Pasta la vista

With so many types and sizes of pasta, Italy's favourite export has become a staple in the British diet. Lindsay Whalen looks at the disproportionate power a handful of companies wield in the food chain

Fast and economical, pasta has become an essential food for many of us. Yet a quick glance at the table opposite reveals that this principal food group is dominated by huge multinationals. Campbell's Soup, Mars, Mitsubishi, Nestle and Unilever produce the well-known brands, but their Ethiscores betray their unethical activities.

The sheer size of these multinationals means they are free to exploit farmers, suppliers, animals, the environment, and in fact anyone who eats! A basket of food, including beef, eggs, milk, bread, tomatoes and apples typically costs �37 in supermarkets but farmers only receive �11 for it.(3) The most recent figures available suggest that the average UK farmer's income was just �11,000.(4)

Climate change

This profit-driven approach to food production also has environmental implications. For example, dependence on pesticides contaminates soil and water, large-scale monocultural cropping leads to desertification, and having food flown around the world releases unnecessary greenhouse gases.

These concerns are unlikely to bother the Mitsubishi Corporation though, which owns the Napolina brand of pasta through its Princes subsidiary. Mitsubishi is one of four companies criticised for involvement in oil and gas extraction at Sakhalin Island, Russia.(1) Involvement in fossil fuels already has a huge impact on climate change, but this 500 mile pipeline also threatens the island's pristine salmon habitat, crosses a sacred indigenous burial site and threatens the livelihood of tens of thousands of fishermen.(1) Local groups have asked the oil companies to mitigate the adverse impacts.(1) Dmitry Lisitsyn, chairman of Sakhalin Environment Watch, commented that: "full compensation for environmental damage is needed as a lot of the economically important species which have got in the way of Sakhalin, are not coming back."

Lobbying

Food companies spend lots of money on lobbying and donating to political parties to ensure that their interests are represented in government policies and regulatory procedures. According to the US-based Agribusiness Accountability Initiative, "corporate political influence has direct consequences as industry groups shape nutrition guidelines, food safety regulations, and rules for labelling and content disclosure."(5) They also lobby governments to implement free trade agendas, accept genetically modified products and make poor decisions regarding climate change. For example, Nestle and Unilever were listed as belonging to at least six lobby groups campaigning for free trade on Ethical Consumer's Corporate Critic database. Mars is listed as a Director of the National Foreign Trade Council, a group dedicated to opening trade markets, and getting fast results on legislative changes.(7) Mars, Mitsubishi, Nestle and Unilever are members of the International Chamber of Commerce,(6) which has been criticised by Friends of the Earth due to its unparalleled access to all levels of government and influence at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO is targeted by global justice campaigners for driving poor countries into poverty.(6)

Nestle was also generous enough to pay for a number of jaunts for British MPs in 2005, which included tickets for Wimbledon and a South Africa trip.(8) At the time, Nestle was opposing the South African government's attempts to enforce the International Code on the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes.(8) It was also said to be lobbying British MPs in opposition to the proposed Children's Food Bill, which would limit junk food marketing aimed at children.(8)

Working groups

On a more positive note though, there are plenty of groups working to affect this balance of power.

Oxford-based activists Corporate Watch are committed to transforming the current food system, and replacing it with food production based on the needs of local communities. Corporate Watch also works closely with Grassroots Action on Food and Farming (GAFF) which aims to raise awareness on food issues and gain public support for local food production. Agribusiness Accountability Initiative also offers solutions to corporate concentration in food. Contact details for all these are in the links section opposition.

Ethical Consumer is also part of the solution. By thoroughly investigating companies' ethical claims, readers can support brands that are committed to co-operative working practices, long-term relationships with producers, fair trade products and organic certification.

Pasta perfect

All brands offering organic or fair trade can be identified by an F or O on the table. Biofair and Traidcraft receive extra marks for fair trade because their pasta is made using quinoa flour, and marketed as fair trade. The products do not have Fairtrade Foundation accreditation because the pasta does not contain enough of the fairly traded ingredient. Which? reported that unlike in brown bread and rice, tests have not found pesticide residues in conventionally-produced wholemeal pasta.(10) But there are, of course, other reasons for buying organic.

Fresh pasta

Dry pasta is suitable for vegans, but almost all fresh pasta will contain egg. Black pasta is also unsuitable as it is made from squid ink. Fresh pasta containing egg or filled with cheese could come from dairy animals fed on genetically modified crops. Buying organic fresh pasta ensures GM free.

Links

Agribusiness Accountability Initiative: www.agribusinessaccountability.org

Corporate Watch: 01865 791 391 www.corporatewatch.org

Grassroots Action on Food and Farming (GAFF): 01865 791 391 www.gaff.org.uk

References

1 SchNEWS 485 18/2/05
2 'Defence of Sakhalin,' Sakhalin Environment Watch 28/1/06
3 'Shopped- the shocking power of British supermarkets,' Joanna Blythman 2005
4 'The National Farmers' Union: friend to 'big business,' not to small farmers,' Corporate Watch UK 06/03
5 www.agribusinessaccountability.org viewed on 23/2/06
6 www.iccwbo.org viewed on 6/2/06
7 www.nftc.org viewed on 23/2/06
8 Baby Milk Action Update 12/05
10 Which? Extra Organic Food, Processed 04/02
11 'Nestl�, the community and the UN Millennium Development Goals,' 2006
12 Power Hungry- six reasons to regulate global food corporations: ActionAid report (2005)
13 www.buav.org 14/10/04
14 International Defence Directory 1/1/04
15 Email from Save our Earth, 7/2/06
16 www.bigcampaign.org 6/2/06
17 'Nestl� defies boycotters and 'ethical shoppers' by launching its own Fair Trade coffee brand,' The Independent 7/10/05
18 Naturewatch Compassionate Shopping Guide, 10th edition 2005
19 'Heavily soiled - boycott cruelty!' www.buav.org 20/1/06
20 Conversation with Yorkshire Hemp 27/2/06

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