EU fishing fleets are due for a major downsizing; watch this get fudged as surplus EU boats venture into underpatrolled African waters to steal the stocks there, probably under the umbrella of a one-sided treaty. African leaders have been quick to decry subsidies given to farmers in the EU and, now the USA, making it more difficult for Africa to export agricultural products to these regions. World markets for Africa's coffee, cocoa and tobacco are in oversupply, with prices near all-time lows. Yet Africa cannot grow enough food to feed its own!
A British minister has lashed out at this week's UN FAO conference as being totally ineffectual. Interestingly, a letter to the Financial Times a few weeks ago accused this same minister of speaking too long at a development conference in Mexico then ducking out before the Q part of the Q&A session. Meanwhile on the other side of the globe in Bali, another well-fed bunch of politicos, buros and nogos seem unable to reach consensus on a meaningful program for the upcoming conference for a sustainable environment in Johannesburg, a follow on from Rio and Kyoto. We wonder what any of these lavish conferences ever achieve that is worthwhile?
A British minister has lashed out at this week's UN FAO conference as being totally ineffectual. Interestingly, a letter to the Financial Times a few weeks ago accused this same minister of speaking too long at a development conference in Mexico then ducking out before the Q part of the Q&A session. Meanwhile on the other side of the globe in Bali, another well-fed bunch of politicos, buros and nogos seem unable to reach consensus on a meaningful program for the upcoming conference for a sustainable environment in Johannesburg, a follow on from Rio and Kyoto. We wonder what any of these lavish conferences ever achieve that is worthwhile?