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the geopolitics of food
Our world is highly political, and the patterns of food production, consumption and trade are no exception to that. Indeed, in today's highly globalised world, politics plays an ever increasing role in determining what food is grown where, by whom and at what price. This, in conjunction with a world trade system, advantages some food producers and consumers whilst disadvantaging others.
DEFINITION
The GEOPOLITICS basically relates to the way in which the geography of economics and the distribution of (in this case food) resources links with the politics of nations (such as the UK) and the links/relationships between nations. A good example of this is the small trade war that the USA and France had running up to 2009. The French government banned the imports of hormone reared beef from the USA, so the USA responded by banning a range of French products including Roquefort cheese.
DEFINITION
The GEOPOLITICS basically relates to the way in which the geography of economics and the distribution of (in this case food) resources links with the politics of nations (such as the UK) and the links/relationships between nations. A good example of this is the small trade war that the USA and France had running up to 2009. The French government banned the imports of hormone reared beef from the USA, so the USA responded by banning a range of French products including Roquefort cheese.
FREE TRADE
Over the past 40 years the world has become more and more globalised and one of the forces of that globalisation is free trade. The basic idea behind our world trade system is one of FREE TRADE, where goods can be easily traded between nation states, people and companies without impediments to that trade. In this way, so the theory goes, the most efficient producer of a good will be able to produce that good at its cheapest price and will out-compete its competitors. So if the climate and soils of a region permit the production of bananas, that place will produce bananas and sell them on the world market. This sounds simple in reality but it rarely works like this in practice:
> Regions like to produce more than one good to ensure food security (don't put all of your eggs in one basket!)
> Governments need money to run so therefore need a tax base - they often raise taxes through import and export taxes, thereby removing the free element of free trade!
> Governments of individual countries have a need to PROTECT the citizens of their own countries (and are under pressure to do so to be re-elected!). They often therefore choose to protect their own industries through protectionist measures, such as subsidising domestic industries and taxing (or adding tariffs to) foreign ones heavily. The European Unions early Common Agricultural Policies were highly protectionist.
> Regions like to produce more than one good to ensure food security (don't put all of your eggs in one basket!)
> Governments need money to run so therefore need a tax base - they often raise taxes through import and export taxes, thereby removing the free element of free trade!
> Governments of individual countries have a need to PROTECT the citizens of their own countries (and are under pressure to do so to be re-elected!). They often therefore choose to protect their own industries through protectionist measures, such as subsidising domestic industries and taxing (or adding tariffs to) foreign ones heavily. The European Unions early Common Agricultural Policies were highly protectionist.
FOOD AID
Most countries do not grow enough food to feed their own populations but others produce more than their internal markets demand. Food, therefore, is either bought as part of international trade or supplied as aid.
Food aid is sometimes used by more developed countries to get rid of their surplus agricultural produce. Sometimes this food is sold at low prices in less developed countries (known as 'dumping') in order to create markets in those countries and a possible dependence on food imports. This kind of aid has a tendency to perpetuate the existing political and social structure in a country, structures that often helped to create the need for aid in the first place. Food aid can also be used as a political tool - it can help to keep a government sympathetic to the West in power or be used to maintain good relations with the recipient country. For example, in 1974 the USA withdrew its food aid from Bangladesh to try to 'persuade' that country not to trade with Cuba.
Food aid is sometimes used by more developed countries to get rid of their surplus agricultural produce. Sometimes this food is sold at low prices in less developed countries (known as 'dumping') in order to create markets in those countries and a possible dependence on food imports. This kind of aid has a tendency to perpetuate the existing political and social structure in a country, structures that often helped to create the need for aid in the first place. Food aid can also be used as a political tool - it can help to keep a government sympathetic to the West in power or be used to maintain good relations with the recipient country. For example, in 1974 the USA withdrew its food aid from Bangladesh to try to 'persuade' that country not to trade with Cuba.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is often the driving force in developing countries. World Trade Organisation (WTO) statistics show that agriculture accounts for over one third of export earnings for around 50 developing countries. Significant agricultural subsidies provided by governments to farmers in developing countries, however, compromise the ability of farmers in developing countries to participate in global agricultural trade. This reduces their income and keeps their country in poverty. As well as protecting their markets, food imports to the country have quadrupled. As a consequence, rural incomes in many parts of India have fallen sharply, with foreign imports of soya and palm oil undercutting local producers and virtually wiping out the production of edible oil.
TRANSNATIONAL AGRIBUSINESSES
Many transnational agribusinesses based in the developed world have the financial resources to buy up land in poorer countries. They also have the political influence to be able to use this land for the exclusive production of cash crops for sale to the developed world. This may squeeze poor farmers off more productive lands with obvious impacts on food production.