Raj Patel: abolish the food industry

An excellent, provocative piece by Raj Patel in February's The Atlantic makes a clarion call: abolish the food industry.

Abolish the Food Industry - The Atlantic

27 February 2012 is a global day of action: occupy our food supply. Catch more at:

http://www.occupyourfoodsupply.org/

eight ways Monsanto fails at sustainable agriculture

From the Union of Concerned Scientists in the United States, an excellent introduction to the failures of industrial agriculture by way of Monsanto.

Eight Ways Monsanto Fails at Sustainable Agriculture | Union of Concerned Scientists

CPI (M) in crisis

An excellent assessment of the Draft Political Resolution of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which highlights the extent to which it will tie itself into knots in order to become electable.

CPI(M) in Crisis

the epistle of Gates and the gospel of agricultural innovation

This is an interesting analysis by Justin Sandefur of the Center for Global Development in Washington. I don't agree with all of it, but the challenge that he lays down to the Gates Foundation and their emphasis on agricultural innovation is on the mark.

The Epistle of Gates and the Gospel of Agricultural Innovation

Ghana’s advantage: an agriculture board?

Last week I gave an interview to MacLeans.ca on the prospects for cocoa in Ghana. Here is the article:

Ghana’s advantage: An agriculture board? - Econowatch - Macleans.ca

recent activities, fall 2011

The 2011 - 2012 academic session is now upon us. This year I will only be teaching our first year introduction to international development, Human inequality in global perspective. In addition to my administrative responsibilities as Chair of the Department, I will continue my advisory work for the Gender and Economic Policy Management Initiative of the United Nations Development Programme. This will see me travel to Korea, Bahrain and possibly Senegal as the Initiative is 'rolled out' into Asia and the Pacific as well as the Middle East and North African regions. I also will be continuing to revise my current research on land grabbing in the developing world. As usual, it will be busy.

food movements unite!

Food Movements Unite! is a new book edited by Eric Holt-Giménez and Annie Shattuck. It provides a sector by sector road map for bringing the tremendous transformative potential of the world’s food movements together into a powerful transnational force capable of ending the injustices that cause hunger.

Food Movements Unite! from Food First on Vimeo.

Congratulations to Food First for bringing together such an extraordinary range of contributors, and for facilitating a vision of a different food future.