Police identity parade.

Detectives had to "dig deep" to get to the "root" of the theft from an allotment. The Cambridgeshire Police carried out an identity parade which included all the suspect vegetables. You could say that the evidence against the perpetrators was "planted" after Lawrence Miller and Steven Randall were caught with a swag bag of fruit and vegetables. It was that line-up that "sowed" the "seeds" of their downfall. Miller and Randall were given a conditional discharge, and ordered to pay compensation and costs.

This may be an unusual crime in the UK, but as the world population grows and growing enough food becomes harder to sustain, it might not be so unusual in the future. The developed world consumes twice the amount of resources as the undeveloped world. The world's population is around the seven billion mark. After growing very slowly for most of human history, the number of people on Earth has more than doubled in the last 50 years.

But how times have changed. 200 years ago Thomas Malthus wrote an essay on the Principal of Population. He gave the language the phrase Malthusian crisis. He wrote "The power of population is so superior to the power of the earth to produce subsistence for man, that premature death must in some shape or other visit the human race. The vices of mankind are active and able ministers of depopulation. They are the precursors in the great army of destruction, and often finish the dreadful work themselves. But should they fail in this war of extermination, sickly seasons, epidemics, pestilence, and plague advance in terrific array, and sweep off their thousands and tens of thousands. Should success be still incomplete, gigantic inevitable famine stalks in the rear, and with one mighty blow levels the population with the food of the world".

He later wrote "A man who is born into a world already possessed - if he cannot get subsistence from his parents on whom he has a just demand, and if the society do not want his labour, has no claim of right to the smallest portion of food."

We may be on the cusp of such a Malthusian crisis. 

But greed comes wearing many coats. The politicians in Westminster, flipping houses and homes for ducks. The executives of Banks who enjoy huge bonuses whilst they managed us all into the current financial crisis. Chief Officers of companies who manage their own remuneration packages. Even the management of our waterways have joined them in the squealing melee around the trough.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has said he sympathises with the feelings of the "fat cat" protesters outside St Paul's Cathedral. He told BBC One's Politics Show that the demonstration reflected people's feelings about those who had prospered in the economic crisis, while many more suffered. Cable also said that legislation could be introduced to curb executive pay.

The Chinese view this in a different way - The government of China executed twelve male and six female factory managers by firing squad at a refrigerator plant just outside Beijing in 1989 because the poor quality of their products constituted "unpardonable crimes against the people of China." Customers had complained for years about having to wait for refrigerators that were usually unusable when delivered.

Now I wonder if such an accountancy of management system could be introduced to BW. If so I am prepared to invest in armaments to help the cause.

Apparently, I am citizen of the world number 2,458,338,245 which is such a memorable number. Not only that, I can expect to live until I am 77.4 years of age so that's about October 2025 for me then. So with a bit of luck I should see a good few years to continue to cruise the canals and rivers.

Where do you fit into this story of human life?

Fill in your date of birth Here to find out.

Later.....