Stand up to big food corporations

Re: "World Faces Big Challenges In The Years Ahead", Editorial, January 30.

The analysis of the discussion at the World Economic Forum on transforming the agriculture sector needs additional information.

The so-called "New Vision for Agriculture" presented in Davos is not new at all. Since 2009 the "New Vision" has been promoted and driven by big chemical corporations like Monsanto and Syngenta (with the aim of conquering the complete food supply chain) together with consumer product giants like Unilever and Walmart, supported by USAID (while agriculture subsidies in the US proceed against pressure from the South), as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These companies and agencies excel in business-as-usual and double-speak about their profit-driven operations to address urgent food security needs. Capitalism, in its current form, has no place in the world around us, according to the founder of the WEF, Klaus Schwab. There is no sign that the "New Vision" heeds his words.

I hope the public-private dialogue on the "New Vision" initiative to be held at the WEF on East Asia in Bangkok (May 30-June 1) will include farmers' organisations, ecology groups, consumer associations and business watchdogs. The degree of transparency and inclusiveness of the dialogue will be an indicator of whether we have to deal with an emerging "Frankenstein food cartel" or with a genuine effort to realise sustainable development and to address inequality. The special UN rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier DeSchutter, recommends an "agro-ecology" approach to food security, which is completely different and in the long term more effective than the practices of the chemical giants.

Hans van Willenswaard

Nonthaburi