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(appeared in
World Disarm) Writer: JOHN MADELRY Reviewed by: Vijay Mehta Publisher: ZED BOOKS PRICE: £10.99 John Madly is a writer and a broadcaster who has for the past twenty years written extensively on third world development and environmental issues. John’s book Hungry for Trade examines the paradoxical situation of food trade. For years rich and poor citizens have been told that so called free trade is the answer to all their needs. It is the ultimate source of livelihood and security. Nothing is further than this truth. According to Vandana Shiva “globalisation of food trade is an instant strategy for creating hunger”. And also according to Ralph Nadir” The world does not have free trade — it has corporate managed trade” The fact is that the industrial model of agriculture has failed miserably to feed the world. Food is the most basic need of poor people. If a country passes laws, which enables it to feed its people and those laws are not consistent with rules and regulations of international free trade — they are disallowed by World Trade Organisation. “Hungry for trade” advocates a new agenda for food based on justice and human rights. The book discusses in detail food, security, WTO meeting in Seattle, trade liberalisation, particular of World Bank and international monetary fund. It also charts the progress of corporate managed trade, patents including the genetically modified foods and why they have failed to delivered what they promised to do. Biotechnology is profit driven and have no regard for people of hungry nations. NGO argue that there is urgent need of drastic reforms of WTO, agriculture and land regulations. Some say that to reform of the WTO is the wrong agenda as the balance will trip over for the industrialised countries. There is a huge difference in the perspective about world trade if you come from a developing country. One looks at the arguments from a different angle. In conclusion John says one has to think the unthinkable. The star question is whether food security could be advanced with less trade, rather than with more trade. Should governments of developing countries put more resources in advancing food security and give less an priority to trade. He has given examples of Cuba and Brazil where it has been done. Anti-hunger organisations and movements in Brazil, in many places in partnership with governmental agencies, have demonstrated in practice, how hunger can be overcome in a short period of time, with simple actions with the use of existing technical, human, materials and economic resources. John Madelry’s book “Hunger for trade” has explained a complex issue in simple terms.
(Vijay Mehta is a member of the Editorial Board, which produces Nonviolent Action Monthly).
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