Buy Tom's Books
  • Great Powers: America and the World After Bush
    Great Powers: America and the World After Bush
    by Thomas P.M. Barnett
  • Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating
    Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating
    by Thomas P.M. Barnett
  • The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-first Century
    The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-first Century
    by Thomas P.M. Barnett
  • Romanian and East German Policies in the Third World: Comparing the Strategies of Ceausescu and Honecker
    Romanian and East German Policies in the Third World: Comparing the Strategies of Ceausescu and Honecker
    by Thomas P.M. Barnett
  • The Emily Updates (Vol. 1): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    The Emily Updates (Vol. 1): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    by Vonne M. Meussling-Barnett, Thomas P.M. Barnett
  • The Emily Updates (Vol. 2): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    The Emily Updates (Vol. 2): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    by Thomas P.M. Barnett, Vonne M. Meussling-Barnett
  • The Emily Updates (Vol. 3): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    The Emily Updates (Vol. 3): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    by Thomas P.M. Barnett, Vonne M. Meussling-Barnett
  • The Emily Updates (Vol. 4): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    The Emily Updates (Vol. 4): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    by Thomas P.M. Barnett, Vonne M. Meussling-Barnett
  • The Emily Updates (Vol. 5): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    The Emily Updates (Vol. 5): One Year in the Life of the Girl Who Lived (The Emily Updates (Vols. 1-5))
    by Vonne M. Meussling-Barnett, Thomas P.M. Barnett, Emily V. Barnett
Search the Site
Powered by Squarespace
Monthly Archives
« The "escape from New York" approach to failed states | Main | Japanese employers have a counteroffer to Beijing »
12:05AM

Ag "wars"! (fought with money and lawyers--damn it all!)

Target acquired!

FT full-page analysis on how economic (more calories) and demographic (more mouths) pressure on ag production is leading to an M&A fight over PotashCorp--the fertilizer giant.  The UN now predicts a 70% increase in food consumption by 2050.  

Mining giant BHP Billiton is making a hostile bid for the Canadian firm, prompting talk of a counterbid by a Chinese national company, presumably because China fears a loss of access down the road.  The fertilzer industry in general is experiencing heightened mergers and acquisitions deals (like the expected merger of two giant Russian fertilizer firms).  Potash, a key fertilizer component, has seen its per ton price rise from $150 to $1,100 over the past half-decade, leading more nations to view the drab component as being on par with oil--a as in, a strategic asset.

Another example of how China's appetites and resulting connectivity are racing ahead of its political-military ability to defend them.  Some look at that and see the rise of Chinese military power as the solution, but as I've explained many times, I don't think the Chinese political system could withstand an aggressive era of overseas wars--even to protect "vital interests." That vision just doesn't jibe with a nation of only-child "little emperors."

Alternative?  China better have a lot of military allies around the world to help it deal with the fact that it's becoming the more resource-dependent--and thus vulnerable--economy in the world.

References (2)

References allow you to track sources for this article, as well as articles that were written in response to this article.

Reader Comments

There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>