Food production and, more important, the distribution of food have been matters of concern in this world for thousands of years. When the fall of man brought sin into this world, God told him, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life” (Gen. 3:1717And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Genesis 3:17)). In addition, God said to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread” (vs. 19). Later, when Cain killed his brother Abel, God pronounced a further curse, telling him that “when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength” (Gen. 4:1212When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. (Genesis 4:12)). For these reasons, man has had to work hard in order to eat. Add to this curse on the ground the fluctuations of weather, and we have a combination that has caused shortages and sometimes famines in various parts of the world.
We know well the truth of the words, “The king himself is served by the field” (Eccl. 5:99Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. (Ecclesiastes 5:9)), and that all men are dependent on God, who gives us “rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:1717Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:17)). Even though we may live in an industrial and technological world, ultimately we depend on the land for our basic need of food. We know also that from time to time God has used food shortages and famines to speak to this world and to recall man to his responsibility toward Him. Over the centuries this world has seen many food shortages, interspersed with times of plenty.
Changes in Recent Years
In the past one hundred years, agriculture has changed tremendously in this world, especially in western countries where mechanization has, perhaps, been the most apparent. In the decades following World War II, world food production far outstripped the population growth. These surpluses continued well into the 1980s, with farmers having to endure very low prices because production was so high. As a result, food was very cheap in many countries, and especially in North America, where surpluses of most food commodities were taken for granted. Over the past decade all this has changed. Global supplies of cereal grains are at a 40year low, and with consumption trending continually upward, the world’s supply of food is under pressures unknown since World War II. At the time of writing this article, cereal stocks in the world stand at less than 60 days, meaning that if all grain production were to stop right now and the world continued its present consumption, all cereal grains would be exhausted in less than two months. (In 1987 the figure was 128 days.) Some would argue that this is a temporary situation that will resolve itself by market forces within a reasonable time, but most experts agree that the problem will be with us at least for several years, and it probably is here to stay. It has been with us for some years already and shows no sign of improving.
The nations of Africa have been perhaps the hardest hit, but more recently other nations such as Mexico and Brazil have also experienced shortages. Middle Eastern nations and even Western Europe have seen a drastic increase in food prices. The tsunami that hit southwest Asia several years ago has taken its toll and has affected food production in that part of the world. China, a nation now experiencing prosperity and starting to want more meat in its diet, has had severe droughts, causing its food production to fall. Even India, traditionally a food exporting nation, has now become a net importer. In countries such as the U.S.A. and Canada, where there is no immediate shortage, food costs have risen, requiring that consumers spend considerably more in order to eat the same way as they did before.
What Are the Causes?
We may well ask what has caused all this, but there is no simple answer. Rather, a combination of forces, some of them beyond man’s control, have come together to bring it about. Probably the most significant factors have been climate change and the price of oil. In many areas, either droughts or floods have lowered production drastically, particularly in places where irrigation is not affordable. Along with this, in some countries, mainly the U.S.A., 2025% of the corn crop has now been diverted to the production of ethanol, resulting in less of it for food and, of course, a higher price.
Other factors have also affected food production. The world use of water increased sixfold between 1990 and 2005, as most of this was for agricultural use. For this reason and others, there has been a water shortage in many parts of the world, and water tables have been falling drastically in some countries. As well, the world’s population is increasing by 80 million each year, and even more important, the world’s poor are increasing faster. According to Josette Sheeran, head of the United Nations’ World Food Program, there are 854 million hungry people in the world, and 4 million more join their ranks every year. She went on to say that we are facing the tightest food supplies in recent history, and that for many of the world’s poor, food is simply being priced out of their reach.
The sad results of all this are already being felt. In certain countries, people have started to boycott foods that they feel are too costly, while in other nations, this social unrest has escalated into violence. Food riots have occurred in several countries in West Africa, notably in Mauritania, Senegal and Niger. A number of people were killed and others jailed during recent food protests and rioting in the Middle East, in Jordan and Yemen. One author stated, “We need to augment food production by about 1520% per year for the next three years, or we may face violence in the poorer societies of the world. This is a crucial issue confronting world leaders.”
The Christian’s Place
What should be the Christian’s view of, and reaction to, all this? On the one hand, we can rest in God’s promise, given to Noah and his family and ultimately to us too, that “while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen. 8:2222While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)). While this promise does not, by itself, guarantee a plentiful food supply, it does tell us that God will look after the need for a food supply in this world, for He knows how long this world has to last, in order to accomplish His purposes. He made this world, and not only placed man in it, but also placed in it the resources necessary for man to live. He will give what is necessary for man, although He may well use food shortages to speak to him. This brings us to another consideration in Scripture.
Prophecies of Shortage
While we do not want to make any rash predictions, we may well consider whether all this is the forerunner of what we read in Revelation 6:56: “I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” Here it is evident that, at a point in the future, a serious food shortage will exist, and the prices charged for wheat and barley will reflect that shortage. If we remember that a penny was a man’s daily wages when the New Testament was written, we see that basic staples of food will become very expensive. No doubt the events referred to in these verses take place after the church has been called home, when God has begun to work by providential judgments. At that time He will gradually topple all of man’s prosperity and technology, eventually reducing him in the great tribulation to primitive methods of farming and survival. However, we may well see the beginnings of all this before we are called home, as God “sets the stage” for events to take place afterward.
It is also noticeable that, at least initially, the poor will feel the pinch of much higher prices, while the wealthy of this world will be able to maintain their standard of living. This is borne out by the phrase, “See thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” Oil and wine suggest a more refined and luxurious diet, as opposed to the staples of wheat and barley. We see this pattern today, as the world’s poor try to cope with price increases as high as 50%, while more affluent nations are able to maintain their lifestyle, at least for the moment. However, we know that as time goes on during the tribulation period, all will feel the hand of God, for it “shall come upon all the world” (Rev. 3:1010Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)).
The Coming of the Lord
For those of us who know the Lord, we can rejoice, knowing that “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:88Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8)). Also, we can seek grace from the Lord to use whatever opportunities may be given to us to alleviate the suffering in this world and to help those who are in need. We cannot straighten out the mess in which this world is, but we can use the resources God has given us to help out, while at the same time warning sinners of God’s impending judgment. We can take courage too, knowing that God is using all this to further His purposes. As a result of His judgments on man, our blessed Saviour will have His rightful place in this world. “When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isa. 26:99With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9)). When He reigns in righteousness, the curse on the ground will be lifted, and the harvests will be so abundant that “the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed” (Amos 9:1313Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. (Amos 9:13)). As part of the church, we will enjoy heavenly blessings, but it will be wonderful to see our blessed Saviour vindicated where He was rejected, while in turn He brings unparalleled blessing to this world.
W. J. Prost