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-------------------------------------------------------------------- A monthly Review of clippings on Critical Issues & Concerns for NGOs, Activists and others concerned with Justice & Social Change -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| June 2008 |
Crises
within a Crisis
There was hope that the World Food Conference in Rome would come up with sincere policy decisions that would address the challenges to food security. But it failed to discuss the challenge to food security from biofuels and climate change; it failed to take a tough stand on either. Nor could it persuade rich countries to bring down farm subsidies that are distorting agricultural trade. States and financial institutions agreed that their agriculture policies had failed and there was a need to increase investment in agriculture, but beyond that there was no sign of a fresh approach.
Like so many international negotiation rounds before, this conference too saw the urgent needs of the world's poor hijacked by the interests of the rich and powerful nations. The most active participants at the Rome Conference were not UN agencies, but private players like International Seed Federation, International Fertiliser Association and the International Feeds Association. As one commentator on the food crisis summed up, "Across the globe, the entire chain of resources and inputs are now being cornered by corporations. Farm land, water, fertiliser, seeds, pesticides and many more. Grab these together and you've got the world by its belly. The giant companies are now putting out papers on how they will solve the world's food problem. Never mind the fact that they are at the heart of it ".
Critical Concerns has focused on the Food Crisis in the last three issues and the inevitable conclusion we have arrived at the end of the day is simple: The food crisis can be resolved only if the right to food is given precedence over the right to profits.
| FOOD & AGRICULTURE | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Right to Food versus Right to Profit, Economic & Political Weekly Magazine, 14 Jun 2008
- Empty Promises, Down to Earth, Magazine, 16 Jun 2008,
- A missed opportunity to feed the world, The Independent London, 06 Jun 2008
- Virtues of urban agriculture, The Hindu, Chennai, 17 Jun 2008
- Fertilising profit, sowing misery, by P. Sainath, The Hindu, Chennai, 16 Jun 2008,
- Origins of the crisis, The Business Standard, Mumbai, 16 Jun 2008
- Farming hits another low, by C Anand Reddy, The Asian Age, Mumbai, 02 June 2008
- Continuing violence of Green Revolution, by Dr Vandana Shiva, The Asian Age, Mumbai, 17 Jun 2008
- GM concerns in agriculture, The Hindu, Chennai, 11 Jun 2008
- Scientists warn against GM foods, by Rashme Sehgal, The Asian Age, Mumbai, 05 Jun 2008
- GM brinjals, boon or a curse?, by Eklavya Atray, DNA, Mumbai, 10 June 2008
- Sustainable agriculture: A world beyond GM crops, by Devinder Sharma, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 20 Jun 2008
- Threat to Food Security, by Bharat Dogra, Frontier Magazine, 08 J un 2008