3.6.08

global food crisis

On a more serious note, I think the following article well addresses the concerns by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the 30 year-high food costs plaguing all of us. He also made a case for industrialized countries (EU and America, are you listening?) to increase yields, eliminate trade barriers and strategically move food where it's needed most.


3 comments:

Unknown said...

He could also have mentioned the role of the World Bank/IMF and their ridiculous structural adjustment policies, which have forcibly reduced food production in developing countries and made them dependent on imports. But hey, I'm amazed he even dared to mention removing agricultural subsidies, not the that US or EU will budge on that anyway.

Simon

Yannis Mameletzis said...

right on bro.
i agree with you.

it's all about protecting that French and Kansas farmer. you got a good read/journal article on thie IMF's policy on this issue?

i'm making fresh pesto tonight.

Unknown said...

Well the IMF/World Bank 'policy' on this is basically the Washington Consensus, which encapsulates the neo-liberal ideology behind SAPs.

But the effects of SAPs (such as banning subsidisation of fertilisers/pesticides, allowing EU/US dumping of food on unprotected markets, US food aid, forced reductions in gov spending etc etc = collapsing food subsistence in developing countries, reorientation to cash-crops and thus dependence on Western farmers for basic foodstuffs - how many Tanzanians can live on sugar-snap peas?)

An interesting (if slightly polemic) introduction to the whole 'game' can be found at: http://www.maketradefair.com/en/index.htm

In particular: http://www.maketradefair.com/en/index.php?file=03042002121618.htm is a pretty good book covering all trade topics in general, and much on agriculture. As for SAPs and the behaviour of the IMF/World Bank and WTO, Jstor is pretty good, though the issues seem to be covered in books more than articles.

Pesto... mmm... I have some Carluccio's Pesto that I bought the other day (cos I'm way too lazy to grind pine nuts and basil lol). Whatcha having it with?