Overview

As the fallout from the Seattle meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) continues, John Madeley explores some key questions about the free trade that it advocates: Will free trade in food help or hinder the abolition of world hunger? Who benefits first? The poor? Or the transnational corporations? Will free trade help Third World farmers find new international markets? How can countries - North and South, rich and poor - protect their farmers? How can self-sufficiency in food production be achieved? His book exposes the contradiction between Western governments' rhetoric about reducing world poverty and the drive to yet more trade liberalization.

Full Product Details

Author:   John Madeley
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Zed Books Ltd
Volume:   No. 3
Dimensions:   Width: 12.90cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 19.80cm
Weight:   0.249kg
ISBN:  

9781856498654

ISBN 10:   1856498654
Pages:   192
Publication Date:   16 October 2000
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Seattle 1999 2. Food Security: The Causes of Insecurity 3. Trade Liberalization 4. International Organisations and Policies Affecting Trade and Food Security 5. Trade Liberalization and Food Security: The Evidence 6. Corporate Managed Trade: Patents 7. Corporate Managed Trade: Genetically Modified Foods 8. Putting Food Security Into Trade: NGOs Speak 9. Conclusion: Food Security With Less Trade? Conclusion

Reviews

'A timely and important resource for the growing debate on trade and agriculture and the review of the WTO rules that promote trade at the cost of livelihood and food security. John Madeley combines the perspectives of people in the south and north to create another agenda for food based on justice and human rights.' - Vandana Shiva 'A unique overview of how new trade rules governing intellectual property rights and agriculture have damaged the sector most vital to developing countries' future.' - Sophia Murphy, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis 'For years, rich and poor citizens have been told that so-called free trade is the answer to their food needs. John Madeley's book is a marvellous riposte.' - Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy, Thames Valley University 'John Madeley has spent his life advocating the cause of farmers in the poorer countries?. His ability to research complex issues and explain in simple terms how they are damaging the poor is astounding.' - John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich

This book presents a powerful challenge to current free trade orthodoxy and it is essential reading. --John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich Truly an impressive piece of work. --Sophia Murphy, Senior Associate, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis

'A timely and important resource for the growing debate on trade and agriculture and the review of the WTO rules that promote trade at the cost of livelihood and food security. John Madeley combines the perspectives of people in the south and north to create another agenda for food based on justice and human rights.' Vandana Shiva 'A unique overview of how new trade rules governing intellectual property rights and agriculture have damaged the sector most vital to developing countries' future.' Sophia Murphy, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis 'For years, rich and poor citizens have been told that so-called free trade is the answer to their food needs. John Madeley's book is a marvellous riposte.' Tim Lang Thames Valley University 'John Madeley has spent his life advocating the cause of farmers in the poorer countries?. His ability to research complex issues and explain in simple terms how they are damaging the poor is astounding.' John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich

Subtitled 'How the poor pay for free trade', this unassuming volume provides a wealth of background information and compelling arguments against the unfettered adoption of free trade, especially when it involves food. It is easy to accept unquestioningly the received wisdom that protectionism leads to world recession and the kind of conditions that in part lead to the Second World War, yet Madeley, a writer and broadcaster specializing in Third World development issues, argues that a blanket approach to importing and exporting food, where the balance of power lies in the hands of a few multinational companies, is potentially fatal to those who would otherwise eke out a living from subsistence farming. The book covers issues such as dumping in developing countries (cheap imports mean that local farmers go out of business), genetically modified crops (leading to lack of biodiversity and an increasing dependence of farmers on corporations), the effect of climate change on small-scale producers, the responsibilities of the IMF, WTO and other organizations and much more. The anti-globalization demonstrations that have marked many international summits in recent months are a telling reminder that globalization has its opponents. Here is a chance to read some of the compelling counter-arguments and form your own opinion. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

John Madeley has been a writer and broadcaster specialising in Third World development and environmental issues for the past twenty years. From 1983 to 1998, he was Editor of the renowned magazine, International Agricultural Development. A contributor to leading British papers including the Observer, the Financial Times and the Independent on Sunday, he has also written for many NGOs including Christian Aid, the Panos Institute, and the Catholic Institute for International Relations. He is the author of several books: * When Aid is No Help: How Projects Fail and How They Could Succeed * Trade and the Poor: The Impact of International Trade on Developing Countries * Land is Life: Land Reform and Sustainable Agriculture (co-editor) * Big Business, Poor Peoples: The Impact of Transnational Corporations on the World's Poor.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions