Dear food and faithers,
I thought a couple updates on the food crisis would be helpful while your two primary bloggers, Anitra and I, (let us know if you wish to write for this blog!) are here at the Peacemaking Conference, where food sovereignty is being raised as a key way to combat poverty and ensure that people can feed themselves and families. This is in direct opposition and is a sustainable alternative to the corporate usurping of agriculture that continues to happen. Below also is good news, with the NY Times promoting community supported agriculture (CSA).
Hoping your gardens are growing,
andrew
Global Food Crisis
The food crisis continues to make headlines, with a number of
editorial writers criticizing U.S. and European policies and the
outcomes of last week’s G8 summit. In an article entitled “Man-Made Hunger,” the New York Times editorial team
criticized American and European agricultural policies and foreign aid levels. The G8 leaders’ Statement on Global Food Security can be found
here.
Corporatizing Agriculture
A number of recent articles have pointed out that the consolidation
and corporatization of farming has put additional pressure on small
farmers. The Economist noted that
most farm subsidies in the U.S. go to large operations
at the expense of smaller farmers. Some farmers argue that subsidies
“‘help big farmers to bid up land prices and make it harder for small
farmers to survive.'” The Center for Rural Affairs reported in their
July 2008 newsletter that a
Delaware corporation payed $52 million
for part of the largest farm in Lincoln County, Nebraska. From
1982-2006, corporations were prevented from owning Nebraska farmland.
The New York Times
gave much-deserved recognition to Community Supported Agriculture last week.
In Los Angeles, California, Councilwoman Jan Perry is seeking to place a
moratorium on the development of new fast food restaurants in
South Central Los Angeles. Perry has coupled the proposal with an
incentive package to attract restaurants and grocery stores.