Here are the links for the seminar readings.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE VERSUS CORPORATE GREED SEMINAR
SEMINAR 1. PANDEMICS AND DESTRUCTIVE AGRIBUSINESS PRACTICES: THE SITUATION
READINGS [50 PAGES, 6 ARTICLES]
Readings online:
https://soilalliance.blogspot.com/2020/09/readings.html
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Dilley, Steve (2004), “Family farms: The next endangered species?”, Australian Nuffield Farmer Scholar Report, 2004, pp.1-12.
Broughton, Alan (2020) “Capitalist greed and biodiversity loss is spawning new deadly diseases”,Green Left
Broughton, Alan & Garcia, Elena (2017) Sustainable Agriculture Versus Corporate Greed: pp. 5-10; Appendix 2, pp.73-82
Lumb, Mick, “Land degradation”. The Australian Collaboration,.
Pascoe, Bruce (2014) Dark Emu: Black Seeds – Agriculture or Accident?, Introduction, Ch. 1, & Ch.7.
Yaak Pabst, Rob Wallace (2020) Agribusiness kills: Capitalist agriculture and Covid-19: A deadly combination, Climate and Capitalism
Qualman, Darrin (2017), “Looking into an abyss — with no water”
Broughton, Alan (2020) “Capitalist greed and biodiversity loss is spawning new deadly diseases”,Green Left
Broughton, Alan & Garcia, Elena (2017) Sustainable Agriculture Versus Corporate Greed: pp. 5-10; Appendix 2, pp.73-82
Lumb, Mick, “Land degradation”. The Australian Collaboration,.
Pascoe, Bruce (2014) Dark Emu: Black Seeds – Agriculture or Accident?, Introduction, Ch. 1, & Ch.7.
Yaak Pabst, Rob Wallace (2020) Agribusiness kills: Capitalist agriculture and Covid-19: A deadly combination, Climate and Capitalism
Qualman, Darrin (2017), “Looking into an abyss — with no water”
DISCUSSION POINTS
1. What were First Nation farming practises before British invasion? What form of property ownership were they based upon? (Pascoe)
2. What farming practices did colonial Britain impose upon Australia? What form of property ownership was it based upon? (Pascoe, Lumb, Broughton, Garcia,)
3. Are corporate agricultural practices to blame for the COVID19 crisis and HIV? (Broughton, Wallace) What are the root causes of pandemics such as MERS, SARS, COVID19?(Broughton, Wallace)
4. Why should farmer welfare matter to activists? (Dilley, Broughton, Garcia)
5. Who controls most Australian farm production? Small family farmers or big corporations? (Qualman, Broughton, Garcia)
6. What are the causes of high farm debt? Is there a way out? (Qualman, Broughton, Garcia)
7. What makes farming so risky? (Broughton, Garcia) and why don’t more farmers give up?(Qualman, Broughton, Garcia)?
8. What affects farming terms of trade? (Lumb, Dilley)
2. What farming practices did colonial Britain impose upon Australia? What form of property ownership was it based upon? (Pascoe, Lumb, Broughton, Garcia,)
3. Are corporate agricultural practices to blame for the COVID19 crisis and HIV? (Broughton, Wallace) What are the root causes of pandemics such as MERS, SARS, COVID19?(Broughton, Wallace)
