Global Jordbruks Handel System

Picture Credit UN Photo Gill Fickling. För att lösa världsskrämmekrisen är det nödvändigt att göra mer än att skicka nödhjälp till länder som står inför hungersnöd. Ledare måste ta itu med det globaliserade systemet för jordbruksproduktion och handel som gynnar stort företags jordbruk och exportorienterade grödor samtidigt som man diskriminerar småskaliga jordbrukare och jordbruk som är inriktade på lokala behov. Som ett resultat av officiell handling dödar mer än trettio miljoner människor årligen undernäring och svält, medan stora industrianläggningar exporterar allt fler jordgubbar och skar blommor till välbärgade konsumenter. Överdriven köttproduktion , återigen i stor utsträckning för de välbärgade, kräver massiva mängder av foderkorn som annars skulle kunna upprätthålla fattiga familjer. Jätte agribusiness, kemiska och restaurangföretag som Cargill, Monsanto och McDonalds dominerar världens livsmedelskedja och bygger ett globalt beroende av ohälsosamma och genetiskt farliga produkter. Dessa Företagen kämpar för att få patent på alla planer t och levande organism och deras intensiva reklam syftar till att övertyga världens konsumenter att äta mer och mer godis, snacks, hamburgare och läskedrycker. GPF Perspectives. This paper diskuterar huvudorsakerna till den branta uppkomsten i globala matpriser och den resulterande spridningen av hunger till nästan en miljon människor världen över Författare James A Paul och Katarina Wahlberg konstaterar att biobränslen och det agroindustriska tillvägagångssättet för livsmedelsproduktion är de främsta gärningsmännen i livsmedelskrisen. Papperet ser på ett brett spektrum av faktorer som äventyrar näring för allt inklusive befolkningstillväxt, ohållbar konsumtion, internationell handelspolitik och klimatförändringar. Författarna argumenterar för ett effektivt och generöst kortsiktigt stöd samt en långsiktig omvandling av jordbrukssystemet för att göra det mer rättvist fördelaktigt, fjädrande och hållbart för framtida Global Policy Forum Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Global Policy Forum s Katarina Wahlberg kritiserar Världsbankens förslag att skapa en G reen revolutionen i Afrika Genom att fokusera på att öka jordbruksproduktionen genom vetenskaplig utveckling av mer produktiva grödor, ignorerar banken att jordens biologiska system inte kan utnyttjas för alltid. Supporterna till den nya gröna revolutionen misslyckas också med att ta itu med de stora orsakerna till det globala livsmedelskrisen inklusive biobränsleproduktion och ohållbar global konsumtion av kött Författaren kräver en övergång från industrins jordbruk av exportgrödor till hållbart jordbruk för lokal konsumtion Världsekonomins utveckling i korthet. Global Policy Forum s Katarina Wahlberg varnar för första gången på årtionden världens brist på mat blir ett problem Ökad efterfrågan på spannmål för livsmedelskonsumtion, boskapsuppfödning och i synnerhet produktion av biodrivmedel driver matpriserna till rekordnivåer Särskilt de fattiga, som spenderar majoriteten av sin inkomst på mat, kommer att drabbas av att göra Det är värre, matprisstigningen påverkar också mängden livsmedelsbistånd tillgängliga, eftersom regeringarna inte har ökat finansiering för FN: s världs livsmedelsprogram, världsekonomins utveckling i korthet. UN Documents. Agroecology kan fördubbla världens livsmedelsproduktion inom 10 år, samtidigt som klimatförändringarna mildras och ekologiska metoder minskas. Ekologiska metoder förbättrar markproduktiviteten och skydda grödor mot skadedjur genom att förlita sig på den naturliga miljön Denna rapport från Olivier de Schutter, FN: s särskilda rapportör för rätten till livsmedel, uppmanar staterna att foder deras befolkning genom att anta effektiva jordbruksmetoder. Konventionellt jordbruk som bygger på dyra insatser faktiskt brinner klimatförändringen och är inte motståndskraftig mot klimatiska chocker. Fiskerierna stödjer försörjningen på över 540 miljoner människor och fiskeriprodukter är världens mest omsatta livsmedelsvaror Enligt världens världs rapport om fiske och vattenbruk har globala vilda livsmedelsbestånd minskat och fiskodling kan inte fortsätta sin senaste tillväxt Rapporten undersöker ökade ansträngningar för att verkställa e-handelsåtgärder och mot olagligt, orapporterat och oreglerat fiske och behovet av en hållbar fiskeförvaltning, som ofta förbises av beslutsfattare FAO. UN Specialordförande för rätten till mat Olivier de Schutter berömmer Kinas anmärkningsvärda sociala och ekonomiska framsteg under de senaste tre decennierna Kina har lyftt hundratals miljoner människor ur fattigdom Men det finns problem som bland annat klimatförändringar, krympning av jordbruksmark och markförstöring, som hotar jordbruksproduktionen De Schutter rekommenderar att Kina flyttar mot en mer hållbart jordbrukssystem för att upprätthålla nuvarande produktionsnivåer. Den proportionella köparen i globala livsmedelsförsörjningskedjor skadar småskaliga jordbrukare FN: s särskilda rapportör om rätten till mat, Olivier de Schutter, hävdar att konkurrenslagstiftningen kan hantera missbruk av dominerande köpareffekt genom global agribusinessfirmor Konkurrenslagstiftningen kan utformas för att skydda rätten till mat, så att global livsmedelsförsörjning ch FN: s konferens om handel och utveckling har släppt ut en politisk rapport som beskriver klimatförändringarnas påverkan på jordbruket. För många utvecklingsländer är jordbrukssektorn ytterst viktig. Även om klimatförändringar kan få allvarliga skadliga konsekvenser för livsmedelssäkerheten , jordbrukssektorn kan ingå i en lösning för att mildra negativa effekter. Denna korthet hävdar behovet av ett betydande förskjutning från konventionella metoder till hållbara livsmedelsproduktionssystem som förbättrar produktiviteten hos småskaliga jordbrukare UNCTAD. FAO: s årliga flaggskeppsbrev, The Maten och jordbruket ger en vetenskaplig bedömning av de aktuella frågorna i livsmedels - och jordbruksdebatten I årets rapport uppmärksammas den snabba expansionen av boskapssektorn - driven av befolkningstillväxt, urbanisering och ökande välstånd. Det betonar behovet av bredare landsbygdsutveckling politik och ökad styrning av boskapssektorn, till e nsure dess inverkan på miljön är begränsad FAO. FN: s miljöprogram UNEP har släppt en ny rapport om sambandet mellan miljön och livsmedelskrisen. Miljöförstöring och förluster av odlingsmark och biologisk mångfald hotar livsmedelsproduktionen. Rapporten analyserar effekterna av ekocid på jordbruksutbyte och livsmedelssystemet och efterlyser hållbara investeringar tillsammans med politisk reglering av livsmedelsmarknaden UNEP. Matkris och klimatförändringar är utmanande jordbruk Livsmedels - och jordbruksorganisationen FAO har släppt en ny rapport som påpekar att jordbruket avsevärt bidrar till växthusgasutsläpp samtidigt som den drabbas av global uppvärmning samtidigt En av de viktigaste faktorerna för att mildra klimatförändringen och möta efterfrågan på livsmedel är restaureringen av organiska markar. Rapporten kräver en mer holistisk vision som ser utöver smala och ohållbara lösningar FAO , en marknad som domineras av några transnationella företag, Minskar biologisk mångfald Den särskilda rapportören för rätten till mat Olivier de Schutter är oroad över småböndernas beroende av dessa stora företag. Han tar också upp den ojämna konkurrensen mellan det kommersiella och traditionella utsädet. Han uppmanar till investeringar och politik som gynnar små bönder i utvecklingsländer och inte stora producenter eller privata investerare UNDPI. Denna deklaration uppmanar FN: s medlemmar och internationella organ att genomföra kort-, medel - och långsiktiga lösningar på den globala livsmedelsskrisen. Texten uppmanar medlemsstaterna att öka stödet till småföretag, skala jordbrukare i drabbade länder och höja investeringar för forskning för att öka livsmedelsproduktionen Världsledare misslyckades med att komma överens om de särskilda orsakerna till livsmedelskrisen, inklusive den roll som spelas av biobränsleproduktionen I stället rekommenderar förklaringen ytterligare undersökning av vilken inverkan biobränsleproduktionen har på livsmedelssäkerhet Livsmedels - och jordbruksorganisationen. Mat - och jordbruksorganisationen FA O förutspår att trots att den globala spannmålsproduktionen kommer att öka under 2008 kommer priserna att ligga på rekordhöga nivåer Produktionen växer inte tillräckligt snabbt för att matcha den starka efterfrågan så länderna spannmålsprodukter kommer att fortsätta minska. De flesta produktionsökningarna kommer att äga rum i USA, EU, Kina och Indien Majoriteten av de fattiga länderna kommer att uppleva en nedgång i produktionen, vilket gör dem ännu mer beroende av import och sårbara för högre kornpriser. Artiklar och dokument. USA: s National Family Farm Coalition varnar för livsmedelssäkerhet såväl som bönder försörjning kan bli hotat om planerna för ett transatlantiskt frihandelsområde skulle realiseras National Family Farm Coalition var bland ett brett spektrum av civila samhällsgrupper som protesterade mot ett transatlantiskt frihandelsområde TAFTA i Arlington, USA, i maj En av de viktigaste aspekterna av transatlantiska förhandlingar är det ömsesidiga erkännandet av USA och EU om regler och förordningar om handel och investeringar. Här ligger fokus inte så mycket om tullhinder, men vad den amerikanska regeringen hänvisar till som bakom gränspolitiken, såsom hälsa, miljö och ekonomiskt skydd. Att eliminera dessa handelsirriterande, som de har kallats av multinationella företag, kallas en minskning av icke - - tariffbarriärer i de pågående förhandlingarna mellan EU och USA Rural21.ETC Group och EcoNexus har utfärdat rapporter om företagskontrollen som är förankrad i den globala livsmedelskedjan. Rapporterna deltar i jordbrukssektorens dominans, särskilt inom industriproduktionen såsom djurfoderproduktion, boskapsuppfödning, gödningsmedelskrävsmedel och utsädesproduktion bland annat. Resultatet visar de förödelser som dessa monopoler orsakar lokala bönder, eftersom deras lokala raser och livsmedelsgrödor har gått vilse. Den nya alliansen för livsmedelssäkerhet och näring, lanserades vid G8-toppmötet i 2012, lovar att minska fattigdomen för 50 miljoner människor under de kommande tio åren genom att öka pr ivateinvesteringar och jordbruksledd tillväxt i utvalda afrikanska länder Ett år efter initiativets lansering presenterar bevis från en ny Oxfam Briefing-notation om dess genomförande en oroande bild av dess resultat hittills Oxfam. Det finns ett stort antal förslag, strategier och initiativ om hur man förbättrar livsmedelsförsörjningen och jordbruksproduktionen. Misstänkt saknas en aspekt i dessa debatter. Kan importrestriktioner bidra till att stimulera jordbruksproduktionen och gynna småskaliga jordbruksfamiljer Vilka förutsättningar för ett rationellt och smart genomförande av handelsreglering för att uppnå dessa mål Dessa frågor tas upp av Uwe Hoering i hans rapport Alternatives to Food Import Dependency, som han skrev för FDCL, ett forsknings - och dokumentationsinstitut som arbetar med Chile och Latinamerika FDCL. A-koalition av icke-statliga organisationer, inklusive Friends of the Earth Europe, Oxfam, Världsutvecklingsrörelsen och SOMO har kritiserat EU: s finansministerns ståndpunkt De säger att EU ignorerar hur finansiella institutioner fortsätter att engagera sig i matspekulation, vilket äventyrar livsmedelssäkerheten. Nya bestämmelser kommer att antas 2014 SOMO. Två tyska frivilligorganisationer, Brot fr die Welt och WWF Tyskland kritiserar Det nya avtalet om reformen av EU: s gemensamma jordbrukspolitik, som ger stora bidrag till stora jordbruksproducenter i EU-länder. Reformen missar inte bara möjligheten att få en meningsfull inverkan när det gäller miljöskydd, men det ignorerar också exportbidrag som är en avgörande fråga för jordbrukare i den globala South Brot fr die Welt, WWF Germany. En koalition av brittiska icke-statliga organisationer och den tyska icke-statliga organisationen Misereor har betonat att afrikanska civila samhällsorganisationer avvisar G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, enligt uttalanden som båda grupper publicerade förra helgen hölls det så kallade nutrition for growth toppmötet i london i förhoppning om att t han G8 som möter den här månaden i Nordirland Afrikanska civila samhällsorganisationer avvisar G8-strategin och ifrågasätter sin legitimitet när det gäller att besluta om Afrikas livsmedelssäkerhet World Development Movement, Misereor. Germanys fjärde största bank, DZ Bank och dess dotterbolag Union Investment , har meddelat att de inte längre kommer att engagera sig i spekulationer med jordbruksprodukter, enligt NGO Foodwatch DZ Bank bekräftade detta genom ett brev som skickades till foodwatch DZ Bank är det senaste av ett antal institut som har meddelat sitt beslut att stoppa processen med matspekulation Foodwatch. Drought och en växande befolkning har belastat