The Destruction of Sustainable Agriculture Abroad

[Created4]

One of the things I find interesting as we enter this next presidential election cycle, is that there is an increased awareness over the food sovereignty issues, thanks to the current administration's armed raids against Amish farmers and the rush to approve GMO seeds, which is enraging many. Food freedom is quickly becoming a rally point that crosses party lines.

Within the GOP, I think many see Ron Paul's views on foreign policy and the military as being the most alienating views between him the majority of the GOP. I think it might be helpful, therefore, to point out to people that the food freedom issues that so enrage people here in the US are also happening abroad in the countries the US is currently occupying. Here is a pretty good op-ed piece in the NY Times that appeared a few days ago: Afghanistan’s Last Locavores

But even more outrageous than this story is the story of what we have done to agriculture in Iraq. See: The collapse of native Iraqi agriculture, and the prosper of US Biotech and GMOs in Iraq

Contrast these stories with the story of what is happening in Iran, a country we currently do NOT occupy: Organic Farming in Iran: Government has goal of 25% of Agriculture to be Organic in Near Future

Very few people realize that the uprisings in the Middle East are not because the people there all of a sudden got hungry for "freedom." It is because they are hungry, period. Food subsidies have kept the price of grain low for so many years, that many in the fertile crescent no longer grow their own traditional grains, but rely on cheap imports from the US, which aren't so cheap anymore. While we here in the US only spend about 5% of our income on food, many in the Middle East are approaching 50%, and this is what is causing the rioting and uprisings. The "bad guys" like Mubarak and Ghadafi are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the US is taking advantage of it (at least in Libya.)

For a good perspective on this and how food subsidies are the main cause, read Let Them Eat Bread: How Food Subsidies Prevent (and Provoke) Revolutions in the Middle East

 

[Vessol]

I'm glad someone is talking about it. It really is an important issue.

Our farming subsidies are destroying the third world's agriculture economies.

Yet, anyone who dares attack farming subsidies is attacked heavily by those lobbying firms who receive money.

The saddest thing is all the liberals who cry and moan about world hunger, yet think I'm crazy when I talking about ending agriculture subsidies. They think we just need to send more food and money.

 

[cameronb]

excellent post. more and more people are waking up to this, but even among liberty lovers there's a disturbingly large contingent that pays this kind of thing no mind and even many that cheer on monsanto and their ilk.... there are many individuals and communities that are implementing sustainable agriculture, but the growth of multinationals hand-in-hand with governments around the world, spreading use of GMOs and the affect that has on destroying locally sustainable agriculture has frightening implications for liberty imo.