Global Food Crisis

On Wednesday morning, Raj Patel appeared on Open Line with Fred Andrle. He discussed the global food system that connects producers to consumers. He describes it as a singular system that at once starves the poor and fattens the core countries. This is the central theme of his book Stuffed and Starved.

How exactly does the same system manage to overfeed millions while systemically starving a billion people? Patel describes it as simple economics. These days, all food is supplied by a handful of corporations. The goal of any business is to buy low, sell high. For instance, coffee farmers are paid on average a measly seven cents per pound. Nestle buys those beans directly or through a distributor, processes them into instant coffee, and sells it to Northern consumers for $10 per pound. This is a huge profit margin!

The problem arises when farmers of the global South are unable to buy basic foodstuffs to sustain themselves with these low prices. Commodities like coffee have been plummeting in price for decades. Economists would have these farmers farm a different crop to attain natural advantage, but climates suitable for coffee are not suitable for many other crops.

At the same time, the processing required to exact such huge profits enriches our food with sugars and salts. As we all know, sugars and salts are what make us fat and sick (ie cancer). As Patel points out, Americans love to believe that when they enter a supermarket they have every choice in the world. They can buy all different kinds of fruits, vegetables, meats, cereals, and beverages. But they are really choosing between Coke and Pepsi, Frosted Flakes and Coco Puffs, or Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples, none of which is really a choice (or delicious for that matter).

Perhaps most distressing is that this system does not adhere to the democratic principals of this country, or those of the international order. Americans never sat down to decide they wanted to eat fattening, sterile foods, nor did the poor farmers of the South vote to be paid less than a living wage.

There are alternatives though. Eating local is a great way to avoid this system. Visit your local farmers market. The fresh food you buy there is sure to be tastier and healthier. Fair trade is also vital to circumventing this system. It ensures a livable wage to producers, and high quality and social justice to consumers.

What do you think? Do you agree with Raj Patel’s opinion, or does the current system seem to work? Should the burden be placed on consumers to pressure corporations and make their own decisions? Do you feel like you have a choice at the grocery? How does the global food system tie into food borne illnesses? Do you think there is a link between the recent outbreak of E. coli and salmonella and the way our food is handled and distributed in the system? Please leave a comment with you ideas!

Links

Stuffed and Starved
Listen to Fred Andrle interview Raj Patel on Open Line