livsmedelssäkerheten i Kenya Som svar uppmuntrar den kenyanska regeringen risodlare att anta en jordbruksteknik som kallas System of Rice Intensification SRI, som används i stor utsträckning i Indien Metoden tillåter bönder att odla sina grödor med begränsat vatten, samtidigt som de producerar större utbyte. Ris är en stapel del av Ken yan-kost, men produktionen i landet matchar inte efterfrågan och den är starkt beroende av import från länder i Asien. Programmet för risintensivisering syftar till att göra Kenya mer självförsörjande, särskilt i samband med klimatförändringen. Generaldirektören Jose Graziono da Silva citerar småskalig livsmedelsproduktion och återhämtningen av den biologiska mångfalden i jordbruket som vägen mot ökad livsmedelssäkerhet, särskilt i landsbygden Vid ett besök på University of Gastronomic Sciences kritiserade han den gröna revolutionen på 1960-talet för dess miljöförstöring och skadlig inverkan på grödor som berodde på den tunga vikten på kemiska agrariska metoder. Han noterade behovet av att återställa traditionella grödor, stödja lokalproduktion och länka dem till marknader, vilket möjliggör en ökning av deras inkomst. Han betonade rollen av grödor som quinoa i kampen mot hunger, hänvisar till FN: s internationella år Quinoa. Även om Silva s betoning på jordbruket och livsmedelsdiversitet och återupptäcka olika livsmedel är viktigt, det ignorerar frågor som rör landtagning och klimatförändringar FAO. Mars, Mondelez, Nestle lämnar kvinnabönder bakom 8 mars 2013. Oxfam kritiserar Mars, Mondelez och Nestle för deras ojämlika behandling av kvinnors forskning in i de etiska normerna i deras försörjningskedja har visat att kvinnliga kakaoproducenter i den globala söder ofta utsätts för diskriminering. Trots att kvinnor är avgörande i produktionssystemet, får de ofta ojämlik lön och nekas ofta tillgång till mark, kredit, utbildning och verktyg. International Women's Day kampade Oxfam att uppmuntra företagen att ta itu med dessa frågor och uppmanade dem att vidta åtgärder för att göra sina produkter mer hållbara Oxfam Press Release. Brazil har infört nya initiativ för att uppmuntra hållbarhet och näring i landet genom att främja användningen av lokalt tillverkade produkter i skolmat. Programmet syftar till att stödja produktion och konsumtion av kvalitetsmat från småskaliga bönder och öka synligheten på den lokala marknaden Regeringen hoppas att det kommer att stimulera ekonomisk utveckling, näring och livsmedelssuveränitet i landet Initiativet följer på från National School Feeding Program som lanserades 1955 som ett socialt biståndsprogram Att ta itu med hungersproblem Idag är fokus på att skapa ett lokalt system för upphandling av livsmedel och att uppmuntra öppenhet och ansvarighet i skolmjölksprogrammet Al Jazeera. Oxfam s Bakom varumärkesrapporten bedömer det etiska beteendet hos de 10 bästa livsmedelsmärkena. Välgörenheten har betygsatta företag som Nestl, Mars och Coco-Cola när det gäller deras beteende mot kvinnors rättigheter land och vattenanvändning klimatförändringar lokalsamhällen småhållare bönder och arbetstagares rättigheter Rapporten visar att dessa företag, som dominerar matmarknaden och tillsammans gör över 1 miljard en dag, uppfyller inte etiska normer Associated British Foods ABF, ägare av varumärken inklusive Kingsmil Jag, Ovaltine och Silverspoon fick lägsta poäng med bara 13 av 70 Det gjorde en dålig en av tio i sin behandling av mark, kvinnor och klimatförändringar. Oxfam hoppas kunna lägga påtryck på dessa företag för att se över hur deras verksamhet inverkar på mänskliga rättigheter och miljö Men välgörenheten uppmanar konsumenterna snarare än regeringar att driva för den här förändringen Guardian. This artikel utforskar hur skräpmatindustrin driver allmänheten för att över-konsumera och bli beroende av bearbetad mat Kolossala mängder forskning, pengar och teknik går in i processen för att upptäcka hur de kan driva flera ounces i fler kroppar oftare. Förutom att överbelasta sina produkter med socker och salt för att uppmuntra missbruk skapar de också produkter som avsiktligt blöts i smak och smälter när de äts till trick hjärnan till att tro att det inte har konsumerat några kalorier, vilket gör konsumenten att äta och längta efter mer De riktar sig till delar av befolkningen som skulle vara mer suscep till exempel marknadsföring och missbruk Coca-Cola som till exempel de största konsumenterna som tunga användare, har stora kampanjer i fattigare och mer utsatta områden som New Orleans Transnational-företag som Kraft, Coca-Cola och Nestl, bortse från hälsoriskerna hos deras föremål, ofta ursäkta sitt beteende genom att hävda att det handlar om utbud och efterfrågan av New York Times. Som en del av FN: s initiativministrar och högtidsanställda som samlades i Nairobi för att äta nyligen på mat som annars skulle ha blivit kasserad för att inte uppfyller EU: s livsmedels estetiska normer Evenemanget var utformat för att öka medvetenheten om kampanjen som syftar till att minska globalt livsmedelsavfall genom att ändra konsument - och detaljhandelns inställningar till mat 1 6 ton mat samlades från kenyanska gårdar som hade ansetts olämpliga för försäljning i Europa och serveras vid middagen Tristram Stuart, grundare av Feeding 5000, en partnerorganisation som noterar att det är skandal att så mycket mat slösas bort i ett land med m illioner av hungriga människor Men denna mat odlas inte för att mata miljontals människor som lider av matbrist i Kenya. Det är avsett att exporteras till EU. Kampanjen tänder inte till att Storbritannien och andra EU-länder växer sina mat i Afrika till en början, en viktig fråga inom det moderna livsmedelssystemet UN Press Release. I byn Darvesphura, i Indiens fattigaste stat, växer bönder rekordhaltiga rismängder, utan hjälp av GMO eller herbicider. Ökningen i utbyte är ett direkt resultat av en jordbruksmetod som kallas System of Rice Intensification SRI, som utvecklades av Henri de Laulanie, en fransk jesuitspremist och agronom i Madagaskar på 1980-talet. En amerikansk professor, Norman Uphoff, cirkulerade metoden i Asien som har hjälpte till att lyfta många människor ur fattigdom. Det har beskrivits som en ny grön gräsrotsrevolution, helt motsatt den gröna revolutionen från 1960-talet, som förlitade sig kraftigt på teknik och bekämpningsmedel Weste rns regeringar håller dock tillbaka från att investera i metoden, föredrar att finansiera teknisk forskning Guardian. Quinoa att köpa eller inte köpa är den här rätta frågan 15 februari 2013. FN har utsett 2013 som det internationella året för Quinoa och har höga förväntningar på sin roll i kampen mot världssulten. Växten blir alltmer populär, med hälsoentusiaster som påpekar det som en supermat men frågan om denna popularitets påverkan på Quinoa-odlarna i Andesen är också aktuell och omstridd Kritiker hävdar att den ökande efterfrågan på superkorn ökar sitt pris och gör det otillgängligt för fattiga bolivier som lita tungt på det för näringsämnen Andra, inklusive FN, hävdar att jordbrukarna ekonomiskt dra nytta av den höga efterfrågan på grödan I antingen fallet är ansvaret för konsumenten att bojkotta sin försäljning eller för att öka den. Denna artikel hävdar att det inte är konsumentvanor som påverkar livet o f bönderna är det snarare systemet bakom produktionen som verkligen efterlyser förändring. Billiga amerikanska veteprodukter mättar den bolivianska marknaden, undergräver den lokala livsmedelsmarknaden och gör det svårt för lokala bönder att konkurrera. Dessutom har odlingen av grödan skadliga effekter på marken och ekosystemen som regeringen driver för mekanismeringen av produktionssystemet Common Dreams. Medicinsk tidskrift The Lancet har publicerat en serie artiklar om icke-smittsamma sjukdomar och deras roll i debatten efter 2015 Denna artikel handlar om transnationell mat och dricker företag som drivrutiner för NCDs. Det undersöker deras politiska beteende och hur de arbetar för att undergräva hälsovårdsföreskrifterna och gör en nära jämförelse med tobaks - och alkoholindustrin. Varje år finns det över 9 4 miljoner dödsfall som orsakas av högt blodtryck, 3 4 miljoner från högt kroppsindex och 2 miljoner från högt kolesterol, varav en stor del kan tillskrivas konsumtionen av processer d mat och dryck Trots dessa hälsorisker har transnationella företag som Nestle och Coco-Cola ett stort inflytande på den offentliga politiken för att bekämpa NCD och ha en stark position på den globala marknaden, särskilt i låg - och medelinkomstländerna Lancet NCD Action Group uppmanar regeringar och det civila samhället att arbeta för att skydda folkhälsan och reglera åtgärderna i dessa industrier Lancet. Bhutan förbjuder försäljning av bekämpningsmedel och herbicider och främjar traditionella jordbruksmetoder för att bli världens första helt ekologiska land Regeringen hoppas Detta drag kommer att hjälpa landet av småboendebönder att producera mer mat och öka exporten. Det buddhistiska landet leder vägen för en hållbar utveckling, det är koldioxidneutral, livsmedelssäker och 95 av befolkningen har rent vatten och el. Det är dock lider också av effekterna av globalisering, konsumentism och klimatförändring. Många bhutaner är ovilliga att driva ett agrariskt liv elihood och migrera till grannländer Oförutsägbart väder har påverkat bönderna skördar och växande antal har kommit att förlita sig på kemikalier för att förbättra deras avkastning Trots dessa backar är regeringen övertygad om att Bhutan kommer att lyckas med att vara lantbrukande organiska och som ett buddhistiskt land, se detta steg som både praktiskt och filosofiskt värdefulla Guardian. Food and Drug Administration FDA har planer på att godkänna AquAdvantage-laxen, det första genetiskt manipulerade djuret. Det utvärderas genom FDAs nya djurmedicinsk godkännande NADA, ett förfarande som är avsett att bedöma nya djurdroger, inte genetiskt manipulerade djur. Som ett läkemedel införs vid utvecklingens encellsutveckling anses djuret vara ett läkemedel och behöver därför inte analyseras med avseende på människors hälsa, djurs välbefinnande eller miljöpåverkan Om detta godkännande går framåt, GE köttprocessen kommer sannolikt att bli dold från konsumenterna och som jordens vänner inte s, FDA s godkännande kommer att öppna floodgates för andra genetiskt manipulerade djur, inklusive grisar och kor, för att komma in i matleveransen Common Dreams. Almost Half of the World s Food Thrown Away, Rapport Finns 10 januari 2013. Förenade kungarikets Institution av Mekaniska ingenjörer IMechE har släppt en rapport som visar att mellan 30 och 50 procent av all livsmedel som produceras över hela världen slösas bort varje år. Det globala avfallet härstammar huvudsakligen från återförsäljare och konsumenter efterfrågar estetiskt perfekt mat och strikta försäljningsdatum. IMechE har också uttryckte oro över de höga nivåerna av vatten som används vid matproduktion, särskilt vid köttproduktion. På grund av höga fysiska utseende är omkring 550 miljarder meter vatten bortspillad i odlingsprodukter som avyttras innan de når till och med konsumenten När befolkningen växer och livsmedelssäkerheten ökar, uppmanar IMechE regeringar, FN och utvecklingsbyråerna att ta itu med detta problem Guardian. I Under de senaste åren har många utvecklingsorganisationer och icke-statliga organisationer främjat att knyta stora företag med afrikanska småbönder. Kritiker som Patrick Mulvany från Storbritanniens livsmedelsgrupp hävdar att denna utveckling motiveras av jordbruksföretag som beror på införandet av en industrialiserad jordbruksmodell i afrikanska länder för deras egna kommersiella framgångar Stora lantbruksföretag som Cargill och Monsanto erbjuder nu jordbrukare större tillgång till gödselmedel, kvalitetsfröer, finanser och andra tjänster, vilket skapar ett beroende som i sista hand undergräver småbrukare. Jordbruksföretag ser småbönder som ett tillfälle att säkra matleveranserna relativt billiga priser, med billig arbetskraft och samtidigt skapa en ny marknad för proprietära agrokemikalier Guardian. QA Food Production Accounts för 29 procent av växthusgaser 31 oktober 2012. Matproduktion representerar 29 procent av de växthusgaser som orsakar global uppvärmning Två rapporter släpptes i Co penhagen av den rådgivande gruppen för internationell jordbruksforskning CGIAR bekräftade detta AQA med författarna till dessa rapporter avslöjade att utsläppspåverkan av livsmedelsproduktion innebär att de sammanlagda utsläppen av alla stadier av livsmedelsproduktionstillverkning av insatsvaror, såsom gödselmedel, jordbruk, livsmedelsdistribution och försäljning och hantering av livsmedelsavfall Rapporterna betonar att klimatförändringarnas inverkan på livsmedelssäkerhet kommer att falla oproportionerligt på människorna i utvecklingsländerna, även om dessa människor bidrar mycket lite till det globala fotavtrycket För att minska utsläppen måste det finnas nya metoder för livsmedelsproduktion samt nya livsmedelskonsumtionsmönster IPS. Betting on Farm Africa s