SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL-CALL ON WTO TO RECOGNIZE THIRD WORLD REALITY

There is widespread impression that the globalization of food trade is heavily slanted in favor of large industry conglomerates leaving out the small and medium scale players. It is forgotten that most developing countries depend heavily on micro, small and medium scale enterprises for wealth generation and food production and progressively new global trade policies forced on developing countries are marginalizing these players affecting seriously the employment generation, land productivity and growth of agriculture sector to a very significant extent. Developing world has to thank Philippines for raising this issue at international forums and seeking appropriate re-prioritization of WTO policies and programs. Following excerpts reflect the concern of this country which is common to other similar developing nations.

"According to Domingo, the institutionalization of such framework is very important given that developing countries are comprised mainly of SMEs and poor small farmers whom he said, "are most vulnerable to market uncertainties and who would most benefit from a harmonized trading system and open and fair markets." Statistics show that as of 2009, there are 780,437 business enterprises operating in the Philippines. Of these, 99.6% are micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the remaining 0.4% are large enterprises. MSMEs generated a total of 3,595,641 jobs in 2009 versus 2,094,298 for the large enterprises. This indicates that MSMEs contributed almost 63.2% of the total jobs generated by all types of business establishments that year. MSMEs account for 25% of the country's total exports revenue. It is also estimated that 60% of all exporters in the country belong to the MSME category. MSMEs are able to contribute in exports through subcontracting arrangement with large firms, or as suppliers to exporting companies. Poor small farmers meanwhile mainly comprised the Philippine agricultural sector. The agriculture sector accounts for about 35% of total employment, but only contributes 15% of gross domestic product in 2009, Domingo said. Another area gaining more relevance for developing countries like the Philippines is "food insecurity." Domingo called on WTO member-countries to craft agreements and policies "that will provide support system to its farmers including an appropriate trade and non-trade policy environment that is conducive for their survival, and for food security." "While food aid and trade play roles, there is no substitute to bringing investments back to developing countries for productivity and greater production to meet the ever growing demand for food," he said.

In India agriculture is largely controlled by small farmers with average land holding just two acres in size and by western standards this is not a viable size for survival. Though GOI is trying to change land policies in favor of large holdings, it may take years before there is any consolidation of land in the country. There are vexing issues like fast urbanization, increasing diversion of agricultural land for industry and real estate conglomerates, landless labor, heavy dependence of agriculture on rains, stagnation of food production, all linked together and any long term solution must keep these factors in focus. Added to this India is still to come up with a national sustainable agriculture policy, all efforts made being ad hoc in nature. Unless there are clear perceptions regarding the role and fate of small and micro scale players, India cannot be in a position to fight in WTO forum for protecting the interests of this important sector.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

TAPIOCA-AN UNDER UTILIZED FOOD SOURCE

Tapioca or Cassava or Manioc is better known in India for its role as the basic material from which Sago is made on industrial scale in Salem and Dharmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu. Of course Sago of to day is a man-made product while originally it was a natural fruit from sago plant. Its chewy texture on cooking gives it a special culinary role in many food preparations. That tapioca was once a staple food in Kerala cannot be ignored though people are eating this food less and less because of the onslaught of many diverse processed foods flooding the market there. As an industrial raw material, Tapioca is a major source of starch which has many uses in industries such as those manufacturing food products, textile sizing, oil drilling etc. That in Philippines, Tapioca is being promoted is a news.

"Mainly grown for its tubers which are a rich source of carbohydrates, cassava is also a good source of calcium and ascorbic acid. Its food uses include confectionaries, sago, vegetables, food seasoning, noodles, flour and native pastries like cassave cake, suman and bibingka. Although not a staple food of Filipinos, cassava feeds about 800 million people around the world, according to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Another important product is cassava starch, known in the world trade as tapioca flour, which is extracted from the tuber and used by a wide variety of industries—food, pharmaceutical, paper, adhesive, textile, mining and other manufacturing industries".

"In the food industry alone, studies show that cassava flour can substitute for wheat flour in baked products as much as 10 percent in bread and higher in other baked products. It is utilized as thickener for soups, baby food, sauces and gravies. Cassava flour is an excellent filler that could supplement the solid contents of ice cream. It is also a good binder for sausages and other processed-meat products to prevent these from drying up during cooking. Its use as a livestock feed in the country has also been investigated. Studies at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) have shown that cassava meal can be used as a substitute for feed grains in compounded animal rations, while cassava leaf meal contains at least 20-percent protein. Cassava can also be a good solution to the problems of climate change and fuel shortage. In China, Thailand and Brazil, cassava is becoming an important biofuel crop. A feasibility study has found that cassava has a very high starch-to-sugar conversion ratio, which means that a high percentage of sugar can be converted from it which, in turn, is needed to produce biofuel".

An aspect not considered seriously when Tapioca is promoted as a food crop concerns its potential as a low cost source of sweeteners like glucose and high fructose syrup. The advantages of Tapioca over sugar cane include high yield per hectare, high disease resistance, low water requirement, comparatively lower inputs like fertilizers and multiple use for the crop. The potential for diverting it for creating staples like designer rice through extrusion technology has already been established. Considering the versatility, probably Tapioca deserves a better deal from the planners at the national level.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com