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Open-access ebook and the third instalment in a trilogy of books by the author exploring the global food system. This concise book examines how corporate consolidation and political centralisation intertwine to undermine democratic processes, emphasising the implications of these trends for food production. There is a critical examination of the ongoing corporate capture of Indian agriculture, highlighting the involvement of major global corporations. Despite a year-long farmers' agitation in India leading to the revocation of three controversial farm laws in 2021, the Indian government continues to pursue policies that favour corporatisation.
The book also critiques an increasingly technocratic approach to food production (AI, cloud platforms, genetic engineering, ‘precision’ agriculture etc.). By framing the discussion around monopolistic technologies, it challenges readers to explore more equitable and democratic alternatives, not least agroecology. The roots of the ongoing economic crisis in the Western countries are explored too. This crisis is linked to the shift towards authoritarianism and the narrative of ‘new normal’ based on top-down stakeholder capitalism, net-zero and a ‘food transition’.
Other key topics include a discussion on health implications stemming from current food systems and an analysis of how land is increasingly viewed as a commodity rather than a vital resource. The book also examines what the future of food may look like if we do not act and traces the shift from traditional farming to a technology-driven one-world food system and transhumanism.
This multifaceted approach identifies the need for urgent action against entrenched power structures that perpetuate corporate dependency and undermine the vibrancy of local communities. The book urges readers to reconsider the concepts of ‘development’ and ‘progress’ while recognising the transformative potential of re-localising food systems and reconnecting with traditional ecological wisdom. By drawing on agrarianism and historical movements, the book aims to inspire action towards reclaiming food sovereignty and challenging state-corporate power.
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This new book draws on and develops many of the themes presented in the first two. In particular, it returns to India to explore what has happened over the last 22 months (since the publication of the first book).
More generally, it looks at the intertwining of political centralisation and corporate consolidation that is undermining democratic processes, economic diversity and local autonomy. This unholy alliance is creating a self-reinforcing, technocratic dystopia that concentrates power in the hands of a super-wealthy elite, which increasingly depicts anyone who challenges it as the ‘enemy within’.
In this respect, the book weds the topic of food to the wider dynamics of power in society, which is becoming increasingly concentrated, resulting in the domination of both resources and populations and seeking to shape the very fabric of our lives and beliefs about who we are and what we could or should be. Such an analysis is integral to gaining a deeper understanding of the food system and the influence of global agribusiness and the tech giants that are increasingly moving into the food and agriculture sector.
The following discussion is driven by a conviction in the transformative power of re-localising food systems, revitalising traditional ecological wisdom and rekindling our connection to the land that nourishes us. At its core, it challenges us to question our understanding of human progress and development.
It forms part of the introduction section
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January 12, 2025 | Edited by ColinT1632 | Edited without comment. |
January 12, 2025 | Edited by ColinT1632 | Edited without comment. |
November 18, 2024 | Edited by ColinT1632 | Edited without comment. |
November 18, 2024 | Created by ColinT1632 | Added new book. |