In Venezuela food imports have dropped to 61% since 2015, which is causing hyperinflation. Food prices have risen more than 1,000% over the past year resulting in a bottle of syrup costing more than a month of minimum wage (minimum wage is equal to $10 a month in U.S. dollars.) Food is rather abundant in private supermarkets but most people can't afford to shop at them. Instead they go to government-run markets that are usually empty and food must be rationed not making for a real meal. To combat the problem Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro has proposed to start raising rabbits as the answer. Rabbits are a good source of protein and easily produced and while it is not a normal part of Venezuelam life it will keep food on the table.
It's critical that it has come to this but I think that the Venezuelan President's idea is rather smart. A rabbit litter has on average about six babies and can have as many as 14. While it is awful I'm sure that advance factory farming techniques and GMO can make those numbers even bigger. The main down side would be the resources that go into rabbit farming but in time this could prove to be a right direction for Venezuela.
http://www.offthegridnews.com/current-events/venezuelas-president-tells-starving-citizens-eat-raise-rabbit/
It would be good to know if rabbit farming would hurt the environment because rabbits aren't meant to be raised in such high quantities. The effects of the rabbit diet will be something to watch for years to come, and maybe Venezuela's rabbit diet can help other starving people in different countries.
ReplyDeleteBrooke Simpson
It's interesting to see how agricultural technology, such as the farming techniques used for these rabbits and GMOs, could possibly save a country. Science and technology save lives, especially during a crisis like a famine.
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