January/February 2003

Food and Farming

NI (No.353) Contents 9 The new peasants' revolt Katharine Ainger takes issue with a model of agriculture that's turning small farmers from stewards of the land into servants. 13 Food sovereignty The outlines of a new agricultural paradigm. 14 How (not) to feed Africa As famine stalks Africa Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziahbher demands a rethink about food aid, small farms, genetic modification and debt. 16 Tricks of the trade The rules of the globe trading system - who makes them and why, as they apply to rice, meat, dairy products, sugar, wheat, coffee and genetically modified soya and maize. 18 Robin Hood in reverse The 2002 Farm Bill pumps a $250-billion subsidy into big farming business in the US. The losers, says Anuradha Mittal, are almost everyone else. 19 Tainted tortillas Maize in Mexico has been contaminated by genetically modified organisms. Tania Molina Ramírez reports on a scandal - and what the ‘people of maize’are doing about it. 20 FOOD AND FARMING - THE FACTS 22 The market and the monsoon In a special report from the state of Andhara Pradesh in India, Katharine Ainger looks through the dust and the desperation at Vision 2020 - a plan to remove 20 million people from their land. 28 Cutting the wire The Landless Movement (MST) in Brazil came to prominence by occupying land. Now, reports Sue Brandford, the movement’s getting serious about sustainable farming, too. 30 Farming solutions Tracing the practical steps already being taken in Japan, the Philippines, Laos, China, Kenya, Madagascar, Tunisia, Brazil, Argentina and Germany. 32 The magic bean The way forward, says Jules Pretty, involves learning from the 350,000 generations of farmers, not just the last two generations of industry. 35 The delicious revolution (or what you can do) <<REGULAR FEATURES>> 2 Letters 4 Southern Exposure The dancer's silhouette: a picture from Indonesia by the Filipino photographer Rolex de la Pena. 5 View from the South Nobel Peace Prizewinner Archbishop Desmond Tutu argues that it is time for us to treat Israel as we once treated apartheid South Africa.. 6 Currents The 'collateral' damage: meet some of the ordinary Iraqis that your government is planning to bomb. PLUS: El Salvador's healthcare workers battle privatization. PLUS: Word Corner - Caravan. PLUS: Big Bad World cartoonist Polyp on the power of the media. 36 Jumbo NI Prize Crossword 37 Mixed Media BOOKS, MUSIC, FILM/VIDEO 40 Country Profile - China

NI-Japan (No.41) Contents Food and Farming Food and farming are basic to human existence, but are increasingly coming under the control of powerful corporations. In this bumper issue, NI looks at ways farmers all over the world are finding diverse alternatives to the free-market model of agriculture and taking their power back in the process. <This month's article> ·Translation of "The new peasant's revolt" (p9-12) <Reporting from Japan> ·DATA FILE: Japanese Agriculture ·Japanese Farming-where is it headed? by Nagata Mami <Contact Points> Agriculture related magazine, organization, consumer group and shop. <Country Profile> -Translation of "Country Profile - China" (p40)