Japan’s Food Fears

A week after the earthquake and following tsunami, Japan’s main island, Honshu, has been hit by a food shortage. The shortage is due to a combination of hoarding and a broken supply chain, which normally is maintained through now damaged roads, railways, and ports. The country’s agriculture minister has already warned people against hoarding, as it makes it harder to get supplies to the most affected areas. Increased radiation levels from a damaged nuclear power plant has also led to anxiety over food and water contamination. According to Dave Byron of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, however, there is currently no evidence of food contamination in the country.