THE SchNEWS PARTY AND PROTEST GUIDE
Home | Archive | Links | Help | Prisoners | About
Previous | SchNEWS 340 | Next | Index
Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective
|
PDF Version - download and distribute ! notes on PDF files wake up! wake up! It’s yer heavily
subsidised |
 |
Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective
ISSUE 340, February 1st, 2002
FOOD FIGHT
“Everywhere on these Isles, rich and beautiful habitats have been ploughed, bulldozed and sprayed out of existence, not as a result of need but in response to farm subsidies” – Graham Harvey, The Killing of the Countryside
This week the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming published its long
awaited report on what they see as the future of agriculture in the UK. Commissioned
by the government in the wake of the foot and mouth crisis, it recommends changes
in the way we produce our food, namely that more money be spent on organic farming
methods and subsidies towards the protection of the environment rather than
for food production.
Foot and mouth was just the latest in a long line of disasters to illustrate
the unhealthy state of UK farming. Since the introduction of subsidies in the
last few decades, farming has largely become an industrialised process just
like any other manufacturing industry. Many parts of Britain could be described
as agricultural wastelands, devoid of wildlife and plants. Look out across the
countryside in some parts of the UK and you’ll see endless fields of chemically
contaminated monocrop, separated not by hedgerows but by roads and barbed wire.
Over 10,000 miles of hedgerows disappear each year. 97% of meadowland has been
lost since WW2, and many water courses have been heavily polluted through extensive
f chemical use. Prof. Jules Pretty of the University of Essex has calculated
that even before foot and mouth, the hidden costs of industrial agriculture
to our health and environment added up to £2.3billion a year.
It’s estimated that in the last 2 years at least 40,000 people have lost
their jobs in agriculture. Many people have come to accept the failures of the
modern farming system as the price we have to pay for cheap food. But with the
taxpayer contributing to the £3billion in subsidies paid to farmers each
year, each family is actually paying an extra £10 a week.
Top
Supermarket Sweep
On the face of it we’d have to agree with Tony Blur for once, who welcomed the new report saying that “the current situation benefits no-one: farmers, taxpayers, consumers or the environment”. But er, sorry Tony but we think Tesco might disagree with you there. Supermarkets are raking it in, with Tesco’s profits rising every year in the last decade, last year amassing over £1bn. The supermarkets’ power on our food chain has become almost complete, and the result has been that our agricultural land now looks like the supermarkets they are servicing.
A fifth of farms, mostly the wealthy ones in this country received 80 percent
of the annual production subsides. This mis-distribution of subsidies has been
compared to the government choosing to subside grocery shops, and giving all
the money to Tescos and Sainsbury’s. And farming just like the retail world
has had it’s casualties - small farms are closing all the time while the
large monoculture farms (yer Tesco equivalent) keep growing. But even these
big farms are being screwed by the supermarkets they serve. For example a litre
of milk in March last year costs 22p to produce, farmers were being paid 17.6p
for each litre, the supermarket was selling it for 35p, that’s 17.4p profit
for supermarkets and a bill of 4.4p to tax payer for subsidies, which means
that we are subsidising the supermarkets! Overall today in the UK only 9p of
each pound you spend ends up in the farmer's pocket.
Food Chained
Marion Shoard the author of “This Land is Our Land” told SchNEWS that this idea of environmental subsidies assumes that farmers know what’s best, yet considering that they’re the ones who’ve been busy destroying the landscape in the first place, putting our faith in them helping to restore it is a bit laughable. Marion believes that the best way to shake up our agricultural system is to get rid of subsidies altogether. She believes that land prices would then plummet and farming would become more profitable, this would then allow land to be bought by environmental and social groups for the public good.
This sounded like a good idea so we tried to track down some farmers who’ve
managed to survive without subsidies, but unfortunately we couldn’t find
any. Not surprising really when the price farmers get for their produce is often
less than it costs them to produce it in the first place. But regardless of
whether or not redirecting subsidies are the solution to our problems, nothing
is likely to change until there is a serious shift in the balance of power in
the food chain. The biggest villains of all are the supermarkets who’ve
made us believe they’re providing us with cheap food. The report does nothing
to challenge the powers of supermarkets, which isn’t surprising when you
consider that Peter Davis from Sainsbury’s was a member of the Committee.
