Südkorea hat Pläne, Getreidesilos in den USA (engl. grain elevators) zu erwerben und dann den Farmern ihre Ernte direkt abzukaufen. Andere finanzkräftige Länder, wie China, Japan und Saudi Arabien könnten diesem Beispiel schon bald folgen:
"This January, a new stage in the scramble among importing countries to secure food began to unfold when South Korea, which imports 70 percent of its grain, announced that it was creating a new public-private entity that will be responsible for acquiring part of this grain. With an initial office in Chicago, the plan is to bypass the large international trading firms by buying grain directly from U.S. farmers. As the Koreans acquire their own grain elevators, they may well sign multiyear delivery contracts with farmers, agreeing to buy specified quantities of wheat, corn, or soybeans at a fixed price.Werden die Amerikaner eines Tages feststellen, dass ihre Getreideernte von anderen Nationen aufgekauft wurde? Zumindest auf die Lebensmittelpreise dürfte sich dieser direkte Zugriff auf den amerikanischen Getreidemarkt auswirken.
Other importers will not stand idly by as South Korea tries to tie up a portion of the U.S. grain harvest even before it gets to market. The enterprising Koreans may soon be joined by China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and other leading importers." (Quelle: The New Geopolitics of Food)