Uneven Development: Listening to the 'South', Listening to Vancouver

In the first video, Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, states his views on the market concerning genetically modified foods. Governor Richardson believes we are living in a free market system and that European regulation should reflect the global economy. He proceeds to declare that the U.S. government should act as a “broker” between American farmers and aid to the third world.

The second video outlines the hazards concerning genetically modified foods and bio-diversity. The clip is an anti-Monsanto piece that discusses the dilemmas regarding the introduction of GM corn into Mexico. Monsanto corn is heavily subsidized by the government which makes it much cheaper than local corn varieties. Not only is the GM corn pushing indigenous corn out through economic means, it is also wiping it out genetically. Strains of GM corn are bonding with local corn varieties and creating hybrids which threaten to devastate the rich diversity of corn found in Mexico.

These two videos work well together to show how America’s neoliberalist agenda attempts a shallow justification of open market trade, and the effects of that agenda on developing nations. Bill Richardson expresses the frustration the U.S. has towards the European Union and its policies regarding genetically modified foods. While the EU lifted their ban on genetically modified foods in 2004, many countries retain the rights to keep it off their shelves. Governor Richardson believes this to be a direct violation of free trade agreements but much of Europe has claimed clauses under health and safety concerns exempting them from compliance.

Other countries don’t have the same fortune as they are bound through trading agreements applied by the IMF and WB. As stated in the second video, Mexico has had to allow GM corn to be grown and sold in their country. It may be cheaper, but farmers not only have to pay for the seeds, they also become obligated to purchase the fertilizers and pesticides needed to grow the corn. With genetically modified corn wiping out local stocks, it is easy to see that soon these developing nations will become dependent on American companies to provide them with seeds and the necessary chemicals to grow them which conveniently are linked with the same companies. Genetically modified foods are reported to be the answer to feeding the worlds hungry but it is very clear that they are having very damaging effects.

In the United States, farmers are being sued by Monsanto after their canola fields have been contaminated with GM seeds from neighboring farms. Monsanto claims that it doesn’t matter how your farm has contracted their patented GM seeds and that the farms must compensate the company for their agricultural product. This is a clear example of second tier commodification of food and can be considered accumulation by dispossession as our right to grow food has been stripped from us by large corporations.  If GM seeds wipe out agricultural diversity, the world will be subject to the will of these agribusinesses. Bill Richardson alleges he wants to divert America’s foreign aid that goes to “building dictators palaces” and focus it on supporting investment in GM foods. Unfortunately, this proposal simply replaces one dictator for another.