Professor Pretty points out “The quest for even cheaper food is at the
root of all these problems. It has encouraged farmers to cut corners, compromising
food safety, animal welfare and damaging the environment.”
* Further reading “The Killing of the Countryside” by Graham Harvey.
For a history of the landownership in Britain read “This Land is Our Land
- The struggle for Britain’s Country” By Marion Shoard. Loads of information
on supermarkets at www.corporatewatch.org.uk
Top
It isn’t necessarily true that farming and environmental destruction need to go hand in hand. Ragman’s Lane Farm in Gloustershire is one of many commercial farms now being run successfully using permaculture ecological principles. When Matt Dunwell and Jan Davies took over the farm in Gloucestershire, in 1990 the Valuer commented that its 50 acres of grassland could only provide half of one salary, which would be true were it only a conventional farm. But now the farm employs three full-time people. The farm sells most of it’s food locally and they run regular courses to pass on their knowledge - the next one is 23-24 February is ‘Growing and selling vegetables’. More info Mandy Pullen Ragman’s Lane Farm, Lower Lydbrook, Glos, GL17 9PA. 01594 861173 www.permaculture.co.uk
* And don’t forget Seedy Saturday next Saturday 9th February at St.Georges
Hall, St.Georges Rd, Brighton 11am – 4pm. Find out how to bypass the corporate
seed industry and pick up some outlawed vegetable seeds. Volunteers needed to
help out call 01273 882552 email baggage@primalseeds.org
|
Crap Arrest
For Canoeing without lights!!
Last Friday, Faslane peace protestor Jenny Gaiawyn was arrested and charged
with ‘breach of the peace’ for canoeing without any lights around
the Gareloch where those nice Trident submarines live. For that crime she spent
3 days in police custody and is due in court on the April 2nd (should be April
1st!)
Andersen Fairy Tale
Would you get McDonalds to advise you about healthy eating? Or BP to sing the praises of free electricity from the sun? Well, Neo-Labour thought it would be a good idea to ask accountancy firm Andersen to write a report on the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) – the scheme where the nation's public services are flogged off to the private sector, who then lease them back to the taxpayer! Andersen said PFI was a great idea and would save money – but forgot to mention that it would also make them lots - they’ve already made millions thanks to 37 PFI schemes they’ve already got their sticky little accountants' fingers in. This company is so dodgy that even the Tories took them to court and banned them from any government contracts for 12 years. This didn’t put off Neo-Labour though. Before Blair’s government came to power, they were advised by Andersen about the windfall tax, capital gains tax and advanced corporation tax and in the summer of 1996 more than 90 Labour MPs attended an Andersen seminar on ‘how to be a minister’. Patricia Hewitt, now Trade and Industry secretary, used to be head of research at Andersen Consulting.
Since coming to power, Neo-Labour continued to follow Andersen advice on how
to flog off our remaining national assets like Air Traffic Control, the London
Underground, defence research labs, schools and hospitals. Andersen has also
given expert advice on Railtrack, the Jubilee Line Extension, British Nuclear
Fuels, education action zones, the management of local education authorities
as well as doing the accounts for the Millennium Dome….
Andersen are making the news at the moment for helping to cover up the collapse
of energy giant Enron – which last year entered the record books by becoming
the biggest company to go bankrupt in US corporate history. Not only did Andersen
receive $25 million for its Enron audit work, where you would have expected
to see that Enron's accounting was bullshit, but also $27 million for its Enron
consultancy work, which probably explains why they turned a blind eye and also
why one US Senator commented “If Enron robbed the bank, Arthur Andersen
drove the getaway car.”
Lately Andersen have been busy shredding as many Enron documents as possible
– all in the interests of recycling and making more bedding for hamsters
of course.
All Along the Watchtower
Last week the Glastonbury Festival got its music license – after announcing that there would now be a zero tolerance policy against gatecrashers. In an open letter, organiser Michael Eavis wrote “Most of you probably know that for years a lot of people have been getting in…without tickets. Over or under the fence, forgery, scams - whatever. This year things have to change for good, otherwise the Festival will be gone, forever.” To stop the gatecrashers there will be a new 3.6 metres high floodlit fence, “that can’t be taken apart, climbed over or tunnelled under”, with watchtowers and CCTV.