Kör för mat självförsörjning 19 oktober 2012. Mängder osäkerhet och beroende av livsmedelsimport är ett vanligt problem i Afrika trots sitt rikliga mark och resurser Efter matkrisen 2007-2008 har ett antal afrikanska länder varit prioriterade ng ansträngningar för att ta itu med detta problem och uppnå livsmedelsförsörjning baserat på principerna om nationell och regional livsmedelssuveränitet. Hjärtat i dessa strategier är att öka livsmedelsproduktionen genom att väsentligt förbättra avkastningen och betona framväxande lokala och regionala afrikanska urbana marknader Jämfört med tidigare försök Framtidsutsikterna för Afrikas livsmedelssuveränitet förefaller mer lovande än tidigare och det finns ett växande politiskt tryck på åtgärder som skyddar konsumenterna från import och prisvolatilitet. Men betydande finansiella investeringar krävs för att flytta förbi politisk retorik och minska beroendet av externa livsmedelsförsörjningar. Tänk Africa Press . Växande grödor för mat och bränsle kan samtidigt fungera, men livsmedelssäkerhet måste vara en prioritet FN: s särskilda rapportör om rätten till mat Olivier De Schutter hävdar att EU: s planer på att revidera sina biobränslemål nedåt gick inte tillräckligt långt. De återstående produktiva länderna är under ökat tryck för biobränsleprodukt jon Internationell handel och investeringar inom detta område intensifieras. Sänkningsmålen för biobränsle är otillräckliga, och en garanti för hållbarhet i jordbruket kräver nationella fallvisa åtgärder. De Shutter föreslår en modell där småhushållen skulle organisera sig i kooperativ som sammankopplade biobränsleråvara med häftklammer grödor som öronmärktes för lokala livsmedelsmarknader På så sätt stärker biobränsleproduktionen faktiskt småskaliga lokala livsmedelsproducenter och livsmedelssystem som har ett långsiktigt intresse för att upprätthålla naturresursbasen. Om fisket av utländska flottor hotar fiskbeståndet hållbarhet för lokala fiskare i Väst och Centraleuropa Oreglerat fiske och skadliga tekniker förstör livsmiljöer och förorsakar havets sorters lager dramatiskt, eftersom många arter flyttar till utrotning. Regionkommissionen för fiske i Guineabukten COREP varnar för att denna belastning på resurser hotar livsmedelssäkerhet och li välstånd i området Regeringarna måste vidta åtgärder för att övervaka verksamhet i utländska fiskeflottor. Varningar är dock inskränkt eftersom myndigheterna är ovilliga att förlora de intäkter de får från att sälja fiskerättigheter. Tänk Africa Press. Finanspekulationer på livsmedelsvaror ger osäkerhet och volatilitet till marknader och är ett stort hot mot världens fattiga Institute of International Finance har uppskattat att i mitten av förra året investerades 450 miljarder av finansiella tillgångar i råvaror eller derivatspel på framtida prisrörelser. UNCTAD uppmanar världens regulatorer att ta en rad åtgärder för att kontrollera och begränsa spekulationer En skatt på finansiella transaktioner är den mest sannolika åtgärden för att lyckas, eftersom minst 11 europeiska länder är nära att anta en sådan avgift inom en snar framtid. Men lobbyverksamhet från finansiella företag kommer sannolikt att förhindra allvarlig reglering av futures och derivat Observer. Stanford forskare visar oljepalmplantager är klar g Karbonrika tropiska skogar i Borneo 8 oktober 2012. En ny studie från Stanford University forskare visar att den växande produktionen av palmeolja förstör tropiska regnskogar i Borneo och signifikant ökar koldioxidutsläppen Indonesien är den ledande producenten av palmolja och hem till världens tredje största tropiska skogsområde På grund av den snabba förlusten av dessa skogar är Indonesien en av världens största utsläpp av växthusgaser. Trots att omkring 16 000 kvadratkilometer skogsmark har rensats för plantager, korrekt information om dessa plantager är inte lättillgängliga för offentlig granskning eller övervakning. De flesta invånare i detta område är omedvetna om denna utveckling, som har dramatiska effekter på deras försörjning och miljö. Farmland Grab. What är den verkliga föraren av höga matpriser och hunger den 6 september 2012 . Medietäckningen av den amerikanska torkan och ökningen av livsmedelspriserna välkomnas men det förblir falska idéer om huvudsakliga orsaker och lösningar på dessa problem Alternetartikeln kritiserar täckningen att attribut prishöjningar främst ökar köttbaserade västra dieter i utvecklingsländer. Detta är visserligen en del av förklaringen, men saknar två problem som ligger till grund för prisvolatiliteten - finansiell spekulation och bristen på offentligt hållna livsmedelsreserver. Det visar också effekten av biobränslen. Även om kostmönstret förändras långsamt kan användningen av biobränslen snabbt och avgörande ändras genom regeringens politik Alternet. Matbrist kan tvinga världen till vegetarianism, varna forskare 26 augusti 2012. To avoid catastrophic food shortages in the next 40 years, the world s rapidly growing population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet, says the Stockholm International Water Institute SIWI SIWI s latest report warns that there will not be enough water available for everyone to adopt a Western-type diet Vegetarian diets consume five to ten times less water and would hence increase the amount of water available to grow more food The International Water Management Institute IWMI also states that investment in small-scale water solutions rather than large irrigation projects would increase household revenues across the global south Guardian. Has Organic Been Oversized July 7, 2012.In the past decade, US corporations such as Kellogg, PepsiCo and General Mills have bought many small, independent organic companies and profited from the value-added price of organic food, making it a 30-billion-a-year business Their domination of the board that sets standards for organic foods has also led to an increase in the number of nonorganic materials approved for organic production, from 77 in 2002 to more than 250 today By turning organic into a marketing ploy and corrupting the organic food industry, corporate giants continue to maintain the unsustainable food and farming system that threatens the health of humans and the environment New York Times. How Fairtrade Bananas are Failing Migrant Workers May 28, 2012.In the Dominican Republic, the Fairtrade banana industry is reliant on Haitian migrant workers who are paid below living wages and have no access to social security More than half of the country s bananas are exported the UK, where supermarkets are the most powerful actors along the supply chain and make high profits based on unsustainably low prices that they pay to suppliers While fair trade standards are designed to ensure that producers from developing countries have long-term security, in practice, the standards are not helping migrant workers to earn a fair salary and decent living conditions Guardian. In this article, author Eric Schlosser argues that the current system of food production must be overhauled in favor of a new diverse, resilient, and democratic system Schlosser states that the current system is overly centralized, overly industrialized, and overly controlled by a handful of companies that are overly relian t on monocultures, pesticides, chemical fertilizers He says that the current low costs of food are deceptive, but what s gone wrong in our food system can be reversed if we move towards alternative small scale production systems, such as organic farming The Atlantic. As consumer markets in the US and Western Europe are shriveling, Walmart the world s largest corporation, is attempting to enter markets of developing economies It is estimated that the value of grocery markets in the four BRIC countries Brazil, Russia, India and China will amount to three billion dollars in the next four years With an 8 percent growth rate, India shines as a lucrative market for retailers Walmart s entry into the country would not only jeopardize the livelihoods of small farmers but also destroy the entire Indian system of farm to table farming It seems that Walmart poses a bigger threat to small-scale agriculture than seed titan Monsanto IPS Terraviva. Multi-national Biotech company Monsanto spent 2 millio n in the first quarter of 2009 lobbying the US government that genetically engineered seeds were safe and did not need testing Leaked cables and internal FDA documents show that FDA scientists believe genetically modified foods could lead to new diseases Although 30 countries have significant restrictions or bans on GMOs, the US government approves of their use UK Progressive. This new Global Citizens report on the state of GMOs highlights the false promises and failures of genetically engineered GE seeds Contrary to claims by global corporation Monsanto, GE crops do not control pests and weeds, increase crop yields, or lower the levels of chemicals used in food production, writes activist Vandana Shiva The report calls for a shift towards agroecology, a biological-based, sustainable alternative to the current industrial food production model Panna. In order to feed a growing global population, food output must compete with biofuels production and rise by seventy percent in the next fort y years, says Policy advisor to Qatar s food security program Mahendra Shah According to Shah, biofuels encourage deforestation, increase fertilizer usage, and will inevitably lead to rising agricultural prices and push hundreds of millions of people into hunger Bloomberg. Preeminent land activist Vandana Shiva emphasizes the need to resist the agro-industrial takeover of small farmers and communities This fundamental shift has played a significant role in denying millions of people their right to food According to Shiva, it is important to move away from food dictatorship and build food democracies, which address the challenges of seed monopolies and advocate agroecology The Nation. This article discusses how sustainable intensification the production of food while reducing agriculture s negative impacts on the environment is a better alternative to GMO technology Unlike GMO crops that rely on synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, sustainable farming increases the capture of carbon in th e soil while simultaneously decreasing health risks from exposure to toxic chemicals In this article Anna Lapp, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute, argues that GMOs do not strengthen social networks or up production significantly and they are not the answer to global food needs Civil Eats. During a campaign tour in the Midwest, Obama announced plans to spend up to 510m building biofuels refineries These refineries will produce fuel from corn, wood chips, or grasses for the US navy and reduce America s dependence on foreign oil, said Obama Like corn ethanol, another government-backed biofuel, investment in these types of biofuels could further constrict food supplies and hike global food prices, as seen with corn ethanol Guardian. US farmers have begun growing Enogen-branded genetically modified GM corn plants to produce ethanol for commercial purposes Critics of Enogen believe farmers will be drawn to the new efficient ethanol form of corn and consequently produce less food for hum an consumption Studies show a well-established relationship between expanding biofuels production and rising global food prices There is also much worldwide resistance to the introduction of this new GM corn The EU, South Korea, and South Africa have not approved the import of the new GM corn and food industry groups in the US also oppose the new Enogen corn, citing cross-pollination fears Guardian. In an effort to foster trade and boost exports, Russia is looking to sell about 24 million hectares of arable land, below-market price, to Asian countries seeking to invest in foreign farmland for food security purposes Currently, a reported 409 million acres of farmland are unused in Russia The Russian government plans to acquire more land for lending, by annulling ownership rights to land that has not been cultivated for three years Russia s focus on Southeast Asia is part of a wider effort to build stronger ties with the fastest growing region in the world Bloomberg. The neglect of sustain able agriculture in Africa must end says Kanayo Nwaze, president of the UN s International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD The Somali famine serves as a warning to African governments and the international community to invest in small-scale farming Development assistance for agriculture fell from 20billion in the 1990s to 3billion in the early 2000s due to an emphasis shift from agriculture to industrialization Agriculture accounts for approximately 30 of sub-Saharan Africa s GPD but represents 80 of export earnings in other countries Nwaze is confident that diversification, rural investment, the stemming of migration, and reduction in the gap between rural and the urban populations