Food:Food:whose power to control?whose power to control?

Geoff TanseyGeoff Tanseywww.tansey.org.ukwww.tansey.org.uk

Power & PoliticsFOE local groups conference

11 September 2010

Food system basicsFood system basics

Biological - ecologicalBiological - ecological History - global restructuringHistory - global restructuring Human needs - multi-dimensionalHuman needs - multi-dimensional

physiologicalphysiological psychologicalpsychological socialsocial culturalcultural

A dysfunctional systemA dysfunctional system Just over 1 bn people undernourishedJust over 1 bn people undernourished

2 billion micronutrient deficient2 billion micronutrient deficient

About 1.2 billion overweight - 300 million obeseAbout 1.2 billion overweight - 300 million obese

Affects poor most, N & SAffects poor most, N & S

US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(Food Stamps) - $37.7bn, 2008(prov)(Food Stamps) - $37.7bn, 2008(prov)

2.5bn people in agriculture (1.3bn smallholders)2.5bn people in agriculture (1.3bn smallholders)

75% of poor (<$2/day) in rural areas75% of poor (<$2/day) in rural areas

Sources: FAO, USDA, WHO & World Bank

Beyond terror -Beyond terror -the real threats to our worldthe real threats to our world

Climate change - destabilisationClimate change - destabilisation Competition over resources, inc landCompetition over resources, inc land Marginalisation of the majority worldMarginalisation of the majority world Global militarisationGlobal militarisation

Source: Abbott, Rogers and Sloboda, Oxford Research Group

Global wealth distribution, 2000Global wealth distribution, 2000 10% of adults own 86% global 10% of adults own 86% global

household wealthhousehold wealth 50% own barely 1%50% own barely 1% Average person in top 10% owns Average person in top 10% owns

nearly 3000 times wealth of nearly 3000 times wealth of average person in bottom 10%average person in bottom 10%

Source: WIDER Angle, 2/2006

Power Power ControlControlRiskRiskBenefitsBenefits

Key wordsKey words

Food System actorsFood System actors

Input suppliersInput suppliers FarmersFarmers TradersTraders WorkersWorkers Processors / manufacturersProcessors / manufacturers Wholesalers / retailersWholesalers / retailers CaterersCaterers Consumers / citizensConsumers / citizens Governments, policy makers, lobbyistsGovernments, policy makers, lobbyists

All you need is - enoughAll you need is - enoughLimited demand - saturated marketsLimited demand - saturated markets

Increased competitionIncreased competition

TechnologyTechnology

Increased productivityIncreased productivity

DiversificationDiversification

Key trendsKey trends

Economic concentrationEconomic concentration

Global markets / global rulesGlobal markets / global rules

Control Control

Geo-political shiftsGeo-political shifts

Tools for controlTools for control

Political, military & economic powerPolitical, military & economic power Historically shaped today’s systemHistorically shaped today’s system

ScienceScience TechnologyTechnology InformationInformation ManagementManagement Laws, rules, regulationsLaws, rules, regulations

From national to globalFrom national to global

1990s - global food rules change1990s - global food rules change Convention on Biological Diversity (UN)Convention on Biological Diversity (UN)

conserve, sustain, share benefitsconserve, sustain, share benefits International Treaty on Plant Genetic International Treaty on Plant Genetic

Resources for Food and Agriculture Resources for Food and Agriculture (UN)(UN) Farmers’ Rights, IPRs, sharing benefits, managed Farmers’ Rights, IPRs, sharing benefits, managed

commonscommons World Trade OrganisationWorld Trade Organisation

Trade liberalisation, agriculture, TRIPS, SPSTrade liberalisation, agriculture, TRIPS, SPS

Patents, Patents, Power andPower and

Importance of Importance of ‘Intellectual ‘Intellectual Property’Property’

UnderpinsUnderpins ‘‘knowledge economy’knowledge economy’ media & entertainment, softwaremedia & entertainment, software pharmaceuticals / biotechnologypharmaceuticals / biotechnology brand power & GMbrand power & GM

Means to Means to Exclude others, capture and appropriate Exclude others, capture and appropriate

benefitsbenefits Shift market powerShift market power

Changing face of research and Changing face of research and developmentdevelopment

Access to knowledge / seedsAccess to knowledge / seeds Freedom to operate / exchangeFreedom to operate / exchange Skewing questions asked, solutions sought Skewing questions asked, solutions sought Going which way - milestones?Going which way - milestones?