Glastonbury has become a victim of its own success. Thanks to the free festival
clampdown, financially crippling restrictions and police protection rackets
on anyone who wants to put on a festival, focus has turned to one of the few
that has survived. As Andy from Festival Eye magazine told SchNEWS “It’s
about time the Stonehenge Free Festival was brought back.”
* Keep up to date with festivals, parties and protests on the SchNEWS website.
Super-CALI-fragilistic-expealidocious!
On Tuesday, workers from the Colombian City of Cali, who have been occupying the communications tower of Emcali since Christmas Day won an historic victory (See last weeks SchNEWS). An agreement was signed by the Colombian government, the Mayor of Cali, and the union guaranteeing that the company will not be privatised, that there will be no price increases this year, and that a high level anti-corruption inquiry will investigate and bring to justice all of those people who have siphoned off public resources from the company in recent years. If you want to hear more, Mario Novelli whose been sending daily reports from the occupation, will be speaking this Saturday (2nd) at the CORAS Centre, 161 Lambeth Walk, SE11. (nearest tubes Vauxhall) 4pm. Tel 07950-923448
SchNEWS in brief
- A detention centre for Migrants ‘Sans Papiers’ was occupied and wrecked last Saturday in Bologna, Italy.
- Defend Council Housing national conference next Saturday (9) in Birmingham. www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk, 020-7987-9989
- Mr Gluck’s Radical Dairy- a squatted social centre/info shop/café has opened at 47 Kynaston Road, Stoke Newington, London. 020-7249-6996
- A day of film, workshops and musicology 2 Feb from 11am, with an evening party at the newly opened 217 Resource Centre on Swansea High Street. www.geocites.com/swan_net/
- Jeff Halper, of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and Salim Shawamreh, twice the victim of house demolitions, will speak on the subject: Palestine and Israel: A Just and Viable Peace? 12th Feb, 7.30 p.m Brighthelm Centre, Brighton
- ‘Stop the War on Dissent: - the threat to civil liberties posed by the Terrorism Acts’. 7pm, 12th Feb, Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, Westminster (er, that is the place where the terrorism acts were passed).020-7586-5892, knklondon@gn.apc.org
- Worthing Eco-Action meeting next Tuesday (5) about the planned direct action campaign to stop the destruction of the countryside around Titnore Lane in Durrington. 7.45pm, upstairs at the Downview pub, West Worthing Station
- Two new indymedia sites to check out - Indymedia Ireland www.indymedia.ie/ and Bristol Indymedia www.bristol/indymedia.org
- ‘Last Orders for the Local’ is an ace little pamphlet looking at how your local boozer is being corporate themed out of existence. Send some stamps and an SAE to ACATAC c/o BM Combustion, London, WC1N 3XX
- Campaign meeting on ‘Planning a green paper’ 9th Feb 10am-5pm International student house,229 Great Portland St. London 0161 9590999 planning@onlincam.freeserve.co.uk
- Jill Phipps Memorial Day, An animal rights activist who was killed on a demo against live animal exports. 2nd Feb 12 noon Darley Oaks Farm.
BCUK YOU
The Burma Campaign UK (BCUK) have managed to get lingerie giant Triumph International to close down its Burma-based manufacturing site. The company was targeted for its part in supporting the military regime. It was charged by the UN’s International Labour Organisation with a ‘crime against humanity’ for the oppression and exploitation of Burma’s people. A spokesperson from BCUK said, “This should serve as a warning to other companies operating in Burma - get out now or you could be next.” Burma Campaign UK, 020-7281-7377, www.burmacampaign.org.uk
Road to Ruin
“This road will also increase regional air pollution, increase congestion, increase air & noise pollution for people using the bridle paths, underpass and the children at the school, increase traffic into Derby, increase pollution in an Air Quality Management Area, destroy wildlife habitats, make all alternative journey modes longer, and all for 20 seconds off journey into city “ Dorothy, a Derby resident
The protest camp at the site of the proposed Alvaston bypass is calling
for more people to join the protest camp there. The site has a kitchen and
tree houses, but bring your own accomodation tent space may be limited!
