March 28, 2024

How Food Can Be Used As A Political Weapon



Published May 14, 2023, 10:20 a.m. by Naomi Charles


Everyone has to eat, right? And what we eat can say a lot about us. It can be a way to show our heritage, our religion, or our political affiliation. food can also be used as a weapon.

We’ve all seen the images of children in developing nations with distended bellies and flies buzzing around their heads. It’s easy to turn away and think that there’s nothing we can do to help. But what if I told you that by simply changing what you eat, you could help fight world hunger?

That’s right, food can be used as a political weapon. And it’s a weapon that anyone can use, no matter where they live or how much money they have.

How?

By using your purchasing power to support companies and farmers who are committed to sustainable and ethical practices. And by refusing to buy from companies who exploit workers or damage the environment.

It’s not always easy to know where our food comes from or how it was produced. But there are some easy ways to make sure we are using our power as consumers to make a difference.

Buy local and organic whenever possible. This supports small farmers and helps to reduce the carbon footprint of your food.

Look for Fair Trade certified products. This ensures that farmers in developing countries are getting a fair price for their crops.

Avoid products that contain palm oil. The production of palm oil is responsible for the destruction of rainforests and the displacement of indigenous peoples.

These are just a few simple steps we can all take to use food as a political weapon. So next time you’re at the grocery store, think about how your choices can make a difference.

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There’s a quote that’s been attributed to political scientist Henry Kissinger.

It goes, “Who controls the food supply controls the people”.

Now, whether or not Kissinger actually said that doesn’t take away from the fact that

food, like water, can be a powerful bargaining tool for people and governments alike, despite

being considered a human right by the UN.

So, just how powerful is food?

The biggest agricultural exporters in the world are the EU and the US, which together

account for roughly 300 billion dollars a year.

Each nearly doubles Brazil's exports, and triples China’s.

The EU’s high ranking, however, is almost entirely due to the Netherlands, who are the

second largest food exporter in the world, after the US.

Additionally, many staple foods are overwhelmingly produced by a single country.

For example, as much as 40% of the world’s corn is grown in the United States, and just

over a quarter of the world’s rice is grown in China.

With only a few players controlling the world’s food, they end up wielding a great deal of

international power .

In 1976, the US Secretary of Agriculture said, “Food is a weapon”, alluding to the use

of food as in promoting US goals, and as a tool against difficult countries,  For example,

in 2012 the US offered North Korea some much needed food aid in exchange for suspending

their nuclear program.

Then, after North Korea attempted to launch a long range rocket later that year, the US

rescinded their aid offer.

However, attempts at food embargoes since the 1960s have mostly fallen flat, as the

global economy has made it possible to maintain supply, and international pressure has criticized

the ethics of restricting food.

On the flip side, Russia’s recent ban on food imports in response to EU sanctions has

had a strong effect on food producers.

In Germany, pig farmers, who alone supply a quarter of Russia’s pork, are expected

to lose out on 40,000 euros per farm this year.

The status and control of food on an international level cannot be understated.

But using food as a political tool has been met with mixed results, and restricting access

to food has regularly been frowned on and legislated against.

 So how powerful is food?

Powerful, but not always for the right reasons.

  

Changing climates are threatening a number of important crops across the world, and chocolate

is an interesting example.

To learn more about how the industry is being threatened, check out this video from AJ+.

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