-The Hindu By allowing futures trade in food and diversion of farm land for commercial purposes, the UPA government is fuelling the price rise International agencies are warning of high food prices on a global scale in 2013 if urgent action is not taken. But our government shows little concern. The President’s address to Parliament had only a cursory mention of inflation. “Inflation is easing gradually, but is still a problem,” he...
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From Bengal Famine to Right to Food-MS Swaminathan
-The Hindu While there is reason to be proud of the progress in the production of wheat, rice, cereals and millets, the use of farmland for non-farm purposes is a cause for concern The year 2013 marks the 70th anniversary of the Bengal Famine which resulted in the death of an estimated 1.5 to 3 million children, women and men during 1942-43. A constellation of factors led to this mega-tragedy, such as...
More »Why the Parliament should reject the standing committee’s recommendations on the Food Security Bill: RTFC
-Kafila.org This statement was put out by the RIGHT TO FOOD CAMPAIGN on 24 January The much awaited recommendations of the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution on the National Food Security Bill are a letdown to those who wrote to the Committee urging it to ensure justice to the people of India. The Committee despite taking a year since December 2011 when the Bill was tabled in the...
More »Seeds Of A Divide -Mark Lynas and Vandana Shiva
-Outlook Environmentalist and author Mark Lynas now says GM crops are the answer to global food security. Vandana Shiva disagrees. The already heated debate about genetically modified (GM) foods in India has intensified thanks to a dramatic change in stance by environmentalist and author Mark Lynas,who now says GM crops are the answer to global food security. While India awaits two crucial reports on the topic, we interviewed Lynas and noted...
More »CPI(M) Asks Centre to Announce Relief Aid for TN Farmers
-Outlook CPI (M) today said standing samba crops over 14.5 lakh acres in the Cauvery delta region in Tamil Nadu had been affected due to shortage of water and demanded that Centre announce a Rs 2,500 crore relief package for farmers. The party's three-day State Committee meeting, which concluded in Tirupur yesterday, attended by party General Secretary Prakash Karat, state unit secretary G Ramakrishnan and others, slammed the Centre stating that it...
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