David's Digest

As France takes over the Presidency of the EU today with the objective of persuading member states to ratify the Lisbon Treaty following the Irish rejection of it, as well as dealing with a bunch of other equally hot issues, not least among which is the energy crisis, its first major event is a food conference.

On Thursday France will host a major event entitled "Who will feed the World?". Speakers will include Agriculture Commissioner, Marrian Fischer Boel; the President of the European Parliament; Hans-Gert Pottering, French Agriculture Minister, Michel Barnier; French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner; Director General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy; and Director General of FAO, Jacques Diouf.

An impressive line-up, you will agree and the French are clearly taking the food crisis seriously. But what a pity all those people, who could have changed the policies that have exacerbated if not led to the problem, did not have the foresight to do so. They were, presumably, all listening to advice from political economists, all educated at the same kinds of establishments, all teaching the same misguided policies, which led them to recommend the exact opposite of what was required.

Doubtless the papers that will be presented will be studied exercises in self-justification to the effect that "it wasn't my fault guv". Whereas what is needed is an honest admission that they got it wrong and a willingness to change radically from their established path. But I'm not optimistic.