Global food demand

Food riots. That might be a future term to deal with. Perhaps it already is a very relevant phenomenon of how we, the western, industrial, wealthy world have been treating our fellow neighbours in "poorer", less industrialized and largly agricultural countries.

The food prices going up, with so much as 40% during one year only can be explained due to the following fundamental global causes: for the first time in human history more than half of the worlds population are living in cities (1), the demand for meat consumption is everly increasing (2), for the first time transportation fuels are based on agricultural crops (3).

This puts an enormous pressure on the capacity of productivity on agricultural productive lands to feed people in cities, which by the way nowdays are not only headhunting the cheapest available foods but also continually discovering new and exotic meals.

But most importantly, if we are to speak about global sustainability, this puts an enormous pressure on small-scale farmers and their families surviving in a marginal piece of land. Only a handful (more or less 5) gigantic corporations are actually controlling the whole provision business worldwide. And here is a clear example of how not everything can be left for the market to be taken care of: shareholders are put at first place infront of poor, uneducated small-scale farmers, whose whole livelihood are been taken over as large corporations and stock markets are allowed to dictate the profit for well-off urban consumers.

We like to repeat the history of evolution, that the smart naked ape has proceeded far away from the hunter and gatherer era - but if we step back and question ourselves - are we really so independed from nature as we think we are? Are we not completely depended on everyday food?

The big questions of the future will indoubtly be within the issue of global production and consumption of food. We can already begin thinking in terms of resiliance (Think Globally Radios Episode 080316). Actually, and this is the fantastic thing, if we just let people on the rural side of the worlds poor countries manage their business - helping them with fair economic benefits for the work underlying their produce and not forcing them into a market where they are more or less defensless - we will find that the best solutions for survival in socio-economic terms are found in harmony with nature.

Isn´t this actually natural?

Politicians: Promote train travel!

For an upcoming travel within Sweden Im examining tickets between the three main travel alternatives. The domestic flight is, still puzzling, cheaper than the train. Cheapest is of course the bus. However, concerning the time traveling, the bus can easily be avoided in favour for the flight. Train on the third hand, not much faster than the bus, is the most expensive alternative of all three!

Being active in this field of sustainability, I cannot remember how many times I have heard advisors, experts, researchers and activists describing the acute need for economical adjustments (correct and just pricing of polluting travel alternatives) and cultural/awareness improvements/campaignes so that train becomes both cheaper in comparison to other travel alternatives as well as more pleasant/exciting alternative to choose.

Swedish politicians - what are you waiting for? In an era of traveling lifestyles, the most CONTEMPORARY sustainable approach of traveling HAS to be promoted! Independently of short-time economical losses for the aviation industry/municipals - think alternatively - new jobs will arise from a sustainable framework - that originating from the natural capacity of our ecosystems!

Improve your life quality and reduce your ecological footprint!

U&W, a Swedish consultancy company working with sustainabile development held an interesting climate saloon this evening with the interesting and important theme - climate and lifestyle.

Many interesting guests were present and the gathering was divided into smaller groups for discussion - an ideal approach for sustainable communication. During the talks important insights were born by many that lifestyle changes in fact are not doomed to be negative, a burden or another stressful obligation for us Westerners consuming too much. Lifestyle changes ARE infact leading to improved life quality. And what is life quality in the modern society? Is it not having more time to understand oneself, to have the time to deal with emotions, real needs, like love, friendship, have the time to develope one´s own skills, follow interesting courses for only the sake of activating and releasing creativity? Is it not having time to do things that are not as climate intensive as buying and consuming goods, like simply spending time in nature or learning to play an instrument?

In corporate, governmental as well as individual level; the fundamental change of lifestyles toward sustainable living is not always reflected within the direct actions executed (as these actions can regress to old-habits), but within the sustainable values, insights and priorities of the "new" awareness-level!

Prime minister statement

The Swedish Prime Minister, Mr. Fredrik Reinfeldt expressed a couple of days ago worrying news; carbon-taxes are a much more effective approach in combating global warming than investments in rail-infrastructure.

It might come as a chock for people viewing Sweden as a very environmentally-friendly country that top politicians favour more or less business-as-usual rather than taking innovative, bold, corageous and desperately-needed decisions which in turn favour investments in transportation infrastructure.

Moreover top stake-holders in the transportation sector, such as Schenker and Sj (Swedish Railways) scream, and has screamed for years for infrastructure investments in order to better improve logistics and meet increasing demand. In fact, most of the rail capacity has reached its maximum in Sweden.

What is lying behind such as political statement?

Climate change negotiations from Kyoto to Copenhagen with Bo Kjellen