Geopolitics of Food Supply


 

 

 Geopolitics relates to how countries interact with each other and the spatial implications of this.

 

Start by watching this trailer to a film about land grabbing (Mali, Africa) and Kenyan Green Beans!

What is Geopolitics?

Geopolitics relates to how countries interact with each other and the impact of this. Decisions made by one country can have consequences for others. The influence of some countries is greater than others. This happens because of the mismatch between food production and consumption between countries.

Also, the food chain from farmer to consumer is increasingly in the hands of a relatively small number of key players who wield power and influence, e.g. TNCs and supermarket chains as well as governments.

 

 

 

Key players:

Food production: Governments e.g. the EU and the CAP

Agribusinesses e.g. Cargill...

Food Transfer: The FAO and the WTO (extension - find out what the WTO do - see the link at the end!)

Food consumption: The TNC supermarket chains e.g. Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Tesco

 

Questions to answer...

  1. What is meant by the geopolitics of food supply? (be detailed - explain fully)
  2.  What is free trade and why doesn't it happen?
  3. What is meant by food security?  (see Geofile page 2) What attempts have been made to ensure food security in developing countries? (update: Global Goal #2)
  4. Why is it difficult to ensure food security in poorer countries? 
  5. Describe the process of land grabbing, using supporting examples of where this is happening. Discuss its advantages and disadvantages
  6. What is fairtrade and what are its advantages? (use Fair Trade  Bananas as an example)

 

Resources to help you...

 

A new world map of food security risk

 

The Geopolitics of food- a report from Guatemala word doc

 

Global food prices at a high - Jan 2011... find out why... and more here (spot the journalist!!!)

 

The Impact of TNCs in Ecuador - WATCH    Fairtrade Bananas - Ecuador

 

FAO: world food situation

The Global Land Grab? ... in Ethiopia  ... Tanzania fights back?  LOTS of examples linked on this page from The Guardian.

Chinese land grab in Argentina - word doc

BBC radio report - debating Land Grabbing in Africa.

 

 Kenyan Green Beans

 

UK Food Production:  The Common Agricultural Policy  Should we import from abroad or grow more food at home - a newsnight report worth watching?

 

The FAO    Interactive map for world agricultural trade flows

 

 

The World Trade Organisation  and criticisms it faces e.g this older article from The Guardian... and more links from here...

 

 

Land Grabbing in pictures - scroll through and note the arguements for and against