Jul 20 2009

Food politics: European version

I’m always suprised when people ask me what I mean by “food politics.”    What, they say, does politics have to do with food?   Here’s a good example: European farm subsidies.  These were originally supposed to promote farm production, but today the European Union drops $75 billion, at least a third of it for other purposes.  As an investigative report in the New York Times explains, the biggest subsidies – just as in the U.S. – go to the wealthiest recipients.   A typical small farmer in Romania gets $550.  But the Queen of England and the Prince of Monaco get $700,000 or more, each, and Cargill, that needy company, got $14 million.  And then there are subsidies like this one: €127,000 for Ligabue, a Venetian caterer, for sugar and dairy packets considered as exports because they are consumed on cruise ships?   Why do I think politics enters into this somehow?

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  • sid
  • July 21, 2009
  • 8:45 am

food politics – canada version
canada’s (corporate sponsored) far-right think tank The Fraser Institute, today announced a report that Canada is too strict in allowing companies to make health claims for food products, 5 “permissible health claims” permitted in Canada vs 25 in US.

Or, as Marketing Magazine spins it: “Canadian consumers missing out on health benefit claims”

I’m all for it. since Omnivore’s Dilemma book advice states “avoid all food products with health claims on the label.” Hyped-health claims on food product labels is a fine system for letting educated consumers avoid unhealthy food products–as defined as food products with health claims on the label.

I always like to compare health claims on food products to the wizard of Oz… Ignore the man behind the curtain. If the processed chemical-laden food-corp product is so good for me, then just imagine how good the original unprocessed raw-ingredients would be for me!

  • ollie
  • July 22, 2009
  • 7:20 pm

Overall though, I’ll take European food politics and culture over the US’ anyday Marion!

Subsidies also go into agri environmental schemes: 67,000 out of 130,000 farmers in Ireland are in one, and both Ireland and the world are better places for it. (However this looks like it may be cut thanks to recession)

From GM to family farming on a smaller and more mixed scale, to more food enjoyment, rates of organic, there is a lot to be said for European food politics.

Europe is the birthplace of slow food afterall…

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