Open access, distributed innovation, ecologically Open access, distributed innovation, ecologically supportive or the pharma modelsupportive or the pharma model

What type of future?What type of future? Collapse (still a real danger: eg economic, nuclear Collapse (still a real danger: eg economic, nuclear

war, disease, environmental disasters)war, disease, environmental disasters)

techno-dominance / corporate feudalismtechno-dominance / corporate feudalism Bifurcation (rich 2 billion use all tech available to enhance / Bifurcation (rich 2 billion use all tech available to enhance /

maintain their lifestyles, rest contained by technologies of control or maintain their lifestyles, rest contained by technologies of control or killed off in disasters - the “Liddism” of Paul Rogers)killed off in disasters - the “Liddism” of Paul Rogers)

ecological balance / diverse / resilient / fairecological balance / diverse / resilient / fair

Business as usual is not an optionBusiness as usual is not an option

Move to a more Move to a more agro-ecological agro-ecological farming approach farming approach from an industrial, from an industrial, fossil fuel based fossil fuel based modelmodel

Prosperity without growth?Prosperity without growth?

There is as yet no credible, socially just, There is as yet no credible, socially just, ecologically sustainable scenario of ecologically sustainable scenario of continually growing incomes for a world continually growing incomes for a world of nine billion peopleof nine billion people

Simplistic assumptions that capitalism’s Simplistic assumptions that capitalism’s propensity for efficiency will allow us to propensity for efficiency will allow us to stabilise the climate and protect against stabilise the climate and protect against resource scarcity are nothing short of resource scarcity are nothing short of delusionaldelusional

Tim Jackson

Sustainable Development Sustainable Development Commission - food securityCommission - food security

genuinely sustainable food systems: where the core goal is to feed everyone

sustainably, equitably and healthily; which addresses needs for

availability,affordability and accessibility; which is diverse, ecologically-sound and

resilient; which builds the capabilities and skills

necessary for future generations.

Fair shares

Fair play

Fair say

www.foodethicscouncil.org

Thinking about systems Thinking about systems changechange

Choosing leverage points, levels Choosing leverage points, levels and areas and areas

Recognising connectionsRecognising connections

Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems - A Primer, Earthscan, 2009

Beyond current assumptionsBeyond current assumptions

Will we in the UK be able to eat what we Will we in the UK be able to eat what we want, when we want, from wherever we want, when we want, from wherever we want? Should we be able to?want? Should we be able to?

Is there any historical responsibility?Is there any historical responsibility? GHG emissions + ecological debtGHG emissions + ecological debt

Beyond technologyBeyond technology

Innovation needed is local / Innovation needed is local / institutional / social / economic / institutional / social / economic / political, not just technologicalpolitical, not just technological

Many people around the world Many people around the world recognise this and are ahead of the recognise this and are ahead of the political leadershippolitical leadership

Changing ParadigmsChanging Paradigms A new ecological economicsA new ecological economics

SDC - prosperity without growth in N, SDC - prosperity without growth in N, different in Sdifferent in S

NEF - The Great TransitionNEF - The Great Transition Worldwatch - Transforming CulturesWorldwatch - Transforming Cultures Sarkozy Commission - beyond GDP /GNPSarkozy Commission - beyond GDP /GNP

Beyond reductionist R&DBeyond reductionist R&D Understanding complexity Understanding complexity ecosystems approachesecosystems approaches

Reframing rules, laws, incentivesReframing rules, laws, incentives

Linking nutritional well-being, farming Linking nutritional well-being, farming and fairnessand fairness

Reordering governance systems Reordering governance systems Developing resilience mechanismsDeveloping resilience mechanisms

- eg stocks, - eg stocks, Changing the framework for the Changing the framework for the

actorsactors

Shifting powerShifting power Social, economic, political, commercial, Social, economic, political, commercial,

gender, geo-politicalgender, geo-political Land - access and use - what is land for?Land - access and use - what is land for? Property - real vs imaginaryProperty - real vs imaginary

The rise of patents, brands, plant variety The rise of patents, brands, plant variety protection et alprotection et al

Food Sovereignty / democracy movements / Food Sovereignty / democracy movements / biodiversity & seed fairs / Transition towns biodiversity & seed fairs / Transition towns etcetc

The Corporate Economy The Local Economy

The top 10 seed companies control 67% of the global proprietary seed market and 82% of the world’s commercial seed sales are proprietary.

Three-quarters of the world’s farmers either grow locally-bred varieties and/or save their seed. At least 1.4 billion people depend upon farmer-saved seed.

80% of agribusiness research is devoted to shipping, storage and market-maximization technologies.

100% of farmer-based research is devoted to environmental sustainability, productivity and nutrition.

The top 100 grocery retail enterprises account for 35% of global grocery retail sales.

85% of global food production is consumed close to where it is grown – much of it outside the formal market system.

The top 10 pharmaceutical companies control 55% of global drug sales.

Approximately 70% of the world’s population is cared for by community health specialists using local medicines.

Source: etc group, Who Owns Nature? Corporate Power and the Final Frontier in the Commodification of Life

Pick your focusPick your focus

Within a bigger framework Within a bigger framework for a just, sustainable and for a just, sustainable and healthy [food] system on a healthy [food] system on a

small blue planetsmall blue planet