Shortages that threaten civilization

Olive oil. Heat in Spain, disease in Italy.

“European officials have ordered a widespread cull in the worst affected areas of southern Italy, in an attempt to contain the outbreak. But Italy has halted some of the felling to save olive groves featuring trees over 500 years old. They said the EU was given ‘inaccurate information’ about the outbreak.”

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/09/news/olive-oil-shortage-price/

However: “Tunisia saw a record harvest in 2014/2015, and it's now the world's second largest producer after Spain.”

Reckon those “European officials” are at EU headquarters or in countries that are in competition with Italian olives? Nah. EU countries don’t compete.

Vanilla.

“The prices of beans are at near-record highs — $205 per kilogram, up from $84 last year and $20 in 2011. With the industry paying more than double for extract, experts worry that's going to translate to price increases at right about the time people decide it's ice-cream weather.”

http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/03/vanilla-shortage-could-spike-ice-cream-prices.html

“Near-record highs” at $205 a kilogram. So, what is the record?

Fear mongering. Without olive oil and vanilla, life just won’t be the same.

Well, maybe it will. I never used olive oil until my wife and I were married in 1972. Somehow, I survived until then. (Bacon grease.)