can boost food productivity and generate income for countries in Africa Guardian. This article from Nourishing the Planet, a project of the Worldwatch Institute, identifies inefficiencies within the current food system and outlines ways in which producers and consumers can work together to increase fo od security Recommendations include using low-cost technology, such as cell phones, to give farmers direct access to market information and ensure fair pricing Such practices will increase market transparency and allow for the fair distribution of food, says Nourishing the Planet With a growing global population, it is important to address problems in the current food system, rather than only channeling efforts into producing more crops Worldwatch Institute. The European Union s EU reform of its Common Agricultural Policy does not include any change for subsidies to EU agricultural producers The EU argues at the World Trade Organization that its supports are no longer trade distorting, since they are not tied to farmers production According to this analytical note, these distortions have far-reaching implications for developing countries, including impacts on small farmers The EU s developing country partners negotiating trade agreements should protect themselves against EU-created dist ortions in agricultural trade South Centre. China s increasing domestic demand for food could mean a rise in imports of key grains to feed its growing population China is usually a large net exporter of grains like corn, rice and wheat, so an increase in imports may affect the price of food commodities worldwide As China s population becomes wealthier, dietary changes include more meat consumption According to the Chinese director of the State Council s office on rural policy, decision-makers should rethink the notion of food self-sufficiency Wall Street Journal. Industrial agriculture methods, involving the intensive use of energy, water, machinery, and chemicals to grow crops, cannot be relied upon to feed people in the future The UN Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter says that the combination of agronomics and ecological science, known as Agroecology, best suits the needs of the 21st century De Schutter believes that resource efficiency should be the prime objective - saving water, preserving soil, and de-linking agriculture from fossil energies AlterNet. The EU s Common Agricultural Policy CAP that subsidizes European farmers is notable because of the harm it causes to producers in the developing world Now, Eastern European farmers, who do not receive high subsidies as their Western European counterparts, are lobbying for reform to make arrangements more equitable This article highlights the many failings of the CAP, and advocates for changing the system However, this seems improbable at the present L anglophone. Global wheat prices have doubled in the past two years due to a combination of factors, including changing weather and grain commodity speculation Financial market mechanisms create perverse incentives resulting in farmers planting other crops such as soy and cotton chasing higher returns In order to avoid such problems, governments should better regulate food commodities, particularity grains and cereals This article analyses the causes o f the decline in global stockpiles, such as export bans on farmers in Russia, crop production and increasing food prices resulting in riots Bloomberg. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, bees pollinate around 71 of the 100 crop species which provide 90 per cent of food worldwide But bees are dying out rapidly A new report by the UN Environment Programme UNEP says that toxic chemicals in pesticides cause a loss in the sense of direction and memory for bees, which they rely on to find food UNEP advises farmers to take more care when applying insecticides and other chemicals, and restore bee-friendly habitats The Australian. Fishermen discard more than 10 per cent of all the fish caught for human consumption As much as two-thirds of the fish caught in some areas ends up back into the water, usually dead, due to the current EU system of fishing quotas EU Ministers plan to make the most radical change to fisheries policy in 40 years A common fisheries policy, reform fishing quotas, means that fishermen do not need to throw away large amounts of their catch Guardian. China s approach to food security as national security can offer important lessons for the rest of the world A policy of maintaining an emergency grain reserve means that China does not play a significant role in global grain markets, despite being the world s largest wheat producer China also stores foods like pork and edible oils Many other nations do not follow the same approach This article argues that given the current volatility of the global food system, more countries should look into the idea of food reserves to feed their own populations Foreign Policy In Focus. Humans have caught and consumed over 65 per cent of all large fish species in the last 100 years Experts say that this ecological imbalance will forever change the oceans, with only small fish such as sardines and anchovies thriving in future decades Overfishing in East Asia is problematic since almost 50 percent of the increa se in the world s fish consumption for food comes from that region The UN Environment program says international organizations and governments should regulate number of fishing boats and the days they fish in order to stabilize fish populations The Washington Post. China s major agricultural regions are affected by the worst drought in 60 years, threatening crop production and drinking water supplies Any decision by its government to import large quantities of food will further increase high food prices The International Rice Research Institute says that the country s grain situation is critical to the entire world China produces more wheat than any other nation, and is the world s largest importer of soybeans, making them very important to the world food market New York Times. NATO and foreign governments have spent 200 million to flight piracy off the coast of Somalia, but they have failed to address the plundering of Somalia s fisheries by Asian and European fishing fleets The rapid g rowth of piracy is linked to the destruction of Somali s local fishing sector According to the High Seas Taskforce, these illegal fleets break international conventions, destroy marine stocks and deny some of the world s poorest people their source of protein and livelihoods The Africa Report. Developing countries are taking action against rising food prices, including price caps and export bans Many governments are concerned that speculation on food prices will cause another political crisis, similar to the violent riots in 2008 Indonesia is removing import tariffs on over 50 items including wheat, soybeans, fertilizer and animal feed India is extending the ban on the export of lentils and cooking oil The UN and World Bank advise governments to invest more in new production and agricultural infrastructure to match the rising demand for food Wall Street Journal. In India, two fifths of the population is hungry and 75 per cent of Indians lack adequate food and nutrition At the same time t ones of stored grain decay in warehouses The government of India is unwilling to reform the system of food distribution to feed hungry people This article examines the option of an equity-based social framework where agriculture and natural resources are paramount A legal guarantee through a universal regime of food security is needed to feed hungry people and eradicate poverty in India South Asian Citizens Web. The Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures, a study into food security commissioned by the UK government, says that the current world trade and food production system is unsustainable and fails to end hunger The report recommends the minimization of waste, as well as the sustainable production of food in order for the system to provide good health and nutrition to a growing world population The report also calls for government intervention to protect poor people from sharp price increases BBC. An extra 75 million people are malnourished due to recent food price rises But re al supply and demand do not determine prices, instead banks, hedge funds and financiers are making billions of dollars by speculating on food Staple foods as well as cocoa, fruit juices, sugar, meat and coffee are all now global commodities, along with oil, gold and metals Olivier de Schutter, UN Rapporteur on the Right to Food, has no doubt that speculators are a major cause of rising prices Guardian. The US Agriculture Department reduced its estimates for global harvests of key crops, including corn and soy beans, due to tightening food supplies and rising food prices Supply constraints reflect the dry weather in South America and Russia and floods in Australia Another problem is the use of crops by the biofuel industry, which in the US enjoys extensive government incentives A rising population is putting unsustainable pressures on resources such as water, food and energy, which could cause social and political instability and irreparable environmental damage Wall Stret Journal. Agribu siness companies in the US are recipients of federal farm subsidies that impact the world economy and the environment This article examines the influence of the US Farm Lobby on Washington s foreign policy US farmers export goods like cigarettes and pop corn to blacklisted countries under the guise of humanitarian aid through legal loopholes Agricultural protectionism by the US is not only detrimental to foreign policy, but also threatens the world trade and food production system Foreign Policy In Focus. The price of sugar, grain and oilseed drove world food prices to a record high in December 2010 It is the sixth consecutive month in which the UN food price index has risen The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warn that prices could rise even higher given the droughts in Argentina and floods in Australia affecting crop yields and commodity prices Grain prices impact significantly on the food budgets of people in poor countries An increase in food prices would almost certainly incre ase world hunger and set off another global food crisis New York Times. UK agriculture and environment minister, Caroline Spelman, recently chastised EU governments for their Common Agriculture Policy CAP , because of its enormous cost in a time when government finances are looking wobbly Spelman proposes to replace direct subsidies with income supports tied to enhanced environmental protection Farm subsidies in the world s advanced economies are inherently unequal, and when viewed within the broader context of rising food prices, climate change, and increasing protectionism, it is clear that the current system urgently needs modification Reuters. The bumblebee is an important pollinator of many agricultural crops around the world, including most fruits, vegetable and nuts as well as coffee, soya beans and cotton Ninety per cent of the world s commercial plants are dependent on pollination by bees to increase yield These insects, along with other pollinators, have been in serious decline in the last few decades There is concern about the impact this could have on global food production UN conservation strategies may help to mitigate further losses Guardian. The fisheries sector plays a critical role in reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition for many developing countries Coastal states particularly should ensure regional collaboration on shared fish stocks Recent statistics indicate that fish stocks are continuing to declining due to over-fishing, poaching by unlicensed vessels and illegal fishing The Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission, regional fisheries bodies and others are working on conservation and protect Today. Myanmar is the second largest opium poppy grower in the world, after Afghanistan Conflict in the north and growing food insecurity is resulting in small-scale farmers growing poppy in order to feed their families According to this report, 77 of the 1 2 million farmers growing poppy are doing so to pay for food The production of these drugs is mostly for export within the region and internationally Without more attention to the human and food insecurity problem, convincing farmers to stop the production of such a lucrative drug will be difficult IRIN. Small farmers and local food producers all around the world often find themselves driven off their land When governments do not invest enough in local agriculture, these farmers are left vulnerable and impoverished UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter says that the most sustainable solution for developing countries is to reinvest in domestic agriculture to feed their own populations These