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[Livingontheland] It's time to stop worshiping at the alter of "market forces."
- From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
- To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
- Subject: [Livingontheland] It's time to stop worshiping at the alter of "market forces."
- Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:36:46 -0400
Good article on some of the reasons food prices are skyrocketing.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042508P.shtml
I was especially impressed with this quote--this author "gets it":
-
Analysts have pointed
to some obvious causes, such as increased demand from China and India,
whose economies are booming. Rising fuel and fertilizer costs, increased
use of bio-fuels and climate change have all played a part.
- But less obvious causes have also had a profound effect on food prices.
- Over the last few decades, the United States, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have used their leverage to impose devastating policies on developing countries. By requiring countries to open up their agriculture market to giant multinational companies, by insisting that countries dismantle their marketing boards and by persuading them to specialize in exportable cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, cotton and even flowers, they have driven the poorest countries into a downward spiral.
- In the last thirty years, developing countries that used to be self-sufficient in food have turned into large food importers. Dismantling of marketing boards that kept commodities in a rolling stock to be released in event of a bad harvest, thus protecting both producers and consumers against sharp rises or drops in prices, has further worsened the situation.
- But less obvious causes have also had a profound effect on food prices.
- [Livingontheland] It's time to stop worshiping at the alter of "market forces.", Liz, 04/25/2008
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