Devinder Sharma : Ground Reality
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Feb 10 2005
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Food safety bill may hurt hawkers
The central government has proposed the Food Safety and Standards Act as part of a series of steps to 'harmonize' existing food laws. Devinder Sharma agrees the old exploitative laws must go, but says the new bill may deliver unfair advantage to the food industry over dhabas and hawkers.
Jan 31 2005
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Ahluwalia echoes World Bank's line
At a conference on the eve of the 2005-06 Budget, Planning Commission vice chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said he is advocating redistribution of farm subsidies into road construction and improving land use. Devinder Sharma warns that Ahluwalia continues to bank upon the World Bank's flawed understanding.
Jan 11 2005
Tsunami, mangroves and market economy
: Tsunami, mangroves and market economy
The Tsunami of 26 December did not invade several coastlines to the degree it did many others because of mangroves and coral reefs. Mangroves offer double protection, but India has seen their rampant cutting down in favour of tourism and shrimp farming, says Devinder Sharma.
Dec 01 2004
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Death knell for low cost medicines
Medicine prices nationwide are likely to go up soon, including at public hospitals and dispensaries. Domestic manufacturers will withdraw critical but cheaper medicines as India gets ready to fulfill WTO obligations. Devinder Sharma argues that this is the beginning of a scientific apartheid.
Oct 01 2004
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Entitled to subsidies!
According to the European Union's plans for agricultural reforms, subsidies received by farmers will now become their entitlement until 2013. The big businesses that get most of these subsidies are quite happy; meanwhile the subsidies continue to create starvation and death in the developing world, notes Devinder Sharma.
Aug 01 2004
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Tax India, fail Bharat
Devinder Sharma points out the deeper flaws in the thinking behind Budget 2004-5.
Aug 01 2004
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Against the grain
Compare the cost of agriculture subsidies to government salaries or the cost of farm policies that favour imports over domestic produce, to separate reality from rhetoric, says Devinder Sharma.
Aug 01 2004
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Faulty frame, savage reality
If you raise the price of your product and offer a discount on the higher price, some people will get taken in by such 'sales'. The WTO has just pulled off this kind of scheme, says Devinder Sharma.
Jul 01 2004
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The policy has no clothes
Farmers' suicides will end only when we are willing to confront the real villain - the misplaced faith in industrial farming, says Devinder Sharma.
Jun 01 2004
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Once again, fooling the world
Removal of agricultural subsidies should be a pre-requisite to further movement on the WTO agricultural negotiations, says Devinder Sharma.
Devinder Sharma is an award-winning journalist, writer, thinker and researcher respected for his views on food and trade policy. His writings focus on the links between biotechnology, intellectual property rights, food trade and poverty. He is a regular contributor to leading national print publications. He blogs at http://devinder-sharma.blogspot.com/