WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ROBERT PAARLBERG. Second Edition

Transcription

1 FOOD POLITICS WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ROBERT PAARLBERG Second Edition OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

2 CONTENTS PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION OF FOOD POLITICS xiii 1 An Overview of Food Politics 1 What is food politics? 1 Is food politics driven by material interests or by social values? 2 Is food politics a global or a local phenomenon? 4 Who are the most Important actors in food politics? 6 Has the politics of food and agriculture recently been changing? 7 2 Food Production and Population Growth 9 Who was Thomas Malthus, and why did he see hunger as inevitable? 9 Was Malthus ever influential? 10 Are Malthusians still influential? 12 Can we feed a growing population without doing irreversible damage to the environment? 13 Is Africa facing an eco-malthusian food crisis today? 14 Do Malthusians try to reduce population growth? 15 Do Malthusians argue that we should reduce food consumption? 17

3 vi Contents 3 The Politics of High Food Prices 18 When did high food prices become a political issue? 18 What caused these spikes in international food prices? 19 How many people became hungry when prices spiked in ? 21 Do international food price spikes cause violent conflict? 23 Have higher food prices triggered "land grabs" in Africa? 24 Have subsidies and mandates for biofuels contributed to higher international food prices? 26 Have higher international prices become a permanent feature of food politics? 28 4 The Politics of Chronic Hunger and Famine 31 How do we measure hunger? 31 How many people around the world remain chronically undernourished? 32 What causes chronic undernutrition? 34 Does chronic hunger trigger political unrest? 35 Is chronic undernutrition a problem in the United States? 36 Do developing countries have policy remedies for chronic undernutrition? 39 What is the difference between undernutrition and famine? 41 When have famines taken place? 42 What causes famines? 42 How do famines end? 45 What has been the most successful international response to famine? 46 Can famine be prevented? 47 5 Food Aid and Agricultural Development Assistance 49 What is international food aid? Which countries get food aid? 50 4g

4 Contents vii Do rich countries give food aid to dispose of their surplus production? 51 Why are America's food aid policies so difficult to change? 52 Does food aid create dependence or hurt farmers in recipient countries? 54 Do governments seek coercive power from food aid? 56 How is agricultural development assistance different from food aid? 57 How much international assistance do rich countries provide for agricultural development? 59 Which agencies operate United States agricultural development assistance? 60 Who benefits from agricultural development assistance? 61 6 The Green Revolution Controversy 64 What was the green revolution? 64 Why is the green revolution controversial? 65 Did the green revolution end hunger? 67 Did the green revolution lead to greater mral inequality? 69 Was the green revolution bad for the environment? 71 Why did the original green revolution not reach Africa? 73 What farming approaches do green revolution critics favor? 75 How have green revolution critics shaped international policy? 78 7 The Politics of Obesity 81 Is the world facing an obesity crisis? 81 How do we measure obesity? 81 What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic? 82 What is the cause of today's obesity epidemic? 84 Does cheap food cause obesity? 85 Do fast foods and junk foods cause obesity? 87 Is the food industry to blame for the way we eat? 88

5 viii Contents Do "food deserts" cause obesity? 91 What government actions are being taken to reverse the obesity crisis? 93 Who lobbies for and against stronger policies on obesity? 97 8 The Politics of Farm Subsidies and Trade 100 Do all governments give subsidies to farmers? 100 What explains the tendency of all rich countries to subsidize farm income? 101 Do farmers in rich countries need subsidies to survive? 102 Why are farm subsidies hard to cut? 103 What is the "farm bill" and what is the "farm lobby"? 105 Is the use of corn for ethanol a subsidy to farmers? 107 What is the value of promoting corn-based ethanol in the United States? 108 How do farm subsidies shape international agricultural trade? 110 Has the WTO been able to discipline farm subsidies? 111 Do trade agreements like NAFTA hurt farmers in countries like Mexico? Farming, the Environment, Climate Change, and Water 116 Does agriculture always damage the environment? 116 What kind of farming is environmentally sustainable? 118 What is low-impact or "precision " farming? 121 Do fragile lands, population growth, and poverty make farming unsustainable? 123 Do cash crops and export crops cause environmental harm? 125 Do farm subsidies promote environmental damage in agriculture? 126 How will climate change affect food production? 128 Does agriculture contribute to climate change? 131

6 Contents ix Is the world running out of water to irrigate crops? 133 What can be done to improve water management in farming? Livestock, Meat, and Fish 137 How are farm animals different from crops? 137 Is meat consumption increasing, or not? 138 is a vegetarian diet healthier? 140 If people in rich countries ate less meat, would hunger be reduced in poor countries? 141 What are CAFOs? 142 Are CAFOs bad for animal welfare? 143 What else generates opposition to CAFOs? 145 How important are fish as a source of food? 148 Are wild fisheries collapsing? 149 Is fish farming a solution? Agribusiness, Supermarkets, and Fast Food 153 What does the word "agribusiness" mean? 153 Why is agribusiness controversial? 154 Do agribusiness firms control farmers? 155 Do food companies and supermarkets control consumers? 159 Are supermarkets spreading into developing countries? 160 Is Wal-Mart taking over food retailing in Africa and India? 162 Are fast food restaurant chains spreading unhealthy eating habits worldwide? Organic and Local Food 166 What is organic food? What is the history of organic food?

7 x Contents How is organic food regulated in the United States? Is most organic food grown on small farms? Is organic food more nutritious and safe? Is organic farming better for the environment? Could today's world be fed with organically grown food? What is the local food movement? What explains the growing market for local food? What is urban agriculture? Does local food help slow climate change? What Is the difference between local food and slow food? What explains the loyalty of some groups to organic, local, or slow food? Food Safety and Genetically Engineered Foods 184 How safe is America's food supply? 184 How do foods become contaminated? 186 Who regulates food contamination in the United States? 188 Is food safety an issue in international trade? 189 Does the industrialization of agriculture make food less safe? 191 Is irradiated food safe? 191 What is genetically modified food? 192 How are genetically engineered foods regulated? 193 How widespread are genetically engineered foods? 195 Why do some people resist GMOs? 196 Do genetically engineered crops strengthen corporate control? 198 Are GMO foods and crops safe? 200 Could genetically engineered crops provide benefits to small farmers in developing countries? 202

8 Contents xi 14 Who Governs the World Food System? 205 Is there a single world food system? 205 How do national governments exercise control? 206 Which are the most important international organizations in the food and farming sector? 207 What has limited the influence of international organizations? 211 Do multinational corporations control the world food system? 214 How much power do non-governmental organizations have? 216 What is the role of private foundations? The Future of Food Politics 220 In the future, will obesity continue to replace hunger as the world's most serious food problem? 220 In the future, will food and farming systems become more localized or more globalized? 221 In the future, will the spread of affluent eating habits destroy the natural environment? 223 In the future, will the politics of food remain contentious? 224 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING INDEX