[28 January 2011] Op-Ed -  BRUSSELS: What should the G-20 do to prepare us to confront food crises, now and in the future? World Bank President Robert Zoellick recently listed nine measures that the G-20 should adopt under its current French presidency. These range from improving information about grain stocks and developing better weather-forecasting methods to strengthening social safety nets for the poor and helping small farmers benefit from tenders from humanitarian purchasers such as the World Food Program. Although welcome, these measures tackle only the symptoms of the global food system’s weaknesses, leaving the root causes of crises untouched.

[12 January 2011] Op-Ed - BRUSSELS: In the international discussion surrounding the phenomenon referred to as ‘land-grabbing’ – the acquisition or long-term lease of large areas of land by investors –, the debate has focused on whether or not this development can be regulated at regional or international level, and if so, how. But what we really need is a vision that goes beyond disciplining land deals and providing policymakers with a check list of how to destroy global peasantry responsibly.