In this episode of ‘Farm Talks’, Indra Shekhar Singh interviews George Naylor, veteran organic farmers and former president of National Family Farm Coalition, professor Garrett Graddy LoveLace, co-founder of DisparitytoParity.org and Raj Patel, research professor at the University of Texas Austin.
Beginning with the plight of state of US farmers, the episode narrates how US-led corporate market reforms have destroyed not only American farmers but also devastated the rural economy. Even after receiving billions of dollars in subsidies, US farmers find it hard to stay afloat.
Meanwhile, Indian farmers and the Global South receives flak at the WTO for having price support or MSP and public distribution systems. The panel discussion also takes up the parity price system in the US and how it sustained farmers, ensuring parity for farmers with their urban counterparts and also safeguarding them from exploitative corporate pricing.
Jumping from parity price into MSP, our panelists then discuss the challenges of climate change, corporatisation and food security and how MSP is the only viable solution to ensure justice and fairness within our food systems.