countries should also diversify their economies in order to decrease dependency on a limited range of export crops IPS. The International Fund for Agriculture and Development IFAD have released a report on volatile food prices, the effects of climate change and a range of natural resource constraints which complicate the fight to end rural poverty IFAD says that food production w ill have to increase by 70 per cent to feed the expected world population of 9 billion by 2050 Rural poverty rates have dropped over the last decade However the situation for women farmers has not improved Women still face limited access to land tenure, credit and equipment, and market opportunities IPS. The prices of wheat, maize and other traded foods have risen by up to 40 percent in a few months According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the food import bills for the world s poorest countries are predicted to rise 11 percent in 2010 and by 20 percent for low-income food-deficit countries The food prices would then reach a level not seen since the food crisis in 2008 The price inflation is partly fuelled by food commodity speculation Legal regulations that control global food speculation are needed before to avoid a repetition of the 2008 crisis and millions of more hungry people Guardian. FAO estimates that 925 million of the world s people are undernourished Because of t he rising US corn price, that number could now grow higher Even the smallest increase in bushel prices for corn, grain or wheat can have a devastating impact on food availability for millions of people A weakened dollar has led to rising speculation in the commodity market and increased price volatility, while climate change is diminishing production Experts fear another global food crisis Countercurrents. Structural barriers to sustainable development are woven in the malfunctioning neoliberal economic policies For issues like food security, poverty eradication and reaching a sustainable environment, governments have to think outside the neoliberal box Neoliberal institutions like the G20 are not looking to help developing countries to become food secure Instead, developing countries are increasingly dependent on food imports, and the G20 chooses to look the other way since they don t want to hurt the commercial interests of corporate agricultural giants In this interview, Devinder Sha rma explains Share the World s Resources. Western lifestyle often literally means taking food from poor people - the harsh truth is the hunger of the poor is in part a choice of the rich Putting limits on food speculation, making cut-backs to the global food trade and assisting poor nations in creating food sovereignty are some of the things that have to be made if hunger is ever going to be defeated The cause of hunger is not so much about a lack of food as unfair allocations of the world s resources Acknowledging self-sufficiency is critical and by growing our own food, the power of corporate agriculture will be undermined Share the World s Resources. About 7 million people in Afghanistan, over 24 percent of the country s population, are food insecure Afghanistan is largely a food deficit country But wheat although considered a strategic crop and staple food - is not encouraged by the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture Instead, it promotes export crops like fruit and saffron because they r eceive a higher price in international markets Donors such as USAID condone this trade-oriented food production strategy while Afghani people rely on food aid This is just one example of the distorted global food system that continues to burden people worldwide IRIN. Bill Clinton s Doubletalk on Haitian Agriculture May 17, 2010.Bill Clinton has admitted that the US free-market agriculture policy towards Haiti did not work But the solutions Clinton puts forward, as the UN Special Envoy to Haiti, calls for more of the same failed policies Clinton s presidential policies toward Haiti deliberately reconfigured the country to fit into the new global division of labor, turning relatively self-sufficient farmers into low-wage workers in assembly plants Now, Clinton ignores practical ideas put forward by Haitian popular organizations, while the ex-president continues to bolster export-oriented cash crops like coffee, mangos, and avocados NACLA. Liberia s agricultural sector has been suffering fr om underdevelopment due to fourteen years of civil war The Liberian government is now investing in its farmers and creating a long-term plan to counter the stagnation The government s main priority is food security and decreasing the country s dependence on food imports In conjunction with the United Nations, the Liberian government developed a food and nutrition program that calls for investing in the country s infrastructure so that Liberian farmers are able to increase food production for national consumption Reuters AlertNet. Cuba will bring farming to the suburban areas around cities and towns, providing the science and leadership for alternative, localized models of food production This approach brings food production closer to the urban areas where 76 percent of the island s population lives The approach, which will not only provide food but also cultivate carbon sinks, create water basins, and reduce emissions, is based on principles of crop diversity and the use of animals for traction and transport of produce IPS. 100 billion a year in US and EU farm subsidies are distorting world trade and harming exporters in poor countries This article asks if the global financial crisis presents an opportunity to get rid of these astounding distortions Many lobbyists and politicians in high income countries obstruct efforts to reform these policies that devastate poor countries Africa Report. Cheap food causes poverty and hunger This article explains the contradictory nature of food and agriculture under globalization The demand for low food prices means many farmers are getting less money for their crops and struggle to support themselves As farmers go out of business, long term food security is also at risk The author blames the demand for cheapness for the food crisis, concluding that there are some essential things, such as our land and the life-sustaining foods it can produce, that should not be cheapened Resurgence. The world s largest agribusiness companies squeeze the agriculture system from both the s upply and demand side, threatening food security Seed prices overall have risen 146 percent in the last decade as many farmers in the US and worldwide have no choice but to buy seeds from Monsanto, the world s largest GM seed company As well, agribusiness mergers in the last two decades have concentrated the industry s buying power in the hands of a small number of corporations, threatening farmers to get big, or get out Triple Crisis. Colonialism Lives In Biotech Seed Proposal for Africa March 20, 2010.Biotechnology is playing an increasing role in African agriculture As a result, farmers are becoming more dependent on imported technology - a fact that hinders local sustainability US companies, Monsanto and Pioneer, plan to export more biotech corn seed to Africa - claiming yields will increase to provide more food and profit for all However, companies sell seed at a great cost to farmers and enforce strict rules to prohibit sowed seeds being used for future seasons Moreover, the agricu ltural methods promoted are designed for monoculture production on large scale acreages like in the US and are unsuited to the small scale production methods of African farming Institute for Agriculture and Trade. Large Agribusiness Hurting Small Landholders, says UN Rights Expert March 5, 2010.The global food sector is dominated by transnational corporations and as a result small landowners and farmers are suffering, says Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rappotteur on the Right to Food De Schutter says that smallholders in developing countries are suffering hunger and poverty because of the tremendous market influence of the companies He proposes that governments use tax incentives, legal protection of rights of agricultural workers, and action against foreign suppliers that abuse the rights of local producers UN News Centre. Reclaiming Rice From Rats and Rot January 14, 2010.Experts estimate that in 2009 Liberia lost up to 60 of its harvest due to vermin infestation and poor weather con ditions Resultantly food insecurity has increased In response, UN officials are calling for donors to invest in pest control and food storage systems Likewise, FAO and the Liberian Agriculture Ministry have recognized the problem and set up field schools to train farmers how to protect their crops from pests IRIN. Rwanda has recorded a sharp increase in food productivity In 2009, the Government invested in fertilizer distribution, improving seed stocks and crop husbandry training Together these investmentshave boosted the output of major food crops such as maize, potatoes, cassava and rice Rwanda now has sufficient food reserves to meet domestic demands for eight months IRIN. This report by Oxfam International advocates for building up the resilience of vulnerable farm operations Building up such resilience not only depends on helping farmers to best manage their resources, but also on collaboration of local, national and global institutions The report underlines the importance of farmer - driven decisions as well as gender-based policies that aim to meet the specific needs of women farmers Oxfam. In Rome, the World Summit on Food Security has attracted only few leaders of rich countries The summit reveals the wide gap between the rich and the poor countries agriculture and trade policy In addition, the summit has failed to fulfill expectations on aid and agriculture assistance Change seems far away and leaders have expressed their concern that the conference will produce little of substance New York Times. In 2008, food prices reached historically high levels, leaving millions of additional people in hunger Policy makers and civil society have called for public food reserves in order to stabilize prices and mitigate the food emergency International agricultural and trade policy have led to price instability, with devastating effects on developing countries This paper calls for a discussion in which food reserves form part of a reformed trade system Share the World s Reso urces. Industrial agriculture plays a key role in the climate crisis Agro industry heavily uses fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides, which damage natural soil fertility According to this report from GRAIN, agro industry depletes soil, which results in up to two third of the excess carbon dioxide CO2 in the atmosphere GRAIN sharply criticizes this highly concentrated food system and calls for a fundamental policy change and the return to small-scale and ecologically friendly farming GRAIN. Africa and Global Food Crisis September 3, 2009.In this interview with Afroline, Olivier de Schutter, a UN special rapporteur, clarifies different aspects of the African food crisis De Schutter puts the emphasis on discrimination and marginalization rather than imbalance of supply and demand, to explain the current hunger problem in Africa The UN rapporteur touches also the controversial issue of land grabbing , as oil-rich countries buy lands in poor countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America Pambaz uka. Food production and energy consumption are closely interlinked Due to the heavy use of fertilizer, the agriculture industry depends more than ever on energy inputs The long-term trend of high energy prices threatens the food system The environmental movement favors a return to local and organic farming in order to close the inflationary price gap CIBC World Markets. The EU promotes the world s biggest agricultural aid program and spends almost 53 billion in subsidies - half of its annual budget Non-traditional farming companies receive an important share of the aid, which contradicts the original idea of production incentives and price support Further, farmland ownership already entitles landlords to subsidies regardless of agricultural use The Queen of England and airport caterers are among recipients of this giant subsidy system NY Times. Experts claim that the industrial food system and the factory farm model lie at the roots of the Mexican borne swine flu For years, public author ities have ignored early warning signs about the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions of intensive meat production and have instead supported corporate cover-ups Pharmaceutical companies and vaccine producers reap the benefits from the swine epidemic and public authorities continue to prioritize the interests of large corporations instead of the health of local communities GRAIN. Following the military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US