Comments on: The US Blew it on Food Policy, So What Now? http://jcarrot.org/the-us-blew-it-on-food-policy-so-what-now Jews, Food, and Contemporary Issues Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:36:01 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: aliza http://jcarrot.org/the-us-blew-it-on-food-policy-so-what-now/comment-page-1#comment-12157 aliza Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:04:02 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/the-us-blew-it-on-food-policy-so-what-now/#comment-12157 while i think these more ambitious goals would be great, i think you have to recognize what a big step it is for clinton to admit that they failed. he basically rejected those neo-liberal policies by criticizing structural adjustments and saying that "We should go back to a policy of maximum food self-sufficiency. It is crazy for us to think we can develop countries around the world without increasing their ability to feed themselves." While it's true that just saying that doesn't necessarily change anyone's lives, it is part of a general trend that relates to the bailout, the awarding of Krugman the nobel prize and other changes that indicate the recognition of the failure of neo-liberal policies and the Washington Consensus. We even have major leaders pushing for a re-evaluation of the entire Bretton Woods system! So I think Clinton should be pushed to act on these statements, but they are quite profound. Also, just to note- the debate about local purchase for food aid is not really the philosophical one you describe- most people recognize that it would be better for those countries to be able to buy/sell the food (called monetization) and to have local purchase. but it's not politically viable in the US because they need the support of commodity growers and the shipping industry in order to get stuff passed in Congress. those two groups have incredible control and are wedded to providing US-produced goods as food aid, for obvious reasons (food aid is required to be shipped on US ships which is a major source of income for them). while i think these more ambitious goals would be great, i think you have to recognize what a big step it is for clinton to admit that they failed. he basically rejected those neo-liberal policies by criticizing structural adjustments and saying that “We should go back to a policy of maximum food self-sufficiency. It is crazy for us to think we can develop countries around the world without increasing their ability to feed themselves.”

While it’s true that just saying that doesn’t necessarily change anyone’s lives, it is part of a general trend that relates to the bailout, the awarding of Krugman the nobel prize and other changes that indicate the recognition of the failure of neo-liberal policies and the Washington Consensus. We even have major leaders pushing for a re-evaluation of the entire Bretton Woods system!

So I think Clinton should be pushed to act on these statements, but they are quite profound.

Also, just to note- the debate about local purchase for food aid is not really the philosophical one you describe- most people recognize that it would be better for those countries to be able to buy/sell the food (called monetization) and to have local purchase. but it’s not politically viable in the US because they need the support of commodity growers and the shipping industry in order to get stuff passed in Congress. those two groups have incredible control and are wedded to providing US-produced goods as food aid, for obvious reasons (food aid is required to be shipped on US ships which is a major source of income for them).

]]> By: Stephanie http://jcarrot.org/the-us-blew-it-on-food-policy-so-what-now/comment-page-1#comment-12145 Stephanie Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:39:16 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/the-us-blew-it-on-food-policy-so-what-now/#comment-12145 I expect more from Bill Clinton and his multimillion dollar foundation. At the very least, he should be speaking out about the neo-liberalist free trade policies that he pushed forth during his administration, the policies that continue to put small farmers out of business and have forced the mass migration of rural communities into city slums and border towns. When will he be ready to admit that NAFTA, CAFTA, and the other FTAs have been a miserable failure for everyone? I expect more from Bill Clinton and his multimillion dollar foundation. At the very least, he should be speaking out about the neo-liberalist free trade policies that he pushed forth during his administration, the policies that continue to put small farmers out of business and have forced the mass migration of rural communities into city slums and border towns. When will he be ready to admit that NAFTA, CAFTA, and the other FTAs have been a miserable failure for everyone?

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