VENEZUELA: The Capitalist System Has Brought Humanity to the Biggest Food Crisis Known

[magbana]

Venezuela: The capitalist system has brought humanity to the biggest food
crisis known
June 10, 2008

Latin American countries condemn the World Food Summit for ignoring the
real causes of rising food prices
by Kiraz Janicke

Caracas ? Venezuela, along with Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and
Bolivia, criticized the final declaration of the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) Summit in Rome on Thursday, arguing that
the document failed to identify the true causes of rising food prices,
such as agricultural subsidies and unequal trade policies imposed by
developed countries.
The declaration at the summit, which saw some 6.5 billion dollars pledged
to boost agricultural production in developing countries, vowed to cut "by
half the number of undernourished people by no later than 2015."

However, the Latin American nations objected to the lack of concrete
measures within the document and its failure to mention the need to cut
subsidies and tariffs in developed nations.

The Argentine government, which was the first to criticize the
declaration, said in a statement:

"Appropriate cures can't result from mistaken diagnosis? Argentina is
formally registering its dissatisfaction with a text that, while dealing
with the question of food security, doesn't include a single reference
that uses the term 'agricultural subsidies.'
"The elevated production and exportation subsidies and the application of
exorbitant trade barriers, as well as conditions imposed by international
financial organisations on developing countries, are the principal reasons
why the correct signals have not been sent so that farmers in the poor
countries maintain their commitment to agricultural production."

Venezuelan ambassador to the FAO, Gladys Urbaneja Duran, also objected to
the document saying it lacked a "genuine humanitarian spirit," and aimed
to present world hunger as merely a circumstantial crisis, when in reality
it reflects a structural problem linked to the capitalist system and its
mode of production and consumption.
The current food crisis "is the biggest demonstration of the historical
failure of the capitalist model," Urbaneja argued in the debate yesterday.

Urbaneja rejected the position of the US delegation, which claimed the
reason for the current food crisis was rapidly increasing demand from
India and China.

"The main reason for the rise in food prices isn't growing demand from the
Indian and Chinese markets, or the rise in petroleum prices," she
countered, "The main reason is that food has been turned into yet another
object of market speculation."

The key factors weakening local economics in developing countries are free
trade treaties and the flooding of markets by US produce Urbaneja said.

According to FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf, between $11 billion and
$12 billion a year is spent on agriculture subsidies and restrictive
tariff policies.

In the absence of "clear commitments" the Venezuelan delegate feared that
the final declaration could become a "significant setback."

"We missed an opportunity to take a firm and clear step in the struggle
against the scourge of hunger," Urbaneja concluded.

Since the beginning of 2007, world food prices have increased 60 percent,
sparking riots in more than 30 countries, including Cameroon, Haiti, and
Egypt that depend on imported food.

Another key debate at the summit was the question of bio-fuels. Bio-fuels
are promoted by the US as an alternative to fossil fuels; however, others
argued that bio-fuel production, as well as being environmentally
damaging, diverts vast amounts of land and resources from food production
and will exacerbate the food crisis.

The declaration simply stated that bio-fuels present both "challenges and
opportunities" and called for further research.

Orlando Requeijo, Cuban vice-minister for foreign investment and economic
cooperation, criticized the US's "sinister bio-fuels policy" and said the
outcome is the result of a "lack of political will from northern countries
to promote a just and lasting solution to the world food crisis."

While the Latin American countries did not block the adoption of the final
text, they presented their criticisms and objections in a separate
addendum.

In a further statement yesterday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicol?s
Maduro said "concrete responses" were necessary "in order to obtain
concrete results in the short, medium, and long term."

"In the face of the international food crisis? the Bolivarian Government
of President Hugo Chavez has advanced with concrete projects, both within
our country and through the framework of the Bolivarian Alternative for
the Americas to the US backed Free Trade Agreement of the Americas]."

The Venezuelan government has made efforts to minimize the impact of the
world food crisis within the country through the government subsidized
food chain, Mercal, and PDVAL, a state owned food distribution company,
and two months ago signed a food security treaty with ALBA member nations.

Maduro said that Venezuela would raise further concrete proposals at
upcoming multilateral meetings, including the next PetroCaribe Summit and
an Agro-Food Summit soon to take place in Venezuela.

"This series of proposals will allow the construction of a response to the
agricultural and food crisis from the perspective of a new, advanced
social model of solidarity, which will overcome the limitations of the
international capitalist system of production and consumption that has
brought humanity to the biggest food crisis known."

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3532

[Bacchus39]

1. Venezuela imports 60% of its food, so their policies certainly haven't helped

ameliorate the food crisis elsewhere or in Ven for that matter.

also, how does flooding the market with food exacerbate the food crisis????

[magbana]

2. Were you responding to another post perhaps?

Otherwise, can't see that your comment pertains to this article..

[Bacchus39]

3. do you read the articles you post?

"The key factors weakening local economics in developing countries are free
trade treaties and the flooding of markets by US produce Urbaneja said."

[JohnnyCougar]

5. Didn't it used to be 80% before Chavez?

You should consider giving the man some credit. I don't think Chavez is a saint, but everything he does isn't some sort of demonistic plot to ascend to the status of lunatic dictator. You complain about Chavez supporters on here being ideologues, but you're pretty much one yourself.

On a less confrontational note, are you Colombian or Cuban or something? Or do you just not like Chavez?

[Judi Lynn]

4. Great article. Hope to hear more about this. n/t