Agency for International Development USAID developed agricultural reconstruction programs, aimed at helping farmers rebuild their agricultural activities and providing alternatives to the cultivation of opium However, these agricultural reconstruction programs legitimize the US military occupation and enable foreign seed companies and agribusiness to establish their presence in a potentially lucrative market The symbiotic work between US military and agribusiness jeopardizes Afghan farmers livelihoods and gives a monopoly to US companies over seed supply to Afghanistan After the complete withdrawal of combat troops, the remaining military forces will serve as aid workers to safeguard US military power in Afghanistan and Iraq and protect US corporate interests GRAIN. African farmers, researchers and civil society speak out against Western-led campaigns which champion genetically engineered GE crops as a solution to world hunger Compiling experiences and voices from African opposition, this report challenges the Gates Foundation s Alliance for a New Green Revolution in Africa AGRA The document complements a UN Environmental Programme UNEP report, which reveals the likelihood of biotech solutions deepening, rather than solving hunger problems As the West exploits the food crisis as an opportunity to promote GM crops, Voices from Africa urges Africa to resist bullying tactics that force the continent to adopt biotechnology solutions Instead, the report emphasizes investment in small-scale agriculture, which will enable farmers t o take control over food production Oakland Institute. Even mainstream economists acknowledge that speculation in commodity markets contributed to the rise in food prices in 2007 2008, which pushed millions more people into hunger After the subprime mortgage bubble burst and stocks began to fall in the US, institutional investors sought new high-return bets for their money, moving onto speculation in commodity markets This distorted the price of food staples such as rice and contributed to rapidly rising food prices To avoid such speculation in the future, the author recommends a food trade register at the commodity exchanges and corresponding regulation of commercial traders World Economy, Ecology and Development. A new study produced by the UN Environmental Programme UNEP , entitled The Environmental Food Crisis, warns that unless the global systems of agricultural production undergo radical change, millions more will go hungry Demonstrating the success of organic agricultural models, UNEP Executive Director states that future agricultural production must adopt methods that increase crop yields without creating the environmental and social damage that resulted from industrial agricultural production Agro-businesses tread carefully Inter Press Service. Monsanto hails its genetically engineered drought-tolerant corn as a solution to food security in the face of global warming But research findings reveal the flaws of genetically engineered crops, which suffer yield losses under the erratic weather patterns caused by climate change This article argues that agricultural policy must prioritize needs of food-insecure famers, not profit-driven agribusinesses Organic farming practices require fewer energy inputs and withstand impacts like drought more efficiently Organic farming offers smallholder farmers a more accessible and affordable option to exorbitantly priced GM crops Grist. This article urges for a farm bill that addresses the problems of industrialized agriculture, which has lead to soil loss, pollution, the destruction of rural communities and made our food supply dependent on fossil fuels The authors argue that a national agricultural policy based on ecological principles is needed in order to keep up production and to preserve the land The proposals to protect the soil and to reduce greenhouse gases include increasing the mixture of grain-bearing perennials and using crop rotations, which would simultaneously increase employment opportunities in agriculture New York Times. Agriculture is multifunctional with commodity and non-commodity outputs The International Assessment of Agriculture Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development IAASTD has released a benchmark report This assessment addresses the challenges to increase agricultural productivity on a sustainable base and to create opportunities for small-scale farms It takes into account the multiple dimensions of agriculture and emphasizes the need to incorporate agricultural knowledge, science and technology in order to fight hunger and poverty IAASTD. Speculation on agricultural commodities increases food prices and undermines food security for low-income countries, where people generally spend about 60-80 percent of their income on food This report argues that governments worldwide should register speculators in a trade register to control trade and prevent speculation on food commodities Eurodad. This working paper for the International Follow-Up Conference in Doha November 2008, proposes a new financial architecture including a special tax on capital assets and improved supervision of investors The paper describes the current financial system as a casino economy, based on competition, speculation and pursuit of profit, which contributes to increasing food prices and makes the poor pay the costs of the global financial crisis Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst. This report outlines the root causes of the global food crisis and addresses problems, such as trade conditio ns, biofuel production and financial speculation Further, the report points out that many people participate in riots against the conditions of the global food system Institute for Food and Development Policy. Sudan, a country that receives a billion pounds of food from international donors, is exporting its own crops and capitalizing on high global food prices Government officials argue that building up the agricultural sector will diversify Sudan s economy and make the country self-sufficient However, millions are starving in the conflict-ridden region of Darfur as international aid agencies struggle to deliver food The Sudanese government continues to disrupt efforts of aid agencies to feed the people in Darfur at a time when international organizations lack adequate funds to purchase and deliver food New York Times. Conventional economists argue that everyone will benefit if countries specialize in producing a few different food commodities and import the rest But without any protect ion of the domestic market, farmers in poorer countries must compete with commodities subsidized by richer countries As over 29 countries have restricted food exports to ensure that their people have enough to eat, the import-dependent countries have even less access to food A group of food-importing countries is promoting an agreement in the Doha Development Round to prevent countries from unilaterally restricting exports New York Times. People are protesting the soaring prices of oil and food throughout Asia In Vietnam, low-wage factory workers are on strike against the 70 percent increase in food prices since 2007 that has in turn led to a 25 percent inflation rate Policymakers across Asia are responding to social discontent by raising interest rates to curb high inflation, says Christian Science Monitor However, Asian governments are facing a dilemma - they must raise interest rates without undermining growth because their popularity is contingent upon a booming economy. The World Fo od Summit declaration neglects to address the root causes of global food insecurity World leaders failed to reach a solution on biofuel production, even though the International Food Policy Research Institute calculated that production of biofuel is responsible for 30 of the rise in food prices Furthermore, the declaration urged governments to reduce trade restrictions, even though trade liberalization is one of the main causes of the food crisis OpenDemocracy. Director General of the World Trade Organization Pascal Lamy claims that liberalizing trade will strengthen the production capacity of developing countries and render food prices less vulnerable to change But, the author fears that further deregulation of trade will make food prices more volatile and allow large multinational companies to undermine local production in poor countries Finding a sustainable solution will require world leaders to increase investment in agriculture and support small-scale farmers agro-ecological metho ds Inter Press Service. This Foreign Policy In Focus article argues that the shift of countries from net-exporters to net-importers of food caused the global food crisis The author criticizes the IMF and World Bank s structural adjustment programs that lowered countries investments and social spending Several poor countries dedicated land for export crops to service their debt to the World Bank and IMF As a result, food production has declined and food insecurity has grown For example, from 1966-70, Africa exported an average 1 3 million tons of food a year but almost all African countries are now net food importers. At the UN Food Summit in Rome, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made several short - and long-term recommendations to address the food crisis Although he recommended implementing social protection programs and supporting smallholder farming, Ban also endorsed more controversial measures such as a Green Revolution in Africa and minimizing trade restrictions Despite widespread criticism of biofuels, the Secretary General neglected to acknowledge how biofuel production leads to food shortages UN News. The 2008 global food crisis demonstrates the destructiveness of the one-two punch of IMF-imposed adjustment and WTO-imposed trade liberalization These policies have steadily marginalized farmers, and transformed self-sufficient agricultural economies into vulnerable, import-dependent ones Large industrial farms and grain-trading corporations control the global food market However, poor countries increasingly defy World Bank, IMF and WTO policies with fruitful results and farmer s movements such as the Via Campesina are gaining in influence The Nation. Economists argue that increased speculation in agricultural commodities is pushing up food prices, a phenomenon termed as agflation But, others argue that agro-prices are still recovering from their dramatic decrease of the 1980s The price of corn, for example, is still below the 1945-1980 average Although analysts h ave differing theories, the author concludes that speculation is one of the many causes of the global food crisis World Economy and Development in Brief. In this interview, physicist Vandana Shiva explains that the global economic structure is incompatible with the basic physics of the planet Unsustainable, large-scale agriculture not only displaces small peasants, creates poverty and bad food, but also emits a huge quantity of carbon into the atmosphere, causing climate instability Perversely, large agribusinesses with a stranglehold of the world economy, such as Cargill and Monsanto, harvest super-profits while people starve AlterNet. Raj Patel, author of the book Stuffed and Starved The Hidden Battle for the World Food System, wants consumers to stop feeling guilty about eating unhealthy foods Instead, consumers should get angry at the food corporations that have chipped away at their ability to choose, leaving low-income families with the so-called choice between Burger King and MacD onald s, and between Pepsi and Coke Patel argues that major food producers have spent millions on research and marketing to convince their customers to eat unhealthy food that only benefits the corporations AlterNet. This article criticizes the effect of industrial agriculture on global food security The author points out that a few large corporations have patented or genetically modified most of the plants humans rely on for their basic needs These corporations use chemical and genetic technologies to dominate agricultural production from seed to stomach and to profit from every bite In addition, industrial food production exhausts Earth s basic biological support systems, and makes the planet more vulnerable to climate change AlterNet. Some world leaders argue that the WTO Doha Round will solve the global food crisis But, this Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy IATP article says increased trade liberalization will reinforce poorer countries dependence on food imports Further, deregulation policies will increase the power of transnational agribusinesses at the expense of local farmers Instead, the IATP argues, world leaders should reform the rules governing international trade to control the market power exerted by agribusiness companies. Cargill is one of a handful of corporations that control the global system of food production and agriculture By selling