Food prices and speculation

According to the New York Times and FT, hedge funds and other investors are spending billions and buying up farms and vast amounts of agricultural farm-land in Sub-saharan Africa, Australia, North and South America, Eastern Europe ... even in Northern England.

They are also buying the fertilizer, grain elevators, shipping equipment and other necessities for producing food.

The need for food is becoming ever greater so this is a safe and profitable investment. We are entering "an era of huge food prices". Land is also "very very cheap" right now.

Both articles report the usual blurb that these investments will "consolidate small farms" and thereby "bring value to the people" (junk economics) - since when are investors interested in bringing down food prices? Of course, the poorest will suffer most.

What this ultimately means is that by controling the entire system (or even having a direct link), speculators can manipulate the prices and if the prices are too low, in their opinion, then they will stockpile food and force prices up. Equally, if the prices are too low in one country then they will ship the commodoties to elsewhere, where they get larger profits - until, presumably, the prices in the former country increase too.

For this reason, I think we should start to become less dependent on these systems, or in other words, have a more self-sufficient (and inexpensive) access to healthy food and clean energy. That is the aim of this blog.

No more complaints about commuting in England!

Some old tamils waiting at the bus-stop. But probably not waiting for any buses - maybe just waiting for some other friends to join them.

I guess the "waiting room" is those plastic chairs.

Everyday life in a small town we passed through. A man talks on the phone - some people chat... etc etc and life carries on easily...

This is the dusty mountain that hundreds of thousands of people walk barfoot around - every month!

Full-moon at Tiruvanamalai


The 15km walk around the mountain finished in the town itself, where there is an intimidating temple.


Indian Railways!


The steps on the door are considered to be good seats (for those who have not reserved)


The rice padis and palm trees that we passed en route to the mountains - more soon

At 5am the fishermen gather at the beach and heave the fish-filled nets out of the sea.

These are the capsules that overlooked the beach.


The capsules face east but you have to wake up at about 5.30 to see the sun rise.


The trucks and lorries usually have no wing mirrors (either they were smashed from bad driving or they were stolen). Instead, the trucks have "sound horn" written on the back. Everyone beeps their horn to indicate to other eachother where they are. One truck had "Please sound horn Please." Perhaps its very important to the driver! Other trucks had equally useful advice written on the back such as "save rainwater" and "avoid AIDS".

Sunday market in Pondi. All kinds of odds and sods are on offer.

The indians love light switcches even though there was not the corresponding amount of lights.


A tamil wedding (the happiest day of one's life). The couple sits on a carnival float and they are paraded around the streets with a band, dancers and lots of girls who scatter flowers. The bride didn't look very happy.

At the sari shop.

Saris are 6m in length. They are carefully and gracefully wound around the woman's body.

Emergence. The first Aurovillian band to hit it big. They are performing in Glastonbury this year. I promised Krishna (the singer) that I would promote his music. The music is Acoustic Indo-jazz fusion: www.myspace.com/emergencemusic and it's incredibly good.