SOC349H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: World Trade Organization, Structural Adjustment, International Monetary Fund
Document Summary
Lecture 2: the globalized food industry sustainability and global justice. Benefits of global food: variety, abundance, non-seasonal produce. Canadian consumers spend relatively little on food (compared globally) Food costs are increasing (low $, climate change, rising oil prices) Both are correlated when food prices increase, more protests/uprisings. Food price strongly correlated with oil price and climate change as well. Not actually cheap pay at the store, pay in taxes to subsidize farmers/support agricultural development, pay for environmental factors. High health costs of cheap food 48 mill. High technology: mechanical revolution (1900): replace oxen with machinery, chemical revolution (1945): use chemicals to increase growth and yield, genetic revolution (1990): change genetics for better products and production. The global peasant population is in decline. Competition in global free markets is difficult for peasants: lack access to technology, inputs, credit, subsidies. De-peasantization occurs as farmers move to urban slums: 1 bill.