farmers agricultural input, and then buying outputs for further processing, Cargill has created a worldwide agricultural system in which it is both buyer and seller and has near unlimited freedom to maximize profit In this report, Food Water Watch warns that Cargill s enormous and under-regulated influence on global agricultural trade threatens the health of consumers, family farmers, the environment and even entire economies and governments. Since the 1970s, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund pushed for large-scale industrial agriculture, trade liberalization and other structural adjustment policies in poor countries, causing the structural meltdown that led to the global food crisis The global market system which puts the needs of investors before the nutritional needs of humans has transformed food from nourishment into a commodity for speculation and bargaining Nearly all corporate players in the global food chain reported record profits after the first quarter of 2008 These corporations are making a killing from the food crisis GRAIN. An international research project consisting of 900 representatives from multilateral organizations, civil society, national governments, the private sector and scientific institutions has produced a report that evaluates the relevance, quality and effectiveness of agricultural knowledge, science and technology AKST on development This summary of the International Assessment on Agricultural Science and Technology for Development IAASTD report concludes that small-scale farmers and their traditional agricultural knowledge should play a gr eater role in production Also, the report criticizes genetic modification GM in agriculture, pointing out that research on long-term effects of GM is lagging behind The study warns that patenting genetic modifications undermines local farming practices and concentrates the ownership of resources GreenFacts. Hungry people are protesting around the globe as they struggle to feed themselves in the face of massive commodity price rises Large agribusinesses claim they are working to solve the food crisis Monsanto plans to design genetically modified crops that can squeeze even more yield from each acre of planted grain But Big Agriculture actually benefits from the food crisis Monsanto s profit in the last quarter February 2008 more than doubled, while Cargill s profit jumped 42 percent in the same period Wall Street Journal. European subsidies for agriculture are contributing to rapidly rising food prices and the destruction of small-scale farming These massive subsidies artificially cheapen EU products, making it impossible for small-scale farmers in poorer countries to compete Critics have long protested the way in which these subsidies distort global agriculture and trade In light of the 2008 food crisis, the EU subsidies are under heavy fire, from poor countries who suffer most, but also from within, by EU politicians and policymakers Inter Press Service. In the first half of 2008, the price of rice more than doubled, making it unaffordable for many Liberians, who have switched from rice to cheaper staple foods like spaghetti Liberia depends almost completely on foreign imports of rice from the US and Asia While the Liberian Minister for Agriculture optimistically notes that this might be an opportunity for Liberians to diversify their diets, this example shows how vulnerable poor, net food importing countries are to price shocks on the global market BBC. Korean authorities have found bone fragments even an entire spine - in shipments of US beef Consequently, South Kore a banned the import of US beef, as it did not comply with Korean food safety standards This article reports on how the US uses Free Trade Agreement FTA negotiations to force South Korea to remove the ban on US beef and relax food safety standards Besides the health risk involved, domestic farmers get pushed off the market by subsidized US imports The author concludes that FTAs pressure weaker nations into relinquishing their food sovereignty, their control of national food safety and their right to reject genetically modified products Foreign Policy in Focus. Biofuel production and livestock are important causes of the global food crisis Both divert huge amounts of grain away from human mouths 100 million and 760 million tons, respectively The author states that consumers should eat as little meat as possible The author concludes that it seems surreal that while half the world might not have anything to eat at all, those in rich countries have endless choices and barely notice the globa l food crisis It is hard to understand how two such different food economies could occupy the same planet, until you realize that they feed off each other AlterNet. This article is highly critical of World Bank president Robert Zoellick s calls for further trade liberalization as a response to the global food crisis According to the author, trade liberalization is not the solution but the cause of the food crisis The 2007-2008 food price rises have had such a severe effect on the world s poor because of the trade liberalization the World Bank, World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund propagate These policies limit social safety nets and public sector agricultural support, push small-scale farmers out of the market, and lead to the sale of grain stockpiles to service foreign debt Consequently, there is no buffer between price shocks and the bellies of the poorest people on earth Guardian. This Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy report argues that while high com modity prices such as those of 2007 and 2008 can potentially benefit farmers, this is not the case in the short-term The immediate effects of high food prices are to place extreme stress on the urban and rural poor of net-food importing, low-income countries The IATP urges trade ministers at the UN Conference on Trade and Development in Accra, 2008 UNCTAD XII to review three decades of commodity market liberalization critically and to take action to rebalance power relations in agricultural markets. Joachim von Braun, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute calls for policy action in three areas to address the massive rise in food prices Firstly, he proposes the implementation of social safety nets to help the poor who can no longer afford essential foodstuffs Secondly, he calls for increased investment in agriculture Finally, stating that export restrictions and import subsidies only add to global trade distortions that harm poor countries, he calls for oth er trade policy reforms, such as the removal of trade barriers by rich countries. This article analyzes the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa AGRA , an initiative by the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation AGRA aims to end poverty and hunger by restructuring Africa s food systems But, this reform may ultimately serve the interests of agribusinesses like Monsanto, by creating a new market for genetically modified seeds and agrochemicals AGRA s philanthro-capitalism overrides local agricultural techniques by focusing on global market-based solutions This diverts attention from the role that global markets systemically play in creating hunger and poverty in the first place Pambazuka. This New York Times editorial discusses the human cost of the rich world s subsidized appetite for biofuels When it seemed that global food supply might run out in the past, food production grew to meet demand This time it might not be so easy, with the demand for biofuels diver ting food into energy for cars, rather than human beings. The UN warns against massive price increases for food grains and declining global food stocks, officials say as a result, the world s poor are facing a perfect storm Both supply and demand side factors have produced these changes global warming, increased production for animal feed and biofuels The World Food Program representatives believe that the change in these factors is permanent International Herald Tribune. In 2005, a famine struck Malawi and a third of the population needed emergency food aid In 2007, the same country is the number one southern African supplier of corn to the World Food Program The Malawian government ignored the World Bank s pressure to implement free market policies and to cut back on subsidies, and instead deepened their fertilizer subsidies, boosting the productivity of the country s agriculture International Herald Tribune. Global cereal prices are increasing due to low global food stocks and higher t ransportation costs The prices of cereal cause food inflation across the world, and further increase the price of bread, meat and milk The Food and Agriculture Organization FAO expect prices to remain high for several years, which could result in hunger for the world s poor, as they will be unable to purchase sufficient amounts of food OneWorld South Asia. The price of food is increasing worldwide and several countries are on the brink of a food crisis The reason for the increase is due to a combination of rising oil prices, greater amounts of food crops used for bio-fuel production, and unstable weather conditions The rise in food prices has devastating consequences for the world s poor who cannot afford to buy basic necessities and food to live above the subsistence level Guardian. The author of this YaleGlobal article expresses concern over a looming global food crisis Food crop harvests are falling while consumption is increasing, and the author fears this will lead to social and pol itical unrest Also worrying is the increasing share of agriculture devoted to biofuels Combined with growing consumption, environmental degradation, watershortages and urbanization and massive agricultural subsidies in rich countries this could spell disaster Further, climate change leaves poor equatorial countries extremely vulnerable to weather changes and seasonal variation. Crop prices are rising to historic levels, reversing a long-term trend of steadily lowering world crop prices For the third consecutive year the world is consuming more food grain than it produces, making the gap between demand and supply the largest in thirty years This has dramatic consequences for poor countries as they are increasingly vulnerable to bad harvests Further, high food grain prices will reduce poor countries purchasing power and hinder economic growth Also, humanitarian groups fear that they will lose ground against hunger, as their food aid budgets will not reach as far as planned Wall Street Jou rnal. This Foreign Policy in Focus article illustrates the negative economic effects of the US-South Korea Free Trade Agreement FTA on Korean agriculture The FTA would seriously undermine Korean agricultural production and food safety laws, leading to a complete restructuring of the local agricultural practice Korea s National Policy Institute estimates that the country s agriculture may well disappear within the next 10-15 years as a result of the new FTA Washington has suggested that the FTA could function as a blueprint for other US trade liberalization agreements with countries across Asia, which would lead to similar adverse consequences. A surge in demand for alternative fuels such as ethanol has caused the price of corn to rise to its highest level in ten years Because corn is a staple food for billions of impoverished people around the world, these price increases have potentially devastating implications for both global poverty and food security, argues this Foreign Affairs arti cle The authors further point out that political and corporate interests dominate the ethanol industry, so that corn growers in rich countries receive substantial government subsidies which diminish the competitiveness of their developing country counterparts. This report published by Norwegian Church Aid, Danish Church Aid, Church of Sweden and Brot-fur-die-Welt finds that ever since African governments began liberalizing trade, food security has worsened on the continent In particular, economic liberalization has harmed poor subsistence farmers The author suggests that to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger by 2015,the World Bank and local governments must abandon their present governance and liberalization policies. 