January 11,
2005: The Asian Tsunami will force new thinking into global
disaster readiness and response. The discovery of mad cow disease
in North America 19 months ago created an elaborate rule-making
process in the US that has the potential of taking down some of
the barriers to Canadian beef by March 7. Big events. Headline news.
Drivers of change.
As the 2004 calendars head for the recycling bin, there will be
scores of small events, back-page stories--one blip on a radar screen--never
to be thought of again. With some exceptions... Here are a few I’ll
be watching in 2005.
- Ocean freight rates spike in 2004 to more than
double their previous high during the energy crisis of the early
70s. Soaring fuel prices are only part of the explanation. China
is sucking in large quantities of raw materials, steel, coal,
scrap iron, wood, half the world’s cement. Older single-hulled
ships are being pressured out of service by insurance surcharges.
There aren’t enough ships to go round. Can high freight
rates be passed on to the customers of low cost food?
- Fighting obesity in schools makes headline news
in 2004. Soda pop or “liquid candy” and other so-called
“bad foods” are getting the boot from schools and
other spots frequented by children and teenagers. Little noticed
were the stories about food and beverage manufacturers who would
like to help improve nutrition but are stymied by labeling rules.
They have become eager to fortify pop with calcium and other good
things. But health claims on foods and drinks that have little
nutritional value are a no-no. The manufacturers want the rules
changed. Their argument goes like this: Kids and teenagers drink
pop and eat candy. We know how to fortify and enrich foods and
drinks. Why not allow us to add a few nutrients to what kids and
teens are already consuming – and allow us to label this
and open up a whole new market?
- Iowa cattle toast to their health. The cattle
on a dozen farms in Cedar Rapids, Iowa liked their feed a lot
better in 2004. Their feed had an additive chock full of protein,
carbohydrates, vitamins and amino acids. More accurately--their
feed was spiked. A local beer distributor ran into trouble with
a large quantity of beer. The shelf life had expired. A local
feed dealer accepted the offer of free beer and in turn offered
the beer as an additive to the feed delivered to his customers.
According to the news bite, one of the ranchers buying beer-spiked
feed noted that the cattle like the beer so much that they hesitate
to eat when offered feed lacking it.
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