The list of contributing factors to the food crisis really doesn't make things sound as adundant as we'd like. Especially when food production is tied so tightly to fossil fuel based fertilisers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_food_crises
I've often said that the expansion of bird feeding in this country isn't sustainable and should be viewed more as a temporary measure while habitats are improved to allow birds to survive for most of the year on wild food. This is obviously harder to achieve in towns and cities but I do wonder if this will be a trigger in improving the move towards this goal. Gardens will play a big part in most areas.
Feeding birds can of course make a difference to people, there is a finite amount of grain in the world, it will in general be sold to the highest bidder, a person feeding birds in a rich country can pay more than a poor person in a poor country trying to feed their family.
A lot of animal feed is not for human consumption purely because of the certification of the processing plant it is mixed in, and nothing to do with the actual product, other times it is because it has not been screened as well but it could be if necessary.
Another reason is that some wheat, especially that that gets little or no fertiliser isn't high enough quality (to low in protein) to make it into flour. it is then diverted to various animal feeds.
Will you personally make a difference if you stop feeding the birds? no, but if everyone stopped doing it it would reduce the price of the ingredients.£235million is spent every year on birdfood, that's an awful lot of grains.
Fertiliser is up over 300% here, which means the farmer I rent my field out to has not been able to buy any, the field is in winter barley, it's on track for 50% of the normal yield and will probably only be fit for burning.
I think it was Simon Reeve on one of his travel series who described India as the most corrupt place he had ever been to. That corruption was that the rich had no interest beyond their own self interest and, to them, the absolute poverty of large parts of the nation was nothing to do with them.
I spent 2 years living in India. It's utterly corrupt. I came to the conclusion that if your Government is utterly corrupt, and the judiciary and police are utterly corrupt, why would anyone NOT take bribes. You have to bribe officials to get a job, better the job, bigger the bribe. ( a job in the Police can require a bribe equivalent to a year's salary) You even have to bribe examiners to get a driving licence.
Hello Phillipa, I agree, same with seeing interviews with folk saying they are forced to use food banks, sitting in lovelly homes, with everyone on a smart phone. I think a lot of people prioritise diffferently. My 2 daughters Im afraid. One lost her job last year,(no fault of her own) she said she could just about survive for a few months without finding another. She had a lodger, she got rid of, I have to admit I wouldnt want to share her tiny house with a stranger! THen buys a treadmill, discovers she has TWO gym memberships, she forgot to cancel one, gets a job, yes, and then has lots of expensive beauty treaments! When I divorced their father, I had nothing, no car, no phone, I walked,got a cheap second hand bike, and lived for some monhts on white bread, (which I loath actually "the bread line")lost a lot of weight, the kids had free school meals and a sandwich at night,
I will continue to feed the birds all year around because I love to see them at the feeders and the sight and sound of them in the garden makes me happy. Even the big fat pigeons are amusing. Hopefully the birds will be here long after we humans have killed each other off.
Will you personally make a difference if you stop feeding the birds? no, but if everyone stopped doing it it would reduce the price of the ingredients.£235million is spent every year on birdfood, that's an awful lot of grains.
Fertiliser is up over 300% here, which means the farmer I rent my field out to has not been able to buy any, the field is in winter barley, it's on track for 50% of the normal yield and will probably only be fit for burning.
£235m is the pre-food crisis figure so you can add at least 50% to that for this year.
In the garden today the blackbirds are feasting on Mahonia berries and the sparrows and tits are picking the plants clean of aphids. This year's crop of teasel is looking strong and I'll just have to make sure to stake the taller ones ready to withstand the autumn winds.
I always try to look for positives out of bad situations and there's talk of greater investments happening sooner in renewable energy now, farmers will no doubt be wondering more about turning to organic growing to avoid these fertiliser costs, and maybe people will start thinking more about habitat scale bird feeding over the current method.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I think it was Simon Reeve on one of his travel series who described India as the most corrupt place he had ever been to. That ģģ was that the rich had no interest beyond their own self interest and, to them, the absolute poverty of large parts of the nation was nothing to do with them.
Do the British really see fit to pass judgement on corruption overseas?! Even now?!
OP, I have had to change birdfood for economic reasons, as the previous mealworms and fat balls package more than doubled in price. But I don't think world without birds would be worth it, so I would prefer to forego some food myself than stop feeding them altogether.
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I came to the conclusion that if your Government is utterly corrupt, and the judiciary and police are utterly corrupt, why would anyone NOT take bribes.
You have to bribe officials to get a job, better the job, bigger the bribe. ( a job in the Police can require a bribe equivalent to a year's salary)
You even have to bribe examiners to get a driving licence.
OP, I have had to change birdfood for economic reasons, as the previous mealworms and fat balls package more than doubled in price. But I don't think world without birds would be worth it, so I would prefer to forego some food myself than stop feeding them altogether.