pigs, soy & labour - eating city

PIGS,SOY&LABOUR

byPeppeMastruzzo

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theethosofhomooeconomicuseconomicactivityisseparatefrommoralvaluesindividualsnaturallyandrationallyseektomaximizeprofitthisjungleattitude&maximizingbehavioureventuallyincreasesthewelfareofthecommunity

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labour,values,communities&unfinished commodities

artisanalfoodisan“unfinishedcommodity”asdefinedbyHeatherPaxson,ProfessoratMIT,inherbook TheLifeofCheese:CraftingFoodandValueinAmerica

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fromChinatotheAmazons• 800millionpigsslaughteredyearly

• 8millionhectaresofsoymonoculture

• 80milliontonsofAmazonsoytoproduceChinesepork

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thelocustcorporation• financialpowersjumptofollowsoyandpigs

• in2008,GoldmanSachsdivertsassetsfromderivativestofoodchains,buying25%ofShuanghui,whichin2013buysSmithfieldFoods,theworldlargestpigandporkproducer

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overshootday• EarthOvershootDaymarksthedateintheyearwhenwehaveusedmoreresourcesfromnaturethanecosystemscanregenerate

• thisyearweareusing1.7Earths;throughoverfishing,overharvesting,andpollutingmorethanEarthcanabsorb,in2018EarthOvershootDaycameonAugust1st

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financeandhunger

• in2008,thepriceofall25mainrawmaterialsincreasedatthesametime;whileusuallysomepricesriseandothersfall,thisincreaseinunisonisuniqueinhistory

• noparticularnaturaleventtookplacein2008:nofloodsordroughtsthattriggeredthatincreaseinthepriceofriceorwheat

• thecausewasthehugemassofcapitalfleeingfromthesubprimemortgagecollapse

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todayfinanceisanendinitself

• theroleoffinanceasservingtheeconomyislost,andfinancetodaymeansmakingmoneyoutofmoneyquickly

• hencethegigantismoffinancialmarkets:in1990WallStreetwasasbigas35% ofUSGDP;beforethecrisisin2006itexceeded350%

• i.e.:thereisahypertrophicmassofpurelyspeculativetransactionswhoseexpectedprofitslargelyexceedrealproductionprofits

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casino-finance&catastrophe

instabilityistheessenceofcasinofinance,notjustasideeffect:speculatorsbuyjusttomakepricesgoupandthensellatahigherprice– thegreaterandquickertheincrease,themoretheywillgain;thegreaterthedisaster,themorelucrativethegame

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hunger!

sincetherearenorulesonspeculatingagainstfoodprices(andhunger!)thefoodmarket,naturallysubjecttopricefluctuations,becomesanidealhuntingground

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theWallStreetbull

• financialspeculationhasdisastrouseffectsontheworldwideproductionofagro-goods

• arationalandfairproductionoffoodisageneralconcerntobeprotectedbyinternationallawagainstprivatetransnationalinterests

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thelittlebull(torèt)

today:844millionlackproperaccesstodrinkingwater(WHO&UNICEF,ProgressonDrinkingWater,Sanitation andHygiene– 2017UpdateandSDGBaselines)

815millionarechronicallyundernourished(FAO,IFAD,UNICEF,WFPandWHO,TheStateofFoodInsecurityandNutritionintheWorld.Building resilienceforpeaceandfoodsecurity,2017)

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theVillarceaux bull

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food,theEarth&humanlabour

• foodispartofacomplexbalancebetweenagriculture,environment,healthandculture

• onthecontrary,marketsregardfoodasamereproduct(foodasaprivategoodmakeshungerstilltriumphinaworldoflavishness)

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WHYISIT?

