Photo © Howard Dratch.
It has been nearly a month since I have posted. My other blogs are languishing while I try to survive in my own changed environment, changed circumstances and interests. However, I miss writing even if only a little.
The plan is to continue this blog, 7 Color Lagoon, with changes. It is less about travel and living as an expatriate as it will be about global economics, photography, economic news and whatever happens to catch my eye and interest. Links will slowly be checked and redone and the ads and Amazon store re-arranged to reflect the new subject matter. Please support the advertisers as it helps continue the blog.
Here is a current (5/16) report from Canal Once, the Mexican news and TV network from the Polytechnic Institute in the capital city. The 5th annual meeting of leaders of the Latin American states is being held in Lima, Peru under guard by 9000 police. A major issue being discussed is global food supplies in light of diversions to biofuels, poverty and climatic changes.
This is an excerpt from Canal Once in Spanish,
Sumida en la pobreza sobrevive una tercera parte de la población de América Latina, son 220 millones de personas que carecen de lo indispensable. A este sector se dirigieron los trabajos de la Quinta Cumbre de Jefes de Estado de Latinoamérica, el Caribe y la Unión Europea en Lima, Perú, a la que acudieron 45 gobernantes.
“Pero la verdad es que es inevitable saber que a breve plazo, si es que ya no comenzó esta crisis, cientos de millones de seres humanos están amenazados por el hambre en medio de la abundancia”, declaró Alan García, presidente de Perú.
La Unión Europea es un mercado de 500 millones de personas, con un ingreso per cápita de 32 mil dólares anuales, es el primer donante a nivel mundial de ayuda humanitaria.
“Nosotros tenemos que hacer propuestas para ayudar a nuestra gente”, comentó José Manuel Durão Barroso, presidente de la Comisión Europea.
En la inauguración de la cumbre, en el Museo de la Nación, resguardada por nueve mil policías, el presidente de Perú, Alan García, advirtió sobre las consecuencias de cerrar los ojos ante la amenaza de la crisis alimentaria y propuso incrementar en 2% la producción agrícola para aliviar este desafío mundial. Los mandatarios apoyaron su postura.
…“Más allá de que hay muchos tipos de biocombustibles, creo que debería de ser un poco prematuro sobre el impacto que eso está produciendo en la subida del precio de los alimentos”, indicó José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, presidente del gobierno de España.
Desarrollo sustentable, cambio climático y energía fueron otros de los temas principales. Se llegó a un acuerdo para analizar un posible gravamen al consumo de petróleo y gas licuado a fin de conseguir fondos que serían destinados a mejorar el medio ambiente.
The Lima meeting is concentrating on the poverty that continues to affect one-third or the Latin American population — 220 million people. President Garcia opened remarks with the declaration that hundreds of millions of people are threatened with hunger in the midst of abundance. The European Union is the primary donor in humanitarian aid.
Garcia warned of the consequences of eyes closed against the food crisis and proposed increasing by 2% world agricultural production. The Spanish president, Josè Luis Rodriquez Zapatero, lamented the impact of biofuel production on rising food prices. Besides Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan president, trying to turn the meeting to the political crises between his country and Columbia; the major themes were sustainable development, climate change, energy needs and funds to improve the environment.
The food crisis is not just a Market manipulation. It may well be partly a result of what Robert Heilbroner called a “revolution of rising expectations”. Like global warming that revolution gathered momentum slowly and is now breaking out in a rapidly ascending line. People want things they didn’t have before nor even thought to have. More meat in their diet (healthy or not), regular meals, cell phones, national infrastructure, TV, education, credit and consumer goods, etc. The revolution has been won in that the world is more and more demanding that its expectations be met. Providing those expectations may strain resources on an over-crowded planet and change the political face of many parts of the world.
Photo © Howard Dratch, 2008. Pasta & tofu.
The world may not be waiting for this heart-healthy dish of tofu, nopal cactus, chaya leaf and zucchini but it is tired of waiting for 2 or 3 meals a day. Now that everyone - almost - watches TV they are aware that the world has plenty of food and toys and they want a piece of the action, a slice of the pie.
