So here's a response from Via Campesina to the food price crisis. I imagine that in the wake of the food riots, the temptation to say 'told you so' must have been overwhelming to the representatives of farmers' and landless peoples' movements around the world.

But instead they've an admirable critique of some of the dominant myths about the way our food comes to us, about who wins and loses from the high prices, and what to do about it. Their solutions are ones that have been proposed for decades. The question is whether anyone will listen to them now, or whether the shock doctrine will prevail here too, with food corporations seeking to privatise the food system yet further. ... read more »

Raj's blog | add new comment | email this page

Posted on 10 April, 2008 - 13:15

I just recorded a radio segment for The World with the splendid Lisa Mullins. I was there to talk about food riots. Unfortunately, I wasn't terribly coherent and, despite the skilled editing of the folk there, I worry that my butchery of the argument I was trying to make cannot be fixed.

I was trying to talk about Egypt, Haiti and Senegal, three places from which reporters were sending news. So here's my attempt at restitution - a short guide on how to think about the food riots. ... read more »

Raj's blog | 3 comments | email this page

Posted on 10 April, 2008 - 17:44

Like the title say. The report, from the Soil Association, here. Yet it's the GM lobby that'll be using the food crisis as an opportunity to pimp out their unsavoury product, all the evidence of its benefits notwithstanding.

Raj's blog | 2 comments | email this page

Posted on 10 April, 2008 - 19:52