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theethosofthecommons

• the“commons”arespaces,servicesandgoodsfunctionaltotheprotectionbothofbasicindividualrightsandvitalpublicinterests

• theyarecrucialforthefreedevelopmentoftheindividualasahumanbeing

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whathistoryactuallyshows

• moreequalsocietiesaremoreprosperous–i.e.societieswithafairdistributionofwealthworkbetternotonlysociallybutalsoeconomically

• theycannotdowithoutthecommons,i.e.goodsandservicesfunctionaltotheprotectionbothofsocialequityandofindividualrights

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globalcommons

• somecommonsgobeyondalocalperspectivetoreachaglobaldimension:

• naturalcommonssuchasgreatwaterreserves,acleanenvironment,climatestability,biodiversity,andtheozoneshield

• human-madecommonsliketransnationalinfrastructures(theinternet)

• globalpolicyobjectiveslikepeace,security,sustainability,monetaryandfinancialstability

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Pacha Mama:acommonworldglobalcommonsareessentialforafairand“regenerative”world;theysatisfytheneedofthepresentgenerationwithoutforeclosingoptionsforthefutureones;yet,theyareunderprovidedduetothelackofnationalandinternationalregulation

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aworldofcommons

• greatmigrationsofcapital,goodsandpeoplechallengethedistinctionbetweennationalandinternationalissues

• issueslikelabour exploitation,inequality,foodscarcity,andclimatechangeenlargebeyondstatebordersthedutiesofnations,makingthemtransnational

• globalcommonsshouldbeenjoyedinaninclusiveandnon-rivalway,whiletheirsituationiscriticalfordepletion&lackoflegalsafeguards

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foodasahumanright

foodisabasichumanrightcrucialforpeaceandsecurity,humanitarianassistance,innovativesourcesoffinancingfordevelopment,monetaryandfinancialstabilityUN(2003),MonterreyConsensusonFinancingforDevelopment,FinaltextUN(2008),DohaDeclarationonFinancingforDevelopment

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labour asahumanright

everyonehastherighttowork,tofree choice ofemployment,tojustandfavorableconditionsofworkandtoprotectionagainstunemploymenteveryonewhoworkshastherighttojustandfavorable remuneration ensuringforhimselfandhisfamilyanexistenceworthyofhuman dignity,andsupplemented,ifnecessary,byothermeansof socialprotectionUnitedNations(1948),TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,art.23

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foodasglobalknowledge

foodproducesvariousutilitiesbothasaculturalgoodandasamaterialgoodgeneratedby(agri)culturaltechniquesasharedknowledgeaboutfoodproductionandpreparationthatguaranteestheecologicalcycleoflifeisaglobalcommons

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thecityasacommons• citizenscollectivelyproducedifferentkindsofvaluesandcandecidewhichofthemwillremaincommonsandwhichwillbeturnintoacommodity,e.g.language,ideas,art,products.

• canwemakefoodintoacommonsresource?

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Francis,food&labour

“Thereisagreatvarietyofsmall-scalefoodproductionsystemswhichfeedthegreaterpartoftheworld’speoples,usingamodestamountoflandandproducinglesswaste.Economiesofscaleendupforcingsmallholderstoselltheirlandortoabandontheirtraditionalcrops.”(Laudato Si’,129)

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alocalfuture

• localdietscanbeabasisforaregenerativepolicyonagricultureandfood

• theyprotectlocalproductsandlabour• theypromotetheknowledgeofthelocalenvironmentandthecultureoftheterritory,andprovidethebasisfortheircollectiveprotection

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thecurrentcrisis

• therevivalofalmostforgottenfoodtraditionscanconfrontthestandardizationoffoodproductioncausedbysupermarketdistribution

• thecrisisclearlyshowshowworldwidefoodchainsaredistortedbyfinancialspeculation,revealingthecatastrophethatcasinofinancecanbefortheregenerationoflifeonthisplanet

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TerraMadre“Atechnologicalandeconomicdevelopmentwhichdoesnotleaveinitswakeabetterworldandanintegrallyhigherqualityoflifecannotbeconsideredprogress.Frequently,infact,people’squalityoflifeactuallydiminishes– bythedeteriorationoftheenvironment,thelowqualityoffoodorthedepletionofresources– inthemidstofeconomicgrowth,andtalkofsustainablegrowthusuallybecomesawayofdistractingattentionandofferingexcuses,absorbingthelanguageandvaluesofecologyintothecategoriesoffinanceandtechnocracy.”(Laudato Si’,194)

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foraregenerativeworldathickideologicalapparatustodayproclaimsitsfaithintechnologicalinnovationasaconditionsufficientforsurvival

buttherewillbenofuturewithoutaradicalethicalshifttoadifferentlabour marketandarenewed“glocal”foodchain

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thankyou!!!