An important contribution to our work on seeking structural change  in our global economy. Peter

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Diana Schumacher <dianaschumacher08@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2023 at 08:00
I am sure that you will agree that this is an extremely disquieting state of affairs.
The important thing is what we, as individuals, do about it.
Warm greetings
Diana 

———- Forwarded message ———
From: PCFS Updates <updates@pcfs.global>
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2023, 06:31
Subject: [ANALYSIS] The Future of Food is People Power(ed):
Five Key Features of Today’s Global Food Crisis

FEATURE THE FUTURE OF FOOD IS PEOPLE POWER(ED) Five Key Features of Today’s Global Food Crisis JC Mercado | PCFS Analysis A relentless and roiling global famine amid abundance is, if anything more than monopoly capitalism preying on the working peoples and the planet, a harbinger of upheavals and, ultimately, revolutions for a better future.  At a glance: The current global food crisis, the largest one in modern history, is mainly caused and prolonged by colonial plunder, TNC profiteering, and ongoing imperialist wars of occupation and rivalry.Rural peoples and the poorest of the Global South bear the brunt of the three major crises of our time – the skyrocketing food prices, the climate emergency, and the renewed push for land grabbing. The UNFSS +2 Stocktaking is, at worst, a vile attempt to lock us into colonial and corporate-led false climate solutions at the expense of rural people’s rights. A radical transformation of our food systems is not optional but is necessary to solve the food, energy, and climate crisis, ensure a just and equitable climate transition, and forge a viable future for our planet and people. Three global food crises in the last 15 years – each one worse than the last – are not a mere coincidence, but expected byproducts of imperialist policies that enable profiteering from plunder, famines, and destitution especially for the Global South. Today, a compounding poly-crisis of climate emergencies, soaring energy prices, and escalating warmongering among imperialists is exacerbating the food crisis and confronting the working peoples of the Global South. In contrast, the global billionaire class in imperialist countries has hit the jackpot – increasing their wealth by U2.7 billion a day since 2020. This July, the UNFSS +2 Stocktaking Moment took place, a controversial rejoinder to the corporate-led UN Food Systems Summit of 2021. With Bill Gates-funded platforms still at its helm, the Stocktaking represents a continuing power grab of imperialist TNCs to shape the future of global and national food systems. It is therefore important, if we are to emerge stronger as movements and advance just, equitable, healthy, and sustainable pathways to a better future, to understand the root causes and characteristics of the current global food crisis. An extremely fragile food system Since the beginning of 2020, food prices throughout the world have skyrocketed, reaching highs not seen since the Second World War. In just two years, the cost of the world’s food basket rose by 38% on average – wiping out all the supposed gains in eradicating hunger and poverty in the last decades.In fact, we are in the midst of what the World Food Programme describes as the largest food crisis in modern history.  Official estimates suggest that one in four people cannot afford to eat a healthy diet by the end of 2021 while the majority survives by cutting back on meals and other expenses.While the COVID-19 pandemic provided a palpable excuse when this food crisis first unfolded, its rapid decay and escalating severity points to a deeper issue – our current global food system is extremely fragile. Today, it’s clear that this global food system has continuously failed the poor of the Global South, even in periods of so-called ‘prosperity’ and ‘declining food prices.’Contrary to prevailing narratives that imply this is caused by food shortages such as United Nations’ call to “produce enough food by 2050,” the world is producing far more than enough food to feed itself. In fact, year after year since WWII, rural food producers are breaking records in cereal, vegetables, meat, and edible oil production. Despite the Russia-NATO-Ukraine war, we are producing more than enough food to feed twice our global population. Why, then, are we still amid another food crisis?  The fight for just, equitable, healthy, and sustainable food systems is inevitably an extension of our fight against monopoly capitalism and its agents of plunder. Copyright ©  2023 | People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty | All rights reserved.Connect with us through our mailing address: secretariat@pcfs.global