Crisis-Ridden Imperialism , its Financial Institutions Agri-Food-Chemical Corporations Talk Big about “ Global Food Insecurity ” and “ Feeding People of the World ” to Profit and Come out of Crisis !
Again the world capitalism is steeped in deep crisis with accelerating uncontrolled inflation and stagflation . To come out of this crises capitalism is requires constant growth , expanding markets and sufficient demand . To facilitate this -international, imperialist capital has been laying the political and legislative ground work .
Taking the occasion of Ukraine- Russia conflict , representatives of international finance capital and its agents have been time and again talking about , “ global state of agriculture and food insecurity ” and the necessity of ‘ raising global food production ’ etc . They are falsely impressing the world that due to the Ukraine-Russia war the global food insecurity has considerably increased the imperialist western agri-business corporations are touting that they would increase the agricultural productivity and address global hunger . Even the biggest asset management firms like Black Rock have been promoting the idea of “ feeding the world ” and “ amazing technology ” essential to feed the world etc . Bill Gates too , through the op-ed pages of “ The New York Times ”, commented on the state of global agriculture and food insecurity , misdiagnosing the problem of feeding all the earth ’ s inhabitants and prescribing certain remedies of his own to resolve the so-called problem raised by him . All these exhortations about food insecurity , need for increasing food production etc . are nothing but , a ploy to seek legitimacy for the imperialist modern agri-tech / agribusiness corporations to sell their products as being “ essential to feed the world ” and enable them to earn super-profits , by expanding and create sufficient demand .
Besides the present economic crisis that has encompassed the world capitalism , the Ukraine-Russia war too 12 has inconvenienced international finance capital and has been causing considerable harm to the interests of western agribusiness . Western agribusiness had been coveting Ukraine ’ s agriculture sector for quite some time . Since mid-90s foreign control of Ukrainian agriculture is being encouraged by the US-Ukraine business council . Ukraine contains one third of all arable land in Europe . In Nov 2013 the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation drafted a legal amendment that would benefit global agribusiness produces by allowing the wide-spread use of genetically modified seeds . Even before the conflict the World Bank incorporated measures relating to the sale of agricultural land as conditions in a $ 350 million development policy loan ( COVID ‘ relief package ’) to Ukraine . This included a required ‘ prior action ’ to enable the sale of agricultural land and the use of land as collateral .
All these measures and conditions facilitated western agribusiness to entrench into agricultural sector and conduct thriving business earning super-profits . But the Ukraine-Russia conflict had hindered the business of these imperialist agribusiness and agri-biotech gaint corporations and global agri-food firms considerably , impairing their interests .
However these imperialist agribusiness corporations and financial investment firms intend to profit from destruction as well as from so-called reconstruction . That is why they have taken up the lofty slogans of “ feeding the world ” and “ protection of food security ” and “ raising food production to the need of feeding the global population ” and harping them incessantly .
Let us have a glimpse at how these imperialist finance investment institutions , agribusiness and agribiotech corporations and foundations in the guise of charitable organisations are operating practically :
According to various studies it is revealed that the institutional investors including hedge funds , private equity and pensions funds are capitalizing on global farm land as a new and highly desirable asset class . Funds tend to invest for a 10-15 year period resulting in good returns for investors but often cause long-term social and environmental devastation . They undermine local and regional food security through buying upland and entrenching in industrial , exportoriented model of agriculture . Private equity funds-pools of money that use pension funds , sovereign wealth funds , endowment funds and investments from governments , banks , insurance companies and high net-worth individuals are being injected into agriculture sector throughout the world . This money is being used to lease or buy up farms on the cheap , and aggregate them into large-scale US style grain and soya bean concerns . Black Rock : This is the world ’ s biggest assert management firm that profits and promote from the economic system . They hugely invest in agriculture and water . This is a publicly owned investment manager that primarily provides its services to institutional , intermediary and individual investors .
Black Rock currently has $ trillion in assets under its management , wielding great influence and clout . On one hand Black Rock had invested $ 813.5 billion in arms manufacturing companies . On the other hand Black Rock ’ s global agricultural has been targeting companies ( to invest in ) involved with agriculture-related chemical products , equipment and infrastructure as well as soft
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