of agricultural biodiversity and eco-friendly farming practices,
according to noted environmental activist Vandana Shiva.In a paper
presented at a three-day seminar held in connection with the ongoing
Annam National Food and Agro Biodiversity Festival, Ms. Shiva
advocated a 'return to nature' policy as the global response to the
food crisis, the mounting debt burden and the impact of climate
change. "Biodiverse ecological agriculture provides higher nutrition
and food per acre than industrial agriculture. It reduces emissions
and mitigates the effect of climate change while also helping adapt to
it. And it frees farmers of the debt burden," she said. Ms. Shiva
said industrialised agriculture and globalised food systems were
responsible for the food crisis."Over the last one year, the price of
wheat went up by 130 per cent while the price of rice doubled during
the first three months of 2008. Globalisation has led to the
destruction of local food economies and increased control by
profit-driven multi-national corporations. Global integration of
agriculture has in effect resulted in global control of the world's
food supply," she said.Ms. Shiva said India's integration into the
global market had led to the rise in food prices. "In the early days
of globalisation, the agri-businesses that dominated trade lowered the
prices to grab markets. But once the corporations created import
dependency, they started increasing prices. Speculation through
futures trading has also driven up prices. Climate change and the
diversion of food to bio-fuels are adding to the upward pressure on
international prices," she said.Ms. Shiva said the situation warranted
the need to focus on food sovereignty. "It makes both political and
economic sense to achieve self-reliance in food and agriculture." She
said the emergence of seed monopolies and the shift to agricultural
practices based on chemicals and genetically engineered organisms had
burdened farmers with heavy debts.
The Hindu, 31st December 2008
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