Rising food prices and food shortages are a global problem, affecting developing countries in particular. During a debate between MEPs, the Commission and Council in the European Parliament today, EP Vice-President Luisa Morgantini (GUE/NGL, Italy) stressed that the EU "cannot let food be dictated by market rules and market speculation".
The Italian MEP pointed an accusing finger for the current food crisis not only at biofuel production or climate change but at globalisation, which has put the earth's riches in the hands of a few, and multinationals, "which have built a world based on inequality."
Ms Morgantini called for a five-year moratorium on the production of biofuels, more investment in agriculture and food production in developing countries and a review of EU subsidy and set-aside policies "which are actively destroying production". She also warned of genetically modified organisms, "which promise to save the world from hunger but which are dangerous and ephemeral."
Greek GUE/NGL MEP Dimitrios Papadimoulis evoked a "humanitarian tsunami" that was sweeping 40 countries and threatening the lives of 100 million human beings. Addressing the Commission and Council, he said: "You need to do more than quote findings. You need to coordinate and act at EU level, get the UN involved, do something about agricultural and biofuels policy and stop giving advice in circumstances dominated by untrammeled speculation".
For Diamanto Manolakou (GUE/NGL, Greece), the recent food revolts "from Africa to the Middle East and from Southeast Asia to Latin America" have one dominant slogan: We are hungry! She denounced the "harsh oppression" of these demonstrations in which people, including children, have been killed and wounded and hundreds arrested. She warned that this anger does not only stem from food shortages, or rising petrol prices. "It is a popular reaction against capitalist barbarity".
GUE/NGL Press
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