Nov 15, 2017, 02.11 PM IST
In Short Supply
The French don’t have enough butter. Or, rather, they aren’t ready to pay extra for it. Supermarket shelves are sitting empty in the land that gave the world the much-loved croissant. Here are some other things that countries around the world ran low on.
Reuters
Paper Trail
Country: Venezuela
Low on: Paper and ink
Last month, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro signed an emergency decree that extended expired Venezuelan travel documents by two years because of a chronic shortage of paper and ink at the national passport agency. At least a million Venezuelans have been waiting months for new documents and cannot travel in the interim. Earlier in 2013, Venezuelans — already struggling to find food, medicine and other basic necessities —ran out of toilet paper.
Low on: Paper and ink
Last month, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro signed an emergency decree that extended expired Venezuelan travel documents by two years because of a chronic shortage of paper and ink at the national passport agency. At least a million Venezuelans have been waiting months for new documents and cannot travel in the interim. Earlier in 2013, Venezuelans — already struggling to find food, medicine and other basic necessities —ran out of toilet paper.
Agencies
Dirty Power
Country: Sweden
Low on: Garbage
Sweden has run out of garbage. In fact, according to media reports, the Scandinavian country has been i mpor ti ng r ubbish from other countries to keep its state-of-theart recycling plants going. Sweden reportedly gets almost 50 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy. It was among the first few countries to implement heavy taxes on fossil fuels in 1991.
Low on: Garbage
Sweden has run out of garbage. In fact, according to media reports, the Scandinavian country has been i mpor ti ng r ubbish from other countries to keep its state-of-theart recycling plants going. Sweden reportedly gets almost 50 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy. It was among the first few countries to implement heavy taxes on fossil fuels in 1991.
Agencies
Say Cheese
Country: UK
Low on: Goat cheese
Back in 2014, the UK reported a goat cheese shortage, as producers claimed they were experiencing difficulty getting access to supply of goat milk. The shortage followed the culling of more than 50,000 pregnant goats and sheep across Europe in 2010 because of an outbreak of Q Fever, a bacterial disease that can potentially spread to humans.
Low on: Goat cheese
Back in 2014, the UK reported a goat cheese shortage, as producers claimed they were experiencing difficulty getting access to supply of goat milk. The shortage followed the culling of more than 50,000 pregnant goats and sheep across Europe in 2010 because of an outbreak of Q Fever, a bacterial disease that can potentially spread to humans.
Agencies
Brewing Trouble
Countries: Brazil and Central America
Low on: Coffee
Droughts and diseases have been plaguing Brazillian and Central American coffee beans. In the past few years, Brazil experienced a season of extreme drought and Central America saw an outbreak of the leaf rust disease, which destroyed the crops. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee beans, with some of the most efficient plantations. According to a report from The Climate Institute of Australia, by 2080 wild coffee (which helps us find genetic varietals that might be more resistant to climate stress) will go extinct.
Low on: Coffee
Droughts and diseases have been plaguing Brazillian and Central American coffee beans. In the past few years, Brazil experienced a season of extreme drought and Central America saw an outbreak of the leaf rust disease, which destroyed the crops. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee beans, with some of the most efficient plantations. According to a report from The Climate Institute of Australia, by 2080 wild coffee (which helps us find genetic varietals that might be more resistant to climate stress) will go extinct.
ThinkStock Photos
Jail Break
Country: Netherlands
Low on: Criminals
The Netherlands is suffering a crime problem — there just isn’t enough of it to fill prisons. According to reports, the government will close five of its prisons over the next few years because the cost of maintaining them is too high. The problem of empty cells has gotten to the point where, last year, the country imported 240 prisoners from Norway.
Low on: Criminals
The Netherlands is suffering a crime problem — there just isn’t enough of it to fill prisons. According to reports, the government will close five of its prisons over the next few years because the cost of maintaining them is too high. The problem of empty cells has gotten to the point where, last year, the country imported 240 prisoners from Norway.
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