After years of governments around the world exploiting the Covid pandemic to invoke emergency powers, there is a new crisis brewing on the horizon: Food supply.
On Sunday, the world’s largest fresh produce market in Paris, France caught fire and burned nearly to the ground.
The warehouse blaze ignited near a massive produce market that supplies the Paris region with much of its fresh food. The market bills itself as ‘the largest of its kind in the world,’ ABC News reported.
“Firefighters urged people to stay away from the area in Paris’ southern suburbs, as 100 officers and 30 fire engines battled the blaze at the Rungis International Market,” ABC noted.
RUNGIS – Il n’y a qu’un seul entrepôt qui brûle et les pompiers sont entrain de maîtriser l’incendie.
Les flammes sont impressionnantes mais tout le Marché International n’est pas en feu. pic.twitter.com/rgAeXCwQUM
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) September 25, 2022
No one was injured in the blaze. But the fire tore through the 7,000 square meters (1.7 acres) warehouse, roughly the size of a soccer field, said Capt. Marc Le Moine, a spokesman for the Paris fire service.
***Support Becker News — use code BECKER at MyPillow.com and get up to 66% off!***
The cause of the blaze was unknown but will be investigated, Le Moine said.
The wholesale market employs 12,000 people and it sells fruit and vegetables, seafood, meats, and dairy products from around the world.
The Rungis International Market fire is but the latest in a long string of fires at food processing plants since the beginning of 2021.
- Maid-Rite Steak Company (Pennsylvania)
- Food Processing plant (San Antonio, Texas)
- Cargill-Nutrena (Lecompte, Louisiana)
- Van Drunen freeze-dried food plant (Illinois)
- Potato plant (Belfast, Maine)
- Potato plant (Washington state)
- Harpers’ Market (Ontario, Canada)
- Poultry processing plant (Ontario, Canada)
- Mauston Meat Processing Plant (Wisconsin)
- Bonzana Meat Company (El Paso, Texas)
- Sheorers Foods (Oregon)
- Nestle Hot Pockets plant (Arkansas)
- Walmart distribution center (Indiana)
- Walmart storefront (Edgewood, New Mexico)
- Walmart storefront (Clark County/Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Rio Fresh Onion facility (Southern Texas)
- East Conway Beef & Pork (New Hampshire)
- Deli Star (Illinois)
- Tyson poultry plant (Kentucky)
- Kellogg’s plant (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Tyson feed ingredients (Alabama)
- Meat provider (Savannah, Georgia)
- JBS meat plant (Nebraska)
- Smithfield Foods plant (Monmouth, Illinois)
- Fertilizer plant (North Carolina)
- Wisconsin River Meats
- Louis Dreyfus – largest soy processing plant in U.S. (Indiana)
- Potato plant processor (Oregon)
- Fertilizer plant (Kansas)
- Industrial food processing facility (Quebec, Canada)
- Maricopa Food Pantry (Arizona)
- Patak Meat Production company (Georgia)
- River Valley Ingredients plant (Alabama)
- Riverway Foods in River Way (Essex, U.K.)
- Perdue Farms (Chesapeake, Virginia)
- General Mills plant (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
- Taylor Farms California Foodservice (Salinas, California)
- Azure Standard Headquarter Facility for organic foods (Dufur, Oregon)
All of these agricultural plant fires are raising concerns over a surge in food prices, which rose a reported 0.8% in August and 11.4% over the last year, the largest 12-month increase since May 1979.
NOW READ:
Nancy Pelosi Booed Mercilessly at Her ‘Surprise’ Appearance at NYC Music Festival
"*" indicates required fields
OPINION: This article contains commentary which reflects the author's opinion.