4. Why should farmer welfare matter to activists? (Dilley, Broughton, Garcia)
5. Who controls most Australian farm production? Small family farmers or big corporations? (Qualman, Broughton, Garcia)
6. What are the causes of high farm debt? Is there a way out? (Qualman, Broughton, Garcia)
7. What makes farming so risky? (Broughton, Garcia) and why don’t more farmers give up?(Qualman, Broughton, Garcia)?
8. What affects farming terms of trade? (Lumb, Dilley)
SEMINAR 2. THE DROUGHT CRISIS AND PRIVATISATION OF WATER IN AUSTRALIA
READINGS [5 ARTICLES]
Carpenter.Tracey (2019) “Looking into an abyss — with no water”, Green Left Weekly
Garcia, Elena (2019), “Rivers in crisis: Amid drought, corporations are buying up Australia’s water,” Green Left Weekly
Garcia, Elena (2019) “Rivers in crisis: Killing rivers for mines and irrigators”Green Left Weekly
Mallen-Cooper, Martin (2018) “Murray Darling Basin drought myth disservice to environmental progress” The Land
Sheldon, Fran (2019) “The Darling River is simply not supposed to dry out, even in drought”,The Conversation
Wynter, Coral (2019) “WTO kills farmers: In memory of Lee Kyung Hae”Green Left Weekly
Garcia, Elena (2019) “Rivers in crisis: Killing rivers for mines and irrigators”Green Left Weekly
Mallen-Cooper, Martin (2018) “Murray Darling Basin drought myth disservice to environmental progress” The Land
Sheldon, Fran (2019) “The Darling River is simply not supposed to dry out, even in drought”,The Conversation
Wynter, Coral (2019) “WTO kills farmers: In memory of Lee Kyung Hae”Green Left Weekly
DISCUSSION POINTS
1. How do the natural systems of the Murray-Darling Basin work? (Sheldon, Carpenter)
2. Did the Murray-Darling run dry before irrigation started (historical and the state disputes over irrigation allocations background to Section 100 of the Constitution)?(Mallen-Cooper)
3. How important is protecting our artesian basins and what is the major threat? (Wynter, Garcia, Mallen-Cooper)
4. When were water rights separated from being tied to land, and why? Who benefits? (Garcia)
5. How is the Murray-Darling Plan supposed to work? Why isn't it working? (Carpenter)
2. Did the Murray-Darling run dry before irrigation started (historical and the state disputes over irrigation allocations background to Section 100 of the Constitution)?(Mallen-Cooper)
3. How important is protecting our artesian basins and what is the major threat? (Wynter, Garcia, Mallen-Cooper)
4. When were water rights separated from being tied to land, and why? Who benefits? (Garcia)
5. How is the Murray-Darling Plan supposed to work? Why isn't it working? (Carpenter)
SEMINAR 3. THE CAUSES OF THE LAND, FARMING AND PANDEMIC CRISES
READINGS [47 PAGES, 3 ARTICLES, 1 video]
Broughton, Alan & Garcia, Elena (2017) Sustainable Agriculture Versus Corporate Greed: pp.11-42; Appendix 1, pp.55-71.
Carlsen, Laura (2003), “WTO kills farmers: In memory of Lee Kyung Hae”, Countercurrents, September 16th 2003
Derrick, Jensen (2009) Forget Shorter Showers, Why personal change does not equal political change
Kolhatkar, Sonali (2015), “If trade is war, it’s time we fought back”, Truthdig, 21/5/2015
Carlsen, Laura (2003), “WTO kills farmers: In memory of Lee Kyung Hae”, Countercurrents, September 16th 2003
Derrick, Jensen (2009) Forget Shorter Showers, Why personal change does not equal political change
Kolhatkar, Sonali (2015), “If trade is war, it’s time we fought back”, Truthdig, 21/5/2015
Nason, James (2020), “From claypan to green feed: carbon flows in action”, Beef Central October 19 2020
Smith, Jeffrey (2010), “Monsanto: The world’s poster child for corporate manipulation and deceit”,Natural News
Wallace, Rob (2020), 17 minutes Youtube presentation Rob Wallace, From agribusiness to agroecology: Escaping the market of Dr. Moreau
Smith, Jeffrey (2010), “Monsanto: The world’s poster child for corporate manipulation and deceit”,Natural News
Wallace, Rob (2020), 17 minutes Youtube presentation Rob Wallace, From agribusiness to agroecology: Escaping the market of Dr. Moreau
DISCUSSION POINTS
1. Is there a contradiction between ever increasing productivity and profitability? (Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar)
2. Why do governments prioritise high production?(Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar, Smith)
3. What does efficiency mean?(Broughton, Garcia, Carlsen, Kolhatkar)
4. Who gains from free trade agreements? (Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar)
5. How does the corporatisation of natural resources (land, water) dispossess people and small farmers? How does this exacerbate the spread of disease, hunger and a toxifying of our natural systems? Has this led to the emergence of pandemics? (Wallace)
6. How does foreign aid decrease food security? Why are people hungry in a world of agricultural overproduction? (Broughton, Garcia, Smith)
7. What are the invisible costs and impacts of industrial food production? (Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar, Smith, Nason)
8. How can research and development be put into the service of agro-ecology? (Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar, Smith)
2. Why do governments prioritise high production?(Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar, Smith)
3. What does efficiency mean?(Broughton, Garcia, Carlsen, Kolhatkar)
4. Who gains from free trade agreements? (Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar)
5. How does the corporatisation of natural resources (land, water) dispossess people and small farmers? How does this exacerbate the spread of disease, hunger and a toxifying of our natural systems? Has this led to the emergence of pandemics? (Wallace)
6. How does foreign aid decrease food security? Why are people hungry in a world of agricultural overproduction? (Broughton, Garcia, Smith)
7. What are the invisible costs and impacts of industrial food production? (Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar, Smith, Nason)
8. How can research and development be put into the service of agro-ecology? (Broughton, Garcia, Kolhatkar, Smith)
