PIGS,SOY&LABOUR

byPeppeMastruzzo

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST20181

theethosofhomooeconomicuseconomicactivityisseparatefrommoralvaluesindividualsnaturallyandrationallyseektomaximizeprofitthisjungleattitude&maximizingbehavioureventuallyincreasesthewelfareofthecommunity

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 2

labour,values,communities&unfinished commodities

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

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 3

fromChinatotheAmazons• 800millionpigsslaughteredyearly

• 8millionhectaresofsoymonoculture

• 80milliontonsofAmazonsoytoproduceChinesepork

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 4

thelocustcorporation• financialpowersjumptofollowsoyandpigs

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

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 5

overshootday• EarthOvershootDaymarksthedateintheyearwhenwehaveusedmoreresourcesfromnaturethanecosystemscanregenerate

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

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 6

financeandhunger

• in2008,thepriceofall25mainrawmaterialsincreasedatthesametime;whileusuallysomepricesriseandothersfall,thisincreaseinunisonisuniqueinhistory

• noparticularnaturaleventtookplacein2008:nofloodsordroughtsthattriggeredthatincreaseinthepriceofriceorwheat

• thecausewasthehugemassofcapitalfleeingfromthesubprimemortgagecollapse

7VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

todayfinanceisanendinitself

• theroleoffinanceasservingtheeconomyislost,andfinancetodaymeansmakingmoneyoutofmoneyquickly

• hencethegigantismoffinancialmarkets:in1990WallStreetwasasbigas35% ofUSGDP;beforethecrisisin2006itexceeded350%

• i.e.:thereisahypertrophicmassofpurelyspeculativetransactionswhoseexpectedprofitslargelyexceedrealproductionprofits

8VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

casino-finance&catastrophe

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

9VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

hunger!

sincetherearenorulesonspeculatingagainstfoodprices(andhunger!)thefoodmarket,naturallysubjecttopricefluctuations,becomesanidealhuntingground

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 10

theWallStreetbull

• financialspeculationhasdisastrouseffectsontheworldwideproductionofagro-goods

• arationalandfairproductionoffoodisageneralconcerntobeprotectedbyinternationallawagainstprivatetransnationalinterests

11VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

thelittlebull(torèt)

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

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

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 12

theVillarceaux bull

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 13

food,theEarth&humanlabour

• foodispartofacomplexbalancebetweenagriculture,environment,healthandculture

• onthecontrary,marketsregardfoodasamereproduct(foodasaprivategoodmakeshungerstilltriumphinaworldoflavishness)

14VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

WHYISIT?

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 15

theethosofthecommons

• the“commons”arespaces,servicesandgoodsfunctionaltotheprotectionbothofbasicindividualrightsandvitalpublicinterests

• theyarecrucialforthefreedevelopmentoftheindividualasahumanbeing

16VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

whathistoryactuallyshows

• moreequalsocietiesaremoreprosperous–i.e.societieswithafairdistributionofwealthworkbetternotonlysociallybutalsoeconomically

• theycannotdowithoutthecommons,i.e.goodsandservicesfunctionaltotheprotectionbothofsocialequityandofindividualrights

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST201817

globalcommons

• somecommonsgobeyondalocalperspectivetoreachaglobaldimension:

• naturalcommonssuchasgreatwaterreserves,acleanenvironment,climatestability,biodiversity,andtheozoneshield

• human-madecommonsliketransnationalinfrastructures(theinternet)

• globalpolicyobjectiveslikepeace,security,sustainability,monetaryandfinancialstability

18VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

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

19VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

aworldofcommons

• greatmigrationsofcapital,goodsandpeoplechallengethedistinctionbetweennationalandinternationalissues

• issueslikelabour exploitation,inequality,foodscarcity,andclimatechangeenlargebeyondstatebordersthedutiesofnations,makingthemtransnational

• globalcommonsshouldbeenjoyedinaninclusiveandnon-rivalway,whiletheirsituationiscriticalfordepletion&lackoflegalsafeguards

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 20

foodasahumanright

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

21VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

labour asahumanright

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

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 22

foodasglobalknowledge

foodproducesvariousutilitiesbothasaculturalgoodandasamaterialgoodgeneratedby(agri)culturaltechniquesasharedknowledgeaboutfoodproductionandpreparationthatguaranteestheecologicalcycleoflifeisaglobalcommons

23VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

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

• canwemakefoodintoacommonsresource?

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 24

Francis,food&labour

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

25VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

alocalfuture

• localdietscanbeabasisforaregenerativepolicyonagricultureandfood

• theyprotectlocalproductsandlabour• theypromotetheknowledgeofthelocalenvironmentandthecultureoftheterritory,andprovidethebasisfortheircollectiveprotection

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 26

thecurrentcrisis

• therevivalofalmostforgottenfoodtraditionscanconfrontthestandardizationoffoodproductioncausedbysupermarketdistribution

• thecrisisclearlyshowshowworldwidefoodchainsaredistortedbyfinancialspeculation,revealingthecatastrophethatcasinofinancecanbefortheregenerationoflifeonthisplanet

27VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

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

28VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

foraregenerativeworldathickideologicalapparatustodayproclaimsitsfaithintechnologicalinnovationasaconditionsufficientforsurvival

buttherewillbenofuturewithoutaradicalethicalshifttoadifferentlabour marketandarenewed“glocal”foodchain

29VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018

VILLARCEAUX– AUGUST2018 30

thankyou!!!