Or here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNezTsrCY0Q
I am seeing a controversy here. It's a very business-oriented, cyclical world out there.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A Food Controversy
A somewhat scary video which is an excerpt of a documentary called The Future of Food. The video talks about how far along farming has come, and how corporations in the US are monopolising the farming industry and the food we eat.
Or here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNezTsrCY0Q
I am seeing a controversy here. It's a very business-oriented, cyclical world out there.
Or here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNezTsrCY0Q
I am seeing a controversy here. It's a very business-oriented, cyclical world out there.
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As in, companies started producing seeds that all farmers have to end up using or they will fall behind, which means more demand and more seed make and more farmers conforming. It's a cycle that is difficult to stop once started.
Cyclical?
Also, this is the sort of stuff Prince Charles has been rattling on about for years~
That is true. I also have no issue with GM foods, although it does limit competition in the farming industry and encourages monopolisation. Imagine that one seed company controls the world's food? Imagine all that undeniable power?
It results in less chemicals used though o:
Not unless the biggest one buys all the other ones out, which is what happened in the video =/
It should be ok if there was a law that prohibits such anti-competitive behaviour, but unfortunately they are less strict on that in the US than in Aus (last time I remember picking up a law book...).
Then there should be more competition O:
Thought provoking video but I think it's kinda one sided in its views. And if we want to talk about anti- competitive, our 2 largest supermarket chains, Coles and Woolies own 78% of the market share and our top 5 own 86%. So really its these stores that control our food supply.
In New Zealand it's something like top 2 own 99% of market share
Yes, it is very one sided (using shock tactics, as usual). They fail to highlight the benefits of not using pesticides, for one.
There are still a lot of independent groceries and Australia (and the media) has really cracked down hard on Woolies when they've attempted to push out small businesses.
If you take the energy drink market, Red Bull and V own about 90% market share, yet Mother which comes in at 4.8ish% is still a significant player, only because the market is quite big and still profitable. Groceries is even bigger, so even though the number "22%" is not a lot for hundreds of other stores in comparison to the 78% diarchy, it is still a huge-ass category.
Owning a large market share with a rival is not really anti-competitive. Now if Woolies owned 78% on their own, they may have the power and means to have a monopoly, but still can't because consumer and small business protection laws are quite stringent here.
Not sure if they changed it in the US. All I think about is how Walmart destroyed so many independent businesses and essentially monopolised smaller towns. Someone correct me if I am out of date?
Yeah, NZ isn't as good about it. V owns 60% alone.
(Above comments pasted from a Facebook discussion http://www.facebook.com/lasongbird?v=wall&story_fbid=476428988626).
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