Unfair trade
The food chain is becoming increasingly global - and big business has
taken control.
Did you know?
The world's biggest company is a supermarket - Walmart
(which owns Asda in the UK)
Grocer Magazine 2003
Farmers around the world are encouraged by bodies like the World Trade
Organisation (WTO)
to grow whatever they can most cheaply and sell it worldwide.
This helps the profits of the supermarkets, fertiliser and pesticide
companies but it's bad news for small farmers, people and the environment:
- Food and environment safety standards
WTO rules mean
these can be seen as trade barriers and overruled.
- Food miles
Food that could be grown in the UK is shipped in from around the
world - causing climate
pollution.
- Supermarket armlock
Farmers often have to accept the loss-making prices supermarkets
offer. Otherwise they face
losing their market.
- Chemical dependence
Biotech companies want to control the seed and chemicals markets
by producing GM crops
that are designed to be used with their own brand of herbicide.
Friends of the Earth thinks that the way to tackle these problems is
on three levels:
- Global
Food and agriculture shouldn't be controlled by the WTO.
- Government
Should support local independent farmers, producers and retailers.
- Supermarkets
Should be bound by a legal code of conduct and prevented from creating
monopolies.
Friends of the Earth says
- Give a fair deal for farmers who safeguard our future
- Save food and farming from unfair global trade rules
Real
food for all >