www.alvaston-bypass.i8.com
Inside SchNEWS
Colin Davies is still on remand for opening an Amsterdam style coffee shop in Stockport last September. His friends and family have kept the café open since then so drop in for a (BYO) spliff. Colin’s next court hearing is on Valentine’s Day. 0161-4805902 www.dutchexperience.org
International Day of Solidarity for Leonard Peltier, Saturday 9th
February. Next Wednesday will mark the 27th year since the American Indian
Movement activist was framed and arrested for killing two FBI agents at
the Pine Ridge Reservation. www.freepeltier.org
Dole Faced
This week saw a two-day nationwide strike by benefit agency staff. SchNEWS spoke briefly to one of the strikers to find out what’s been going on. “The government want to merge the benefits and employment service into one agency Job Centre Plus which isn’t a bad idea, but they want it all done in open plan offices. What we are asking for is that in every office when we think things might get violent that there is an area where staff can be behind screens. No one thinks it's bad when post office or bank staff work behind screens, its basic health and safety.”
“The first pilot open plan office opened in Harlesden two weeks ago,
and already someone smashed the place up with a bike chain. In Lewes someone
set fire to the benefit agency and one worker was followed out of Balham
dole office and was kicked to a pulp at the tube station. Before the strike
we were bombarded with government propaganda films – one was about
benefit changes in Australia and how since they’ve gone open plan it's
safer. We found out that violent assaults have actually gone up and two
members of staff have been killed. More strikes are planned with the threat
of overtime ban and work to rule, but the Government are telling managers
not to negotiate with the union. It seems they want to undermine us and
push through more privatisation.”
...and finally...
Ever thought of becoming an anarchist? Pay: Crap; Chance of Arrest: High; Bosses: None; Fun: Loads. By the time you read this you’ll have missed Brighton’s first anarchist job fair. St James' Street job centre ‘kindly’ allowed a dozen dirty anarchists and a dog, to run an info stall on the premises for over an hour! Those pesky kids thought they might as well give an alternative option to the MOD who had an open day there. The police, always keen to promote the anarchist cause, suggested that the stall be moved outside (so as to reach a wider audience, of course). Don’t worry though you needn’t wait till the next open day. Start today! Jack in yer job, have a lie in, cause trouble and then save the world.
disclaimer
You’d have to be a mad cow to think that SchNEWS gets a government
subsidy (don’t mention the dole cheques). Honest.
Cor-blimley-they’re-practically-giving-them-away book offer
- SchNEWS Round issues 51 - 100 £4.50 inc. postage.
- SchNEWS Annual issues 101 - 150 £4.50 inc. postage.
- SchNEWS Survival Guide issues 151 - 200 and a whole lot more £5.50 inc. postage
- The SchQUALL book at only £7 + £1.50 p&p. (US Postage £4.00 for individual books, £13 for all four).
- SchNEWS and SQUALL's YEARBOOK 2001. 300 pages of adventures from the direct action frontline. £7 + £1.50 p&p. You can order the book from a bookshop or your library, quote the ISBN 09529748 4 3.
In the UK you can get 2, 3, 4 & 5 for £20 inc. postage.
In addition to 50 issues of SchNEWS, each book contains articles, photos, cartoons, subverts, a “yellow pages” list of contacts, comedy etc. All the above books are available from the Brighton Peace Centre, saving postage yer tight gits.
Subscribe to SchNEWS: Send 1st Class stamps (e.g. 10 for next 9 issues) or donations (payable to Justice?). Or £15 for a year's subscription, or the SchNEWS supporter's rate, £1 a week. Ask for "originals" if you plan to copy and distribute. SchNEWS is post-free to prisoners. You can also pick SchNEWS up at the Brighton Peace and Environment Centre at 43 Gardner Street, Brighton.
SchNEWS, PO Box 2600, Brighton, BN2 2DX, England
Phone/Fax (call before faxing): 01273 685913
Email: schnews@brighton.co.uk
Web: http://www.schnews.org.uk/
and http://www.schnews.com
Last updated 1st February, 2002
@nti copyright - information for action - copy and distribute!