-The United Nations A new United Nations report advocates that governments use fiscal and labour market policies to reduce income inequality, maintaining that this not only leads to social benefits but will spur economic growth and development. Produced by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Trade and Development Report 2012 says that recent experience, especially in Latin America and other developing countries, suggests that progressive taxation and rising public...

-The Economic Times The Centre has asked states to introduce millets in mid-day meal schemes in schools to boost demand for the nutritious grain, but experts say the move would also ease pressure on food stocks as rice output is expected to decline this year and the food security legislation would require an additional 63 million tonnes of grain. The government expects a 9% fall in this year's output of rice,...

-First Post A lot has been written in recent weeks about crony capitalism, but an important issue for the media to introspect over is this: can this happen without significant amounts of crony journalism? When media companies begin to think they can run coal plants, surely this compromises them (Lokmat Group, DB Corp). When political parties think they ought to own media houses or be aligned to one (YSR Congress’ Sakshi, the...

Industrialisation of agriculture creates hunger and malnutrition, destroying the food web to which we all belong. Hunger and malnutrition is manmade. It is in the design of the industrial chemical model of agriculture. And just as hunger has been created by design, producing healthy and nutritious food for all can be designed through food democracy. That is what we do in Navdanya. That is what the diverse movements for food sovereignty...

-The Times of India Putting health over revenue, the Delhi government on Monday announced a ban on all gutka products in the capital. The ban, which includes sale, manufacture, Distribution, transportation, display and storage of these products, is expected to take effect in a day or two. The ban will cover pan masalas containing tobacco and other packaged chewing tobacco products. "Our government was always in favour of putting a ban on gutka...