Milling & Baking News - December 24, 2013 - 7

Editorial



Dynamic global milling in new data

efore commenting on how much there is to single-person grinding units that make whole wheat
learn from the latest data of the International products, the range is so huge as to prevent a global
Grains Council on flour production around estimate of how much flour is made. Suffice it to rely
the world, it is appropriate to thank the Council for on the Council's estimate that aggregate food use has
assembling this information. Even though gathering been increasing recently at an annual pace of hardly
statistics on milling may appear to be a basic respon- 1%, which lags global population gains at slightly
sibility of the Council, it is increasingly apparent that more than the single digit.
such a task is not easy. When one sees Italy, AustraBefore saying growth in global demand is disaplia and China as three instances of nations that do pointing, it becomes essential to differentiate benot provide the I.G.C. with current information on tween national trends. Here is where the I.G.C. statiswheat flour output, in the face of efforts to press for tics are particularly valuable. They affirm that flour
cooperation, an observer may only conclude that re- output in most developed nations is holding steady,
sistance reflects viewpoints that are difficult, if not if not even decreasing in a few places, contrasting
impossible, to fathom.
with developing nations that enjoy economic growth
While rejecting the conclusion that a nation like and expanded middle classes relating directly to exChina may consider flour output as "secret," it is panded demand for foods made from wheat flour.
much easier to blame the absence of output numbers Central and Eastern Europe provide particularly
on statistical shortfalls. After all,
powerful examples of economic
On balance the array
just after the last year covered by
gains, with yearly flour output inof statistics provides an
the current I.G.C. report, 2011,
creases of 23% in both Poland and
the United States government
the Czech Republic. Similar gains
invaluable resource on flour
stopped reporting flour producoccurred in a few of the former
milling if not humankind's
tion. Budgetary shortfalls were
Soviet Union satellites.
most basic food.
blamed for this step, which
Hardly
anything
explains
thanks to the North American Millers' Association spurts in flour production better than the nations
has been replaced by data gathered voluntarily on that have been supplying flour to neighboring couna quarterly basis. Similarly helpful actions have not tries that have experienced food demand growth.
been pursued by other nations, leaving vacuums Turkey is among the major beneficiaries of this dethat diminish the value of the Grains Council data. velopment, enjoying a 55% gain in flour production
Yet, on balance the array of statistics provides an between 2007 and 2011. Data are missing for Pakiinvaluable resource on flour milling if not human- stan that has been the prime beneficiary of populakind's most basic food.
tion growth in war-torn Afghanistan where domesFundamental to examining flour output is survey- tic milling has fallen into disrepair. In the Western
ing how individual nations perform compared with Hemisphere, Argentina's milling has gained from
other nations in the same region as well as globally. Brazil's expanding consumption, even as the latter's
Although it is some years since the I.G.C. has made an milling industry has been fast growing.
estimate of world flour production, it comes nearest by
North America and Western Europe have flour
assessing food use of wheat. The latest I.G.C. forecast totals that are relatively steady, as well as domestic
of food use is 471 million tonnes, accounting for 68% industries with venerable histories that are highly
of global wheat disappearance at 690 million. While competitive in a classic unfolding of the modern
nearly all of food use represents milling or grinding, milling story. Based on the I.G.C. data issued this
the total is impossible to convert accurately into flour. year, it is apparent that milling continues to be dyFrom developed nations where modern milling sys- namic, even as the industry's course varies dramatitems operate at extraction rates near 75% to primitive cally among countries. MBN
MORTON I. SOSLAND, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Milling & Baking News - December 24, 2013

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