[Posted April 28, 2008]

Revive Local Economies, Self-sufficiency

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Globalization fails to live up to promises

Washington Post April 28, 2008 - ANTHONY FAIOLA

Where Every Meal Is a Sacrifice

Globalization was supposed to eliminate this kind of recurring disaster. With economists radiating confidence about the new efficiencies of the global market, the need for food self-sufficiency seemed almost archaic. In that new reality, global markets would provide the long-term cornucopia that the arid earth here could not, and at reasonable prices.

But it turned out that globalization did not really work for food. Countries, especially rich ones, felt compelled to continue protecting their farmers and their domestic food supply even as they pushed for trade liberalization for manufactured goods. It distorted the market, which didn't adjust as global demand surged and production flagged.

Not foreseeing that scenario, Mauritania's government abandoned long-standing policies of fixed food prices in the 1990s. But it also gave up on large-scale efforts to boost agricultural production, shifting resources to iron ore mining and other industries. go to story

The Bhaktivedantas World Sankirtan Party and Inside Nam Hatta are hosted by Hansadutta das, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada and trustee of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Participate or learn more about World Sankirtan Party.

Global food crisis

Artificial Dependence on Imports A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Nowadays they are facing a scarcity of food. The solution is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Krishna says, annad bhavanti bhutani: [Bg. 3.14] "All living entities, both animal and man, they can live very nicely without any anxiety provided they have got sufficient food grains." Now what is your objection to this? This is the solution. Krishna says, annad bhavanti bhutani. So it is not utopian; it is practical. You must have sufficient food grain to feed the human being and the animal, and everything will be peaceful immediately. Because people, if one become hungry, he is disturbed. So give him food first of all. That is Krishna's injunction. Is that very impossible, impractical? No. You grow food more and distribute. So much land is there, but we are not growing food. We are growing or busy in manufacturing tools and motor tires. Then now eat motor tires. But Krishna says that "You grow anna [food grains]." Then there is no question of scarcity. Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. But anna is produced when there is sufficient rain. Parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And yajñad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. And if you perform yajña, then there will be regular rainfall. This is the, way. But nobody is interested with yajña, nobody is interested with food grain, and if you create your own scarcity, then it is not God's fault; it is your fault. more

Live locally

excerpt from conversation, Rome, May 28, 1974

PRABHUPADA: No, karma is there. That is another point. My point is that any condition, one can live locally. That is my point. They [speaking of Greenlanders] are supposed to be uncivilized, and they live in the ice cottage. There is no sufficient things for eating. And how they live? That is the point. So why civilized man cannot live locally?

SATSVARUPA: One objection to that is that they say that now cultures have been spread more by all this transportation. You even write that the world is now like a global village. But if everyone just stays in their own place, they won't know what people and culture is like in other parts of the world, and their view will be more narrow.

PRABHUPADA: No. They may go sometimes. Just like in India, they used to live locally, but at the same time they used to go to the pilgrimages by walking. It is not prohibited that one should not go out, but when one goes out, he goes out of pleasure, not as obligation. At the present moment, it has become an obligation, that one must go out of his home, of his village, of his country. That is defective. There was no need of so many transports. People remained locally. One has to go for livelihood hundred miles. This is defective.

DHANANJAYA: But people say they travel for education.

PRABHUPADA: What education? Hippies? Your education has ended into hippies. Finish that education, nonsense education... You have created this animal civilization. Now they are coming out as naked animals. This is the result. Now you have to reform them. That reformation is Krishna consciousness. So you have to make an example, what is actually human life. Then others will see. You cannot stop them. But some of them, those who are intelligent, they will see, "Yes, here is life." As they are coming to nakedness, they will come to this, our mode of life. So you have to become an ideal society. You live locally, and be self-sufficient. They will see that it is possible to live locally without movement, and still highly cultured men, self-sufficient. That is required.

Sri Guru and Gauranga