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Wed Mar 9 06:22:29 CET 2016


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I echo Guy&#39;s praises, Frankie, the work is accessible and clear of =E2=
=80=9Cclutter.=E2=80=9D I will write more thoughtfully on your piece later =
in the week, I have some thoughts that arise from Guy&#39;s posting I&#39;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.<br>
<br>
The need to ask &quot;how&quot; arises, Guy suggests, and the examples he g=
ives of progressive states with greater organic production are ample proof =
that organic/agroecological systems can function within the capitalist syst=
em of some progressive, social democratic states. So it isn&#39;t an &quot;=
if,&quot; but rather an opportunity to show what is already being demonstra=
ted.<br>
<br>
Guy&#39;s example from his piece of fiction presumes rational actors respon=
ding to information we already have about the costs of externalities=E2=80=
=94clearly Guy and Frankie both point to the need for our movement to bette=
r articulate these costs and bring pressure to price industrial food accord=
ingly.<br>
<br>
What is interesting is to dive a little deeper into these globally progress=
ive states and look at the ratio of &quot;industrial-organic&quot; to &quot=
;agroecological&quot; approaches and see we have some way to go to move agr=
iculture toward the kind envisioned in Frankie&#39;s piece, and then look a=
t the degree of globalization of the food economy in these states. What I o=
bserve is a little bit like a rural homeschoolers&#39; science club: from t=
he outside, &quot;organic sector&quot; looks like a range of families with =
the same agendas ... until it comes time to teach evolution and the presenc=
e of distinct agendas becomes obvious.<br>
<br>
National food sovereignty and successful organic markets can be in sharp co=
nflict with each other. Whether &quot;sovereignty&quot; goals and &quot;mar=
ket development&quot; goals are compatible depends on one&#39;s critique of=
 globalization post-WTO. Those who believe capitalism only needs a tweak wi=
ll support neoliberal, export-oriented organic agriculture focusing on comm=
odities, processed foods, and cash crops. Those who see flaws in the food s=
ystem beyond production choices in the field may support post- corporate ca=
pitalist, small-scale, localized approaches to food that look at multi-func=
tionality, like work Jose Vivero Pol is doing to make the case for &quot;Fo=
od as Commons&quot; policies.<br>
<br>
In my view, Frankie&#39;s analysis is tied deeply to a fundamental critique=
 of privatization generally and the notion of food as a commodity rather th=
an a commons.<br>
<br>
With Respect-<br>
Jodi Koberinski<br>
2015 Oak Fellow for Human Rights<br>
<br>
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<br>
On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 9:47 AM, Great Transition Network wrote:<br>


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