DAY 95 The global food supply ch

DAY 95 The global food supply chain is passing a severe test

pass  /pɑːs/

severe  /sɪˈvɪə(r)/
extremely bad or serious

Keeping the world fed

feed /fiːd/
feed somebody 
to provide food for a person or group of people

1 If you live in the rich world and want an example of trade and global co-operation, look no further than your dinner plate. As the lockdowns began in the West two months ago, many feared that bread, butter and beans would run short, causing a wave of stocking-up. Today, thanks to fleets of delivery lorries filling supermarket shelves, you can binge-eat as you binge-watch.

look no further 只需看看…就可以了;
​used to say that something is exactly what somebody needs and so they do not need to consider any other options

 run 
  [intransitive] + adj. to become different in a particular way, especially a bad way

不足;不多;所剩无几
If you are running short of something or running low on something, you do not have much of it left. If a supply of something is running short or running low, there is not much of it left.

stock up 
1> ​to fill something with goods, food, etc.
2> stock up (on/with something)
      ​to buy a lot of something so that you can use it later

lorry /ˈlɒri/
a large vehicle for carrying heavy loads by road

fleets of .....的队伍......的机队......的舰队
+trucks/ cars/ lorries/ ..

binge /bɪndʒ/  n
​a short period of time when somebody does too much of a particular activity, especially eating or drinking alcohol  放纵 [非正式]

binge watching  /ˈbɪndʒ wɒtʃɪŋ/n  无节制地 ; 暴食收看
​the practice of watching several episodes of a TV show on one occasion, usually by means of DVDs or digital streaming

2 This capitalist miracle reflects not a monolithic plan, but an $8trn global supply chain adapting to a new reality, with millions of firms making spontaneous decisions, from switching rice suppliers in Asia to refitting freezers. The system is far from perfect: as incomes collapse, more people are going hungry. There are risks, from labour shortages to bad harvests. And there is an irony in seeing the industry grapple with a crisis that probably began with the sale of pangolin meat in a market in Wuhan. But the food network is so far passing a severe test. It is crucial that, during and after the pandemic, governments do not lurch into a misguided campaign for self-reliance.

capitalist 

monolithic /ˌmɒnəˈlɪθɪk/  庞大而单一的
1> ​used to describe large single vertical blocks of stone, especially ones that were shaped into a column by people living in ancient times, and that may have had some religious meaning
2> ​(often disapproving) used to describe single, very large organizations that are very slow to change and not interested in individual people
(组织或体系)庞大而僵化的，单一的      庞大而无特点的;巨大而单调的  

spontaneous /spɒnˈteɪniəs/
not planned but done because you suddenly want to do it

 refitting freezers.   冷链物流

grapple with  [ˈgræpəl wið]  
v.扭打，抓住; 努力应付困境（或解决难题）;

 lurch into 摇摆不定 陷入困境?
lurch/lɜːtʃ/
1>  (+ adv./prep.) to make a sudden, unsteady movement forward or to one side
2>  if your heart or stomach lurches, you have a sudden feeling of fear or excitement

pangolin /ˈpæŋɡəlɪn/
a small animal from Africa or Asia that eats insects, and has a long nose, tongue and tail, and hard scales on its body

3 The supply chains behind an iPhone, or a car component that criss-crosses the Rio Grande, are wonders of co-ordination. But the unsung star of 21st-century logistics is the global food system (see article). From field to fork, it accounts for 10% of world gdp and employs perhaps 1.5bn people. The global supply of food has nearly tripled since 1970, as the population has doubled to 7.7bn. At the same time, the number of people who have too little to eat has fallen from 36% of the population to 11%, and a bushel of maize or cut of beef costs less today than 50 years ago in real terms. Food exports have grown sixfold over the past 30 years; four-fifths of people live in part on calories produced in another country. This happens in spite of governments, not because of them. Although their role has declined, they still sometimes fix prices and control distribution. The European Union’s farm tariffs are four times those on its non-farm imports. A dozen or so big exporters, including America, India, Russia and Vietnam, dominate staples such as wheat and rice. Half a dozen trading firms, such as Cargill from Minnesota and cofco from Beijing, shift food around the world.

 car component/kəmˈpəʊnənt/  
 one of several parts of which something is made

criss-cross/ˈkrɪs krɒs/  v (两组线或事物)相互交叉，相互交错
​to make a pattern on something with many straight lines that cross each other

Rio Grande[ˈrioˈ ˈɡrændi]格兰德河（美国和墨西哥之间）
 co-ordination  [kəʊˌɔ:dɪ'neɪʃn]n.协调，合作;
wonder [ˈwʌndə(r)]奇迹

unsung [ˌʌnˈsʌŋ]
被埋没的；未受颂扬的 Unsung is used to describe people, things, or places that are not appreciated or praised, although you think they deserve to be.

logistics /ləˈdʒɪstɪks/  n组织工作
logistics (of something) the practical organization that is needed to make a complicated plan successful when a lot of people and equipment are involved

accounts for （数量或比例上）占
bn billion [ˈbɪljən] 十亿

 triple[ˈtrɪpl]vt.& vi.（使）增至三倍;

bushel [ˈbʊʃl]  
蒲式耳（农作物的容量单位，相当于8加仑）A bushel is a unit of volume that is used for measuring agricultural produce such as corn or beans. A bushel is equivalent in volume to eight gallons.
maize[meɪz]
玉米;玉蜀黍Maize is a tall plant which produces long objects covered with yellow seeds called sweetcorn. It is often grown as a food crop.

in real terms扣除物价因素；按实质计算;
在不同年份之间进行对比时，有各年间价格变动因素，而不能确切反映实物量的增减变动。为此必须消除价格变动因素，使之可比，才能真实反映经济发展动态。

sixfold[ˈsɪksfəʊld]adj.六倍的，六重的，有六部分的;

in part 在某种程度上，部分地; 一半;
calory['kælərɪ]n.卡路里

 A dozen or so一打左右.
staple /ˈsteɪpl/  =大米，白面这样的粮食(农作物)
​a basic type of food that is used a lot

 Cargill
嘉吉公司成立于1865年，是一家集食品、农业、金融和工业产品及服务为一体的多元化跨国企业集团。总部设在美国明尼苏达州的嘉吉公司 。嘉吉在福布斯排行榜上29年来蝉联非上市公司第一，是美国第一大私有资本公司。

Minnesota  [ˌmɪnɪˈsəʊtə]
n. 明尼苏达（美国中北部之一州，略作Minn．）;

cofco
中粮集团有限公司.是世界500强企业，中国最大的粮油食品企业 ，中央企业，也是中国领先的农产品.大悦城是中粮集团商业地产板块战略部署精心打造的“国际化青年城市综合体”。

 This happens in spite of governments, not because of them.
尽管这件事的发生与政府息息相关，但并不是因为政府。

4 Concentration and government intervention, along with the vagaries of the climate and commodity markets, mean that the system is finely tuned and can misfire, with devastating consequences. In 2007-08 bad harvests and higher energy costs pushed up food prices. This led governments to panic about shortages and ban exports, causing more anxiety and even loftier prices. The result was a wave of riots and distress in the emerging world. It was the worst food crisis since the 1970s, when high fertiliser prices and bad weather in America, Canada and Russia caused food production to drop.

Concentration   产业集聚

vagary  ['veɪgərɪ]
n.奇想，奇特行为; 异想天开; 怪异多变;

tune /tjuːn/  v  调整，调节
1>  to make changes to an engine so that it runs smoothly and as well as possible
2> to make changes to a musical instrument so that it plays at the correct pitch

misfire  /ˌmɪsˈfaɪə(r)/  不奏效
1> (of a plan or joke) to fail to have the effect that you had intended = go wrong

pushed up food prices

lofty  /ˈlɒfti/
(of buildings, mountains, etc.) very high and impressive

Emerging Markets  新兴市场
新兴市场是市场经济体制逐步完善、经济发展速度较高、市场发展潜力较大的市场。美国商务部1994年研究报告把中国经济区（包括中国香港和中国台湾）、印度、东盟诸国、韩国、土耳其、墨西哥、巴西、阿根廷、波兰和南非列为新兴大市场。2009年摩根斯坦利新兴市场指数列出了以下21个国家（地区）作为新兴市场来进行统计：巴西、智利、中国大陆、哥伦比亚、捷克、埃及、匈牙利、印度、印度尼西亚、马来西亚、墨西哥、摩洛哥、秘鲁、菲律宾、波兰、俄罗斯、南非、韩国、中国台湾、泰国、土耳其。英国《经济学家》杂志列出的新兴市场国家(地区）名单与此相似，只是多了中国香港、新加坡和沙特阿拉伯。其中，巴西、俄罗斯、印度、中国和南非等五个新兴市场被称为“金砖五国”。 

5 Despite the severity of today’s shock, each layer of the system has adapted. The supply of cereals has been maintained, helped by recent harvests and very high stocks. Shipping firms and ports continue to move around food in bulk. The shift from eating out has had dramatic consequences for some companies. McDonald’s sales have dropped by about 70% in Europe. The big retailers have cut their ranges and rewired their distribution. Amazon’s grocery e-commerce capacity has risen by 60%; Walmart has hired 150,000 people. Crucially, most governments have learned the lesson of 2007-08 and avoided protectionism. In terms of calories, only 5% of food exports face restrictions, as against 19% back then. So far this year prices have dropped.

 severity /sɪˈverəti/  
​the fact or condition of something being extremely bad or serious

Shipping firms   运输公司
in bulk  [in bʌlk]  大量; 整批，不加包装; 成堆; 成块;

rewire /ˌriːˈwaɪə(r)/
to put new electrical wires into a building or piece of equipment   
rewired their distribution

grocery /ˈɡrəʊsəri/ n 日常百货
[c] a shop that sells food and other things used in the home. In American English ‘grocery store’ is often used to mean ‘supermarket’.