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Food ingredients date back more than 200K years The human diet initially consisted of animal proteins, fish, fruits, vegetables and nuts The introduction of grains into the human diet came approximately 10K years ago This included wheat and barley with rice and corn coming about 3K years later. History of Food. For most of history, human beings hunted or grew food for their own consumption, and food travelled only short distances Historians can identify food regimes European historians pinpoint the travel of food in the mercantile food system where grains milk and meat were produced locally but other foods were imported. Globally, approximately 800 million people suffer hunger but only ten years ago, the total was almost 1 billion The problem steps from distribution and the inability of the hungry to receive food that is timely and not contaminated. Growth of Agriculture. Agricultural growth has accelerated globally, but was kicked into gear in the early 1990 s following a 15-year process were the discovery of genetically modified organisms that were bacteria resistant The birth of GMO technology came in 1973, when Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen created the first genetically engineered organism In 1982, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the first agriculture produced by a genetically modified organism In 1992 the first food that was genetically modified was approved for comm ercial production. The United States was at the forefront toward of change to genetically modified agricultural products In the grain space, corn and soybeans are mostly genetically modified, but wheat is not Live wheat prices are available and along with corn and soybeans are actively traded with robust liquidity. Live Wheat Prices. After decades of prosperity, there has been a snap back in consumer behavior where individuals want food that is not genetically modified In fact, the demand for organic grains has increased significantly over the past few years, with a large push coming in organic proteins The largest increase in protein consumption comes from the increase in demand for organic chickens, along with organic eggs and organic milk For a protein to be certified organic it has to be fed organic feed, which includes organic wheat, corn and soybeans. The United States is the largest consumer of organic agriculture With production failing to meet demand, the United States has had to turn to imports, which account for the majority of the U S consumption Organic production is global Australia is the largest producer followed by Argentina, but country such as Romania and Turkey are experiencing accelerating increase in their production. Top 10 Agricultural Lands. From 2013 to the end of the second quarter of 2015, the majority of the corn by value that was imported into the United States came into the eastern region Approximately 46 by value in U S dollars and 38 by quantity per the U S Customs Department The majority of the organic corn that was shipped into the United States came from Romania which appears to be the largest supplier to East Coast organic corn imports Approximately 37 of the organic corn imported into the United States comes from Romania. The two active ports in the United States taking shipments from Romania are Baltimore Maryland where approximately 62 comes into Baltimore and 38 into Norfolk Organic agricultural is beginning to gain a foothold Deman d in the United States, the largest consumer of organic grains, outstrips supply, as organic grain production in the United States accounts for only 1 of total grain production. Food is one of the driving forces behind life, and agricultural food, is a global basic necessary that is traded actively Although consumer demand goes through multiple iterations, the active trading of commodity products continues to drive global price transparency. FX Empire - the company, employees, subsidiaries and associates, are not liable nor shall they be held liable jointly or severally for any loss or damage as link result of reliance on the information provided on this website The data contained in this website is not necessarily provided in real-time nor is it necessarily accurate FX Empire may receive compensation from the companies featured on the network. All prices herein are provided by market makers and not by exchanges As such prices may not be accurate and they may differ from the actual market price FX Empire bears no responsibility for any trading losses you might incur as link result of using any data within the FX Empire. Continue to Fxempire. IPC member Stefan Tangermann reflects on changes in the global food trading system since the Doha Development Agenda was launched at the WTO and highlights recommendations of an experts group to address recent challenges including export restrictions, biofuels, increasing financial support for food security purposes, and improving the functioning of the WTO This is a presentation given by IPC President Ellen Terpstra based on Tangermann s slide presentation The full report is to be released by ICTSD and IPC in the near future. We face a critical challenge of increasing global food supplies by 70 percent to meet the anticipated world population of more than 9 billion in 2050 as well as the additional demand for meat and dairy products as millions more enter the middle class Gains can be made, too, by using technology to reduce waste an d to more precisely utilize fertilizers and pesticides New technologies, including plant breeding techniques, animal biotechnology and nanotechnology, can play an important part in meeting these challenges They have the potential to increase production, reduce waste, enhance food security, and improve food safety. But fully utilizing these technologies and being able to trade products made from them may depend on what governments decide in terms of whether these need to be regulated, and if so, how Questions arise in some cases from there being no trace of the process used to create the product and therefore no way to identify whether it should be regulated Many governments are currently considering these questions, but if they reach contradictory conclusions, trade may be stifled and the benefits of these advances unrealized. The downward trend of grain stocks is related to higher demand from increased incomes, higher protein diets, and biofuels, the combination of which seems to have s et the stage for more frequent episodes of high volatility in food markets related to weather and other potential supply disruptions These developments have led to considerable dialogue regarding possible need for greater government intervention in markets to provide for improved assurance of food at reasonable prices However, recent research offers considerable evidence that private markets remain the best mechanism for distributing relatively scarce stocks. IPC hosts three panel discussions in Washington. This panel examined the newer business model many multilateral corporations have adopted of providing not only economic output but social value, a concept known as creating shared value NGOs have weighed in on the effectiveness of these efforts and some companies are working in partnership to assess the impact of these policies and to measure their effectiveness. Food security concerns in response to volatile world commodity prices have resulted in many governments undertaking public p olicy actions to address domestic concerns but which may exacerbate global price spikes This panel examined price volatility, the role of grain reserves as a moderating policy, and the effectiveness of WTO disciplines on export restrictions. This seminar, co-hosted by the U S Chamber of Commerce featured insight into various countries perspectives on the opportunities of regional trade agreements as well as efforts to address longstanding trade barriers through new and existing mechanisms. Achieving a Successful Outcome for Agriculture in the Trade and Investment Partnership Understanding the often conflicting U S and EU approaches to agricultural trade policy will be essential for effectively shaping the negotiating structure of the EU-U S Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement The U S and EU have diverging views on issues pertaining to SPS measures, market access, and geographical indications Innovative, non-traditional approaches to shaping the FTA negotiations will be important for a successful outcome However, the most significant benefit would be a paradigm shift in the trade-related approaches to protecting human, animal, or plant life or health IPC, with the support of the Royal Netherlands Embassy, released a discussion paper examines these issues More. Seminar Charting the Course Food Security and Trade in the Asia-Pacific Region. The broader Asia-Pacific region encompassing countries in Asia, North, Central and South America, and Oceania accounts for more than half of both global GDP and the world s food supply, includes key food exporters and importers, and encompasses populations with rising incomes and transforming diets, alongside subsistence agriculture and urban poor The IDB and IPC convened a seminar to take stock of food policy related developments and initiatives in the region High-level speakers included policymakers, private sector representatives and academics from the region and feature discussions about a number of food securit y, trade and regulatory initiatives occurring in the region Participants engaged in shaping recommendations aimed at promoting food security and a more open, productive and sustainable food and trade system More. Food and Agriculture The Future of Sustainability IPC provide input into a report, Food and Agriculture The future of sustainability by the U N Division for Sustainable Development as a strategic input to the Sustainable Development in the 21st Century Report to be launched at the Rio 20 Summit The report states that on our current trajectory, severe disruptions to national and regional food systems are highly likely to happen the main question is when Exposing unforeseen areas of consensus, the report lays out concrete steps for sustainable and resilient food and agriculture systems By opening the silos of partisan thinking to invite reasoned discussion, it also exposes areas of disagreement and advances a key set of specific high impact areas where smart decisions will make t he most Report. Addressing Regulatory Asynchronicity and Low Level Presence of Biotech Crops. As number of biotech crops has grown, regulatory approvals of new biotech crops across different countries have become less synchronized Asynchronicity in regulatory approvals between producing and importing countries implies that some agricultural commodity trade flows may contain low level presence LLP of biotech events which are authorized in the exporting but not in the importing country Trade disruptions have already occurred Such disruptions are likely to increase and can have significant economic implications unless countries adopt a practical approach when faced with LLP situations More. Farm Policy in the US and the EU The Status of Reform and the Choices Ahead. As the EU prepares to reform its Common Agricultural Policy and the US Congress seeks to pass a new farm bill, tight government budgets will require that policymakers consider carefully policy options to ensure that domestic objec tives are properly addressed EU and US policy choices will have implications for global food and agricultural production and trade, for food security and for commodity prices IPC s latest discussion paper examines how various policy approaches for agriculture and biofuels could fulfill the stated and implicit objectives of US and EU farm policy, and how policy instruments are likely to impact international objectives of the US and EU respectively. Seminar Non-Tariff Measures in Food and Agriculture Which Road Ahead. Regulations in the food and agriculture sector increasingly lead to the application of Non-Tariff Measures NTMs that affect international trade There is a need to step up efforts to promote greater transparency on NTMs and to improve our ability to measure their impact The OECD and the International Food Agricultural Trade Policy Council recently hosted an international seminar on NTMs at the OECD in Paris, France on September 13, 2011 More. Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security Progress to Date and Strategies for Success On May 24, 2011, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs convened a symposium, in partnership with IPC, to review progress on the U S government s global food security strategy and provide critical thinking on how best to overcome potential obstacles to success Speakers and agenda are available here. NTM-IMPACT Project The goal of the project, in which IPC is one of 19 international project partners, is to collect and analyze new data on non-tariff measures NTMs , particularly on governmental standards and regulations that prescribe the conditions for EU agrifood exports and compares these with conditions for importing into the EU Furthermore, impacts from EU and trade partner NTMs on least developing country LDC exports are examined More. IPC began in 1987 to promote a more open and equitable global food system by pursuing pragmatic trade and development policies in food and agriculture to meet the world s growing needs. IPC was di ssolved in 2015 but its analyses and seminar records will remain available for some time.