permaculture

[John Schinnerer <John-Schinnerer@data-dimensions.com>]

Aloha,

-----Original Message-----
From: Lawrence F. London, Jr. [mailto:london@metalab.unc.edu]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 09:42:34 -0400
From: Hal Hamilton <hhamilton@centerss.org>
Subject: URGENT request for support of French Farmers

<snip>

I don't think this is so far off topic, if PC still embraces bioregionalism
and local sustainability...

I fear the Center For Sustainable Systems is a bit nearsighted and
un-systemic on this one.  What's the difference between French farmers out
on a dependency limb and American farmers out on a dependency limb?  Both
their economics depend too much on shipping their non-diverse products
across the Atlantic.  Both want some sort of guarantees that they can keep
doing this, in fact have some sort of "right" to keep doing it.  Not very
sustainable, seems to me. 

One way to look at these "tariff wars" is as a not-so-subtle reminder of the
consequences of dependence on export cash crops/products and lack of local
self-sufficiency.

Not that I think anyone should be in jail for protesting, unless they have
committed other than non-violent protest (which I hear a few folks have, in
this case).

The most obvious (not easy, not simple, not quick, just obvious) way out of
this sort of quid pro quo BS would seem to be ever-increasing local
self-sufficiency...create the surplus before the trading starts.

John Schinnerer