[p2p-research] land multipliers

[Ryan Lanham]

On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 12:36 PM, Samuel Rose <samuel.rose at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks, Rick.
>
> I don't think that it is conclusive that London could not support
> itself within it's own geographical space with agriculture. Depends on
> how it would be done, I think.
>

Trouble is, urban populations are fluid.  Ag production much less so.  So,
to keep pace with demand, urban centers of ag would have to have
standardized outputs (essentially a put contract) that would allow them to
plan for possible demand drops and lulls.  It is easier to reallocate
transportation resources than production.  Hence rural farms with transport
will continue to make much sense.  Biodeisel trains could move all the food
Londoners need in a day in, say, 100 train cars.  Pulling such a train
perhaps 200 km is maybe, ballpark, a 2000 gallon transaction.  2000 gallons
of diesel, even at 5x today's price...well within feasible biofuel ranges,
would be only 25,000 USD--a pitance to feed London for a day.
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