Dear Maria, the question, I think, must not be what is beyond Marx but what could be beyond capitalist food relations. My intention to take Marx into food debate is precisely to suggest that new and renewal Marxists theory interpretations, for example those made from a Latin-American perspective, can be useful to (re)think food in our societies and to grasp what we are facing. A Marxist perspective is specially useful in front of false solutions, as techno-fix (as GMO`s against hunger or the Climate Smart Agriculture as climate change and food insecurity solution) but also in front of romantic solutions, as a idea of return to a past idealistic food relations. Obviously, is just a proposal and this is not the unique. In my text I recognized that the Food Regime Perspective has made important contributions to food’s debate from a critical point of view. Also here in Latin America have gained force some food sovereignty practices (As Barkin’s paper also suggest) based on peasant and indigenous practices and resistances.

Well, yes fish in nutritional terms (?) but what I tried to explain in my paper is that what is good to eat is a very more complex question that involve concerns about social relations and our relation with nature. In fact, nowadays exist some evidence of the negative effects of European increased fish demand on marine ecosystems and on the seafood exporting countries.

Dear Pedro, unfortunately I do not have information about your specific concern. The only I can offered are some thoughts about this kind of practice. Already, the food world market is one of the most concentrated markets, with few-big exporters countries but specially concentrated by big corporations. Control of fuel market, with OPEC, had several effects on capitalist economies because the central role of energetic sources. But food, is not only central to capitalist system functioning, but for human life. In History, many times, food has been used as a war’s weapon. An “Organization of food Exporting Countries”, could be beneficial for some countries, maybe Brazil and USA, but certainly could be devastating for food dependent countries as Mexico. Not only in terms in economic performances but in life quality of millions of people. to my way of thinking food must cease to be considered a commodity.

Indeed, an industrial food system that views food as a commodity cannot provide the necessary quantity and quality of food for everyone and will never achieve food secutiry. Beyond Marx, which be other references you suggest to enlarge the food transition debate and to develop a different narrative for our food system?

Thansk

Maria Alejandra Madi

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