonies poses a greater risk to global shortages; however, luckily the GMO food giants have seeds that do not require open pollination.
The raising cost of oil has skyrocketed food prices, which forced the price of rice to triple in only six months. The price of oil affects food on various levels, including fertilizers, plowing and general commodities.
Regulatory actions by the FDA to control and eliminate small business farmers alters the cost of food and has creased overall food demands,
While many more factors plague this crucial issue, the fact at hand is regardless of the economy people need to eat.
So as solutions are being explored it would be a wise investment to stock up the pantry with staple foods before costs raise higher.