Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Caught in the grasp of food production superpowers

Anticipating the increasing need globally for more food for more mouths, private industry is snapping up farmland, production systems, fertilizer and shipping companies at a higher rate than ever before.

In his book, "The End of Food," Paul Roberts ("The End of Oil") recognizes the growing potential for the domination of a world food trade axis. Imagine Brazil and Argentina and one end and India and China at the other. The U.S.'s best efforts are maintained through Cargill, Monsanto, Tyson, and Mosaic.

As we start to look at food as the new oil and the geo-political power that is at the disposal of those in power, what will happen to the less powerful -- the poor, hungry, the 1 percent upon whom the rest of rely for food, and those striving to be 'localvores.'

The consequences aren't pretty, says Roberts.

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