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Wed Mar 9 06:22:29 CET 2016

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I echo Guy's praises, Frankie, the work is accessible and clear of
=E2=80=9Cclutter.=E2=80=9D I will write more thoughtfully on your piece lat=
er in the week,
I have some thoughts that arise from Guy's posting I'd like to share now so
others with more expertise in the issues I will raise below might wade in
if it is a fruitful tangent.

The need to ask "how" arises, Guy suggests, and the examples he gives of
progressive states with greater organic production are ample proof that
organic/agroecological systems can function within the capitalist system of
some progressive, social democratic states. So it isn't an "if," but rather
an opportunity to show what is already being demonstrated.

Guy's example from his piece of fiction presumes rational actors responding
to information we already have about the costs of externalities=E2=80=94cle=
arly Guy
and Frankie both point to the need for our movement to better articulate
these costs and bring pressure to price industrial food accordingly.

What is interesting is to dive a little deeper into these globally
progressive states and look at the ratio of "industrial-organic" to
"agroecological" approaches and see we have some way to go to move
agriculture toward the kind envisioned in Frankie's piece, and then look at
the degree of globalization of the food economy in these states. What I
observe is a little bit like a rural homeschoolers' science club: from the
outside, "organic sector" looks like a range of families with the same
agendas ... until it comes time to teach evolution and the presence of
distinct agendas becomes obvious.

National food sovereignty and successful organic markets can be in sharp
conflict with each other. Whether "sovereignty" goals and "market
development" goals are compatible depends on one's critique of
globalization post-WTO. Those who believe capitalism only needs a tweak
will support neoliberal, export-oriented organic agriculture focusing on
commodities, processed foods, and cash crops. Those who see flaws in the
food system beyond production choices in the field may support post-
corporate capitalist, small-scale, localized approaches to food that look
at multi-functionality, like work Jose Vivero Pol is doing to make the case
for "Food as Commons" policies.

In my view, Frankie's analysis is tied deeply to a fundamental critique of
privatization generally and the notion of food as a commodity rather than a
commons.

With Respect-
Jodi Koberinski
2015 Oak Fellow for Human Rights

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On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 9:47 AM, Great Transition Network wrote: