Will incentivizing institutional sourcing help? (While establishing standards of local and “clean” of course). I learned about a random example of a French school district in the Northwest shifting to local producers over 7-10 years. How common is the trend? Is this about taking control of the market and “fair” pricing? Thank you for your work and advocacy, and following up.
In my humble opinion, that could help to a certain extent but if we want to change the situation (or stop it from getting worse), we really need to rethink competition policy and how mergers and acquisitions are scrutinised. Otherwise, we're just putting a band aid. The longer I work in this, the more I realise how important policy is, not just to incentivise but also to prevent this kind of things from happening. There are lots of great projects - government procurement in Brazil and Copenhagen have very much focused on supporting local producers - but I fear that without a corresponding policy on competition, they only slow down the concentration, not stop it.
I saw this article in the journal of “Agriculture and Human Values”: Transforming the food system in ‘unprotected space’: the case of diverse grain networks in England”, by Stephanie Walton. It felt like a targeted response to the challenge of competition.
I have been thinking that de-commodifying wheat (e.g. significant part of the UK wheat output) can address concentration and power.
This is interesting for me to follow, since I sincerely would like to understand potential for localisation plus multi-cropping inside this strategy. Thank you for your reflections!
Here in England, the perception is that France as a nation preserved its “artisan”, diversified food culture. Maybe it maintains both, industrial and artisan, in terms of markets and infrastructure as well.
Will incentivizing institutional sourcing help? (While establishing standards of local and “clean” of course). I learned about a random example of a French school district in the Northwest shifting to local producers over 7-10 years. How common is the trend? Is this about taking control of the market and “fair” pricing? Thank you for your work and advocacy, and following up.
In my humble opinion, that could help to a certain extent but if we want to change the situation (or stop it from getting worse), we really need to rethink competition policy and how mergers and acquisitions are scrutinised. Otherwise, we're just putting a band aid. The longer I work in this, the more I realise how important policy is, not just to incentivise but also to prevent this kind of things from happening. There are lots of great projects - government procurement in Brazil and Copenhagen have very much focused on supporting local producers - but I fear that without a corresponding policy on competition, they only slow down the concentration, not stop it.
Please do share pathways to policies.
I saw this article in the journal of “Agriculture and Human Values”: Transforming the food system in ‘unprotected space’: the case of diverse grain networks in England”, by Stephanie Walton. It felt like a targeted response to the challenge of competition.
I have been thinking that de-commodifying wheat (e.g. significant part of the UK wheat output) can address concentration and power.
Any thoughts?
'We also hear a lot about how traditional and artisanal farming in France is'
We do, but I'm afraid living in Brittany that often comes across as disingenuous romanticising. Not everywhere, but largely.
Thanks for drawing attention to this, and everything else you do.
Yes, industrial farming is particularly entrenched in Brittany!
This is interesting for me to follow, since I sincerely would like to understand potential for localisation plus multi-cropping inside this strategy. Thank you for your reflections!
Here in England, the perception is that France as a nation preserved its “artisan”, diversified food culture. Maybe it maintains both, industrial and artisan, in terms of markets and infrastructure as well.