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Member
Posts: 32
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Jane Herbstritt of the World Development Movement has asked Transition Black Isle if we could publicize a meeting in May on world food prices and poverty. She claims that the UK government is persuading the EU to water down new proposals so that the financial sector can go on profiting from hunger. This topic may interest you so I attach the information she supplied.
Tell Danny Alexander to stop bankers betting on food!
Public Meeting: Wednesday 9th May, 7-9pm SYHA Hostel, Victoria Drive, Inverness.
Come along to a public meeting to find out how you can help stop bankers betting on food prices, that is having a catastrophic effect on the world’s poorest people.
Banks, hedge funds and pensions funds are making huge profits from betting on food prices in financial markets. Sudden price hikes in staple foods like wheat, maize and soy are the result. This has been catastrophic for the world’s poor, who spend most of their income on food and who therefore feel the price swings most acutely. In the second half of 2010 alone, high food prices pushed 44 million more people into extreme poverty. Women, children and elderly people are particularly hard hit.
Danny Alexander, Invernes MP, has a key role to play in changing this situation. Legislation going through the European Parliament at the moment can regulate the markets, curbing this betting on food prices. But the UK government is attempting to water down the new rules so that the financial sector can go on profiting from hunger.
Liz Murray, Head of Scottish Campaigns and Networks for the World Development Movement will show a short film and give a presentation about our campaign on financial speculation. There will then be a short discussion on what you might do in Inverness. We are hoping that a small group of volunteers in Inverness will work together between now and December, to lobby Danny Alexander who, as a member of the Treasury, can influence the government’s position on this legislation.
Jane Herbstritt, Campaigns assistant, World Development Movement Scotland
0131 243 2730
jane@wdmscotland.org.uk
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Regular
Posts: 85
| Thanks for posting this Glacio--I think it is obscene that food has become a commodity in this way. How can money be more important than food.
Unfortunately I will be away on 9th may but have already signed internet petitions on this issue--not sure what else I can do ? | |
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Regular
Posts: 80
| Maggie - the only other thing to do, as far as i can see, is to do what you are already doing. That is to opt out of the system. Produce your own food. Encourage your friends and neighbours to do the same and share your food with them. Perhaps creating more "not for profit" food co-ops might help.
Also remember that not all "food" is grown for eating. With the price of food being pushed up by the demand for Bio fuels. Farmers will grow what ever will gets the highest price. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 319
| We've been telling people to grow cash crops rather than grow food to feed themselves for years. They then became dependent on the markets. Now the markets are just one giant casino which is stacked against the poor.
Trouble is lots of financial activity is great for GDP figures. Growing your own doesn't count.
The UK used 7% less energy last year and that also counts as a negative for GDP. We need a new system. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 319
| Went to the meeting. A group of us are arranging to lobby Danny Alexander. Email me if you want to join anne.katherine.thomas@gmail.com. There is also a local facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/131348450263940/
See the webiste for further information http://www.wdm.org.uk/food-speculation
World hunger rates are now going through the roof after a few years when we acutally seemed to be making some progress. Some of this will be due to the effects of peak oil and rising fuel prices plus climate change affecting harvests but a lot is due to speculation. If we can at least address the speculation aspect we can cut down on the huge spikes. | |
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Meeting organized by World Development Movement: 9 May SYHA Hostel Inverness