The changing Earth is having a profound effect on global food supplies. A recent trend of devastating fires, plane crashes, and equipment failures at production facilities across the country are compounding the problem. The time to prepare is now!

As we continue our review of Little House in the Big Woods, we are reminded of a time when people existed who had never seen a town. Laura was enamored by the number of homes and the numerous choices at the mercantile store. It made me reflect on the on-demand life Americans enjoy. Most of us couldn’t fathom living without ordering off the internet, let alone having access to a store. The foods we enjoy come from all over the world and are available in any season.

This on-demand lifestyle is in serious jeopardy of collapse. Communities must face this and prepare for a day when the local people will have an essential role in the local food supply.

In the United States in 2021, natural disasters accounted for twelve point five billion dollars in agricultural losses. TheFencePost.com explains that this loss number doesn’t include infrastructure, livestock, horticulture crops, or timber. The state with the most considerable losses was North Dakota. Two-point four billion dollars were lost in wheat, soybean, and corn because of drought. Two billion dollars were lost in Texas because of the freeze, mostly in orange and grapefruit crops.

South Dakota came in third with one million lost in corn, soybeans, and wheat, respectively, due to drought. Fourth on the list was California, where the drought caused half a billion dollars in fruits and nut losses, one hundred and twenty-five dollars in almonds, and one hundred and fifty million in grapes. Overall, the country lost two point four billion dollars in wheat, one point seven nine billion in corn, almost one point two billion in soybeans, and one billion in fruits and nuts. These loss numbers are not just dollar amounts. They equate to food products that were not on the market to stock reserves and fulfill demand.

America is not alone in the losses. The New York Post reported that Aisa is losing $63 billion in annual losses to staple crops because of excessive pollution. Regardless, the losses equal products unavailable to their citizens.DownToEarth.org.in said that 200,000 hectares of crops have been lost to locusts since 2019 in India. South American countries have struggled with historic droughts, floods, and fires.

Then the war in Ukraine broke out and escalated the problem. Wheat exports from the region are expected to drastically reduce. Oil supply issues will directly impact food production and distribution. Fertilizer shortages are so severe that in North Korea, there is a state-sponsored program for human waste collection for fertilizer production. The deficits are going to test the world’s resourcefulness.

Technology is always a double-edged sword. The same machines that allowed farms to expand to massive proportions are now lacking in parts and computer chips to run them. Without these critical supplies, they are useless. China is on lockdown, and the supply line is being severed.

Even Senator Roger Marshall, who serves on the Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Natural Resources, stated on Fox Business News that he is predicting a “worldwide famine” beginning in the next year or two. He blames the fertilizer shortages, the increasing diesel prices as diesel is rerouted for war efforts and the double and tripping of energy costs.

Where you are in the world, and the United States impacts the shortages you are experiencing. This is because of a scarcity of packaging materials and labor shortages in manufacturing and production plants, having never recovered to pre covid numbers.

Meat supplies were expected to be the biggest problem. This includes dairy because of the high cost of packaging and transport. However, that was before the Avian Flu entered the scene. In the United States, CDC.gov reports that thirty-five million five hundred poultry birds have been affected. This number continues to climb, and on April 28th, the first case of human contraction occurred. However, all the birds and people are being tested with PCR tests. You can research the PCR tests and form your own opinion, but in my opinion, they are highly inaccurate.

Vegans are not immune to these shortages. Alternative proteins like tofu, almond milk, soy-based cheeses, and the like are all experiencing shortages. In addition to the effect of disasters on soy and nut crops, when animal factories shut down because of covid, the demand for these alternative proteins increased, and supply could not keep up.

Fruits and vegetables and foods made from them will see supply dwindle. Crop failures have a significant impact, and Rick Williams from JPG resources points the finger at “stockpilers” to claim partial blame.

Soup supplies will shrink because of the vegetable problem and aluminum supply shortages. Aluminum comes mostly from sanctioned countries, and supply can’t keep up with demand. This aluminum shortage and the Avian flu’s impact on the poultry market will cause massive wet animal food stocks.

With all of the global food supply’s challenges, the sudden rash of accidental incidents at food production plants is not helping! CleverJourneys.com reported a list of disasters in just the past couple of months.

March 16th: Nestle factory, Jonesboro, Arkansas, massive fire shuts the factory down.

March 16th: Walmart Distribution Center, Plainfield, Indiana, burns to the ground.

March 22nd: Shearer’s Food Potato Chip Plant, Hermiston, Oregon, boiler explosion destroys the facility.

March: Food Processing Plant, Salinas, California, four-alarm fire burns down facility.

March 28th: Maricopa Food Pantry, Maricopa, Arizona, fire burns 50,000 tons of food storage.

March 31st: Rio Fresh Onion Plant, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, severe fire damages facility.

April 11th: East Conway Beef, New Hampshire, major plant fire.

April 13th: Gem State Processing, Heyburn, Idaho, plane crashes into the facility

April 13th: Major Food Processing Plant, California, burns to the ground.

April 21st: General Mills Plant, Covington, Georgia, plane crashes into the facility.

What can be done when facing the prospect of shortages? There is no reason the people of the United States can’t fill the void. By planting gardens and supporting local farming efforts, communities can survive the ravages of the upcoming shortages. Local animal fertilizer assets can be used to help fill the void of commercial fertilizers. As the earth changes, we must bear witness to adapt and overcome the challenges.