capacity /kəˈpæsəti/
the ability to understand or to do something
grocery e-commerce capacity   电子商务能力

Crucially  /ˈkruːʃəli/
​in a way that is extremely important

6 But the test is not over yet. As the industry has globalised, it has grown more concentrated, creating bottlenecks. Covid-19 outbreaks at several American slaughterhouses have cut pork supplies by a quarter—and boosted wild-turkey hunting licences in Indiana by 28%. America and Europe will need over 1m migrant workers from Mexico, north Africa and eastern Europe to bring in the harvest. And as the economy shrinks and incomes collapse, the number of people facing acute food shortages could rise—from 1.7% of the world’s population to 3.4%, the un reckons, including in some rich countries. This reflects a shortage of money, not food, but if people go hungry governments will, understandably, take extraordinary measures. The ever-present risk is that rising poverty or production glitches will lead panicky politicians to stockpile food and limit exports. As in 2007-08, this could cause a tit-for-tat response that makes things worse.

concentrated  集中化

bottleneck  /ˈbɒtlnek/   n 
1> ​a narrow or busy section of road where the traffic often gets slower and stops
2>  anything that delays development or progress, particularly in business or industry

slaughterhouse/ˈslɔːtəhaʊs/  
​a building where animals are killed for food

in the harvest  收获季

go hungry 挨饿

ever-present  adj. 经常存在的；始终存在的

glitch n /ɡlɪtʃ/
1> a small problem or fault that stops something working successfully

panicky /ˈpænɪki/  = hysterical
​very anxious about something; feeling or showing panic  

stockpile  /ˈstɒkpaɪl/
to collect and keep a large supply of something

tit-for-tat  /ˌtɪt fə ˈtæt/   n.以牙还牙；针锋相对；一报还一报;
a situation in which you do something bad to somebody because they have done the same to you

7 Governments need to hold their nerve and keep the world’s food system open for business. That means letting produce cross borders, offering visas and health checks to migrant workers, and helping the poor by giving them cash, not stockpiling. It also means guarding against further industry concentration which could grow, if weaker food firms go bust or are bought by bigger ones. And it means making the system more transparent, traceable and accountable—with, for example, certification and quality standards—so that diseases are less likely to jump undetected from animal to human.

guard against   防止

accountable  /əˈkaʊntəbl/  可问责
​responsible for your decisions or actions and expected to explain them when you are asked 

8 To understand food as a national-security issue is wise; to bend that understanding to self-sufficiency drives and blunt intervention is not. Already, before this year, food had become part of a trade war. America has sought to manage its soyabean exports and put tariffs on cheese. President Donald Trump has designated abattoirs part of America’s critical infrastructure. President Emmanuel Macron has called for Europe to build up its “strategic autonomy” in agriculture. Yet food autarky is a delusion. Interdependence and diversity make you more secure.

bend   扭曲

 blunt = direct    /blʌnt/
1> without a sharp edge or point
2> ​(of a person or remark) very direct; saying exactly what you think without trying to be polite

designated 贴标签

abattoir /ˈæbətwɑː(r)/
a building where animals are killed for food

call for
1> to collect somebody in order to go somewhere
2> to need something
3>  to publicly ask for something to happen

autonomy /ɔːˈtɒnəmi/  自制
the freedom for a country, a region or an organization to govern itself independently

 autarky /ˈɔːtɑːki/     n 自给自足
 [u] a system of government of a country in which one person has complete power

delusion   /dɪˈluːʒn/   n.欺骗; 谬见; 错觉; 妄想;
​[c] a false belief or opinion about yourself or your situation

Cooking up a new recipe

Cook up   捏造;编造  
1> ​(informal) to invent something, especially in order to trick
2> ​to prepare a meal or a particular dish

Cooking up the book 造假账

制造一个新的食谱

9 The work of the food-supply system is not yet done. In the next 30 years supply needs to rise by about 50% to meet the needs of a wealthier, growing population, even as the system’s carbon footprint needs at least to halve. A new productivity revolution is required, involving everything from high-tech greenhouses near cities to fruit-picking robots. That is going to require all the agility and ingenuity that markets can muster, and huge sums of private capital. This evening, when you pick up your chopsticks or your knife and fork, remember both those who are hungry and also the system feeding the world. It should be left free to work its magic not just during the pandemic, but after it, too.■

carbon footprint  碳足迹 专有名词

agility  /əˈdʒɪləti/  n
1> the ability to move quickly and easily
2> ​the ability to think quickly and in an intelligent way

ingenuity/ˌɪndʒəˈnjuːəti/
​the ability to invent things or solve problems in clever new ways

muster  /ˈmʌstə(r)/    v  集合 召集
1> muster something (up) to find as much support, courage, etc. as you can
2>  to come together or to bring people, especially soldiers, together, for example for military action = gather

That is going to require all the agility and ingenuity that markets can muster
生产力变革要求市场尽其所能汇聚灵活性和独创性