In The News

China Being Poisoned by Its Food Industry, Says Author

Jochen Schönmann December 19, 2007
Risking his life, Chinese journalist Zhou Qing investigated China’s food industry over the course of two years and wrote “What Kind of God?” – a book that analyzes the value placed on food by the Chinese people and the outrageous measures companies take to reduce production costs. “His book is a dark account of a ruthless food mafia that stops at nothing to maximize its profits, for example by...

Subsidies' Harvest of Misery

Jimmy Carter December 10, 2007
A US bill passed during the 1930s Great Depression – paying farmers for crops not grown – no longer makes sense. Instead, current US farm programs hurt the poorest people in the world and small farmers in the US, encouraging “excess production while channeling enormous government payments to the biggest producers,” argues former President Jimmy Carter in an opinion essay for the Washington Post...

Venezuela Scrambles for Food Despite Oil Boom

Rory Carroll November 15, 2007
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has gained both prestige and notoriety for his use of oil diplomacy throughout Latin America. An oil boom combined with Chávez’s socialist policies has had two consequences: a surge of imported luxury goods and a shortage of food staples. According to the research group Datanalisis, as much as a quarter of the supply of food staples is “disrupted,” and any stock...

Globalization Offers Potential Boon for Africans

Dianna Games November 7, 2007
African countries, writes South African consultant Dianna Games, cannot afford to let globalization be foisted upon them. Instead, governments on the continent must actively engage in global trade and politics, so that “the benefits of the global order” will no longer elude Africans. Governments must move beyond international links built primarily to exploit Africa’s natural resources. That...

Organic Food Is Healthier and Safer, Four-Year EU Investigation Shows

Emily Dugan October 30, 2007
With the rhapsodizing of moms who want healthy children and the battle cries of right-wing skeptics, it can be difficult to depoliticize the debate about organically grown foods and root out scientific information about how they compare to conventionally grown counterparts. The European Union funded a four-year long study comparing the nutritional value of organic and conventional produce. The...

UN Warns of Environmental Threats

James Kanter October 26, 2007
A report released by the United Nations Environment Program warns that the planet’s resources are not enough to provide for the current consumption patterns of the world population. Highly industrialized regions have developed habits of living beyond their means and pass these habits on to people in every corner of the globe. The rapidly expanding world population has increased the speed of...

US Lets in More Immigrants for Farms

Nicole Gaouette October 9, 2007
Despite earlier promises about strict enforcement of immigration laws, the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of Labor are reportedly easing policies to welcome more immigrant workers ready to harvest tomatoes, fruit and other crops before they rot. The US refuses to release details, but farmers clamor for more workers, claiming that citizens have no interest in joining the...