“WE ARE ONLY AT THE BEGINNING OF GLOBAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAVOC”. CARLIN PETRINI PREDICTS A BLEAK FUTURE FOR THE PLANET BUT HOPES TO RECREATE A LOCAL ECONOMY THAT CAN CONTRAST THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION

“We are just at the beginning of global economic and environmental havoc. The only solution is to recreate a local economy that moves very little merchandise and re-localizes agriculture”: these are the convictions of Carlin Petrini that were stated during a recent discussion in Florence on the state of the world.

“Eating is an agricultural act” – emphasized Petrini – “we are not passive subjects, we can be active in defending the environment and the rural world. Since 2003, the year in which we wrote the ‘Food Manifesto’, a lot has changed in regards to food. At one time, we discussed niche production by poor farmers for rich people. Today, we have mass production by rich farmers for poor people”.

According to the founder of the international Slow Food organization, there are two elements that, in recent years, are causing the sudden upheaval in agriculture and, thus, the economy and food supplies.
The first factor is “the entrance on the world markets of western style consumption by countries like China and India” - with effects like that of the increase in the cost of wheat - “because even Chinese now want to eat pasta”; and at the same time, India, “a country whose main nutrient was based on vegetable fibres”, has greatly increased its consumption of meat products, with side effects like an increased rate of diabetes. “Today, diabetes” – explained Petrini – “is a pandemic: there is no comparison, not even with AIDS”.

The second aspect is “the choice of the United States to produce fuels, in countries like Mexico, with agricultural products, leaves entire populations in serious difficulty and creates havoc for their food and production models. If corn is used for fuels, Mexican farmers will see a drastic price increase for a simple tortilla. And let’s not forget the effects of OGM corn and all other genetically modified crops. We are only at the beginning of the upheaval that awaits us”.