Dutch investigative journalist Elze van Hamelen reveals a deliberate campaign by agribusiness to control land and food supply, damaging health and communities. Topics include Rockefeller Foundation's
There is a deliberate campaign to control land and food supply, harming health and communities.
Investing locally in small farmers can empower them and promote resilient food systems.
Deep dives
The push for big ag over small farming
There is a global movement favoring big agriculture over small farms, claiming benefits for food supply and climate. Elsa Van Hamelen, a researcher and journalist, challenges this agenda, highlighting how it harms small farmers. The industrial agriculture narrative paints farmers negatively, but Elsa reveals a history of land consolidation to promote industrial farming globally.
Land consolidation and industrial agriculture
After WW2, efforts for industrial agriculture led to land consolidation in countries like the Netherlands, funded through programs like the Marshall Plan. This policy push aimed to control food production, leading to a decline in small farms and rural communities. The industrial model led to dependency on external inputs and financial pressures on farmers.
Agribusiness takeover
The industrial model of agriculture reinforces dependency and oligopolies, disadvantaging small farmers. Policies promoting industrial farming create divisions among farmers and impact biodiversity. The dominance of synthetic foods and GMO seeds contribute to farmers' debt and loss of independence.
Support for small farmers and local food systems
Encouraging community investment in farmland can empower small farmers and promote food sovereignty. Investing locally and buying from small-scale producers fosters resilient food systems. Advocacy at the local level can challenge harmful policies and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Industrial farming is on the rise and small farmers are being put out of business. But this isn't a coincidence or an unfortunate accidental side effect of progress. Dutch investigative journalist Elze van Hamelen suggests that there is a deliberate campaign to control the land and our food supply, that is not only damaging our health but ripping apart communities, traditions, and families.
Among other topics on today's episode, Elze digs into the Rockefeller Foundation's initiative to "Reset the Table," the "30 x 30 land conservation" plan, the history of land consolidation in the Netherlands (which she never learned about in school) and more. She also discusses a surprising way we can support small farmers who are at risk of losing their land and push back against the worldwide propaganda that promotes the idea that small farming is bad for nature and for humanity.