Grains - particularly maize, rice, and wheat - are the central component
of most people's diets, but we rarely stop to think about the wider role
they play in national and international policy-making, as well as global
issues like food security, biotechnology, and even climate change.
But why are grains so important and ubiquitous? What political conflicts
and economic processes underlie this dominance? Who controls the world's
supply of grains and with what outcomes? In this timely book, Bill
Winders unravels the complex story of feed and food grains in the global
economy. Highlighting the importance of corporate control and divisions
between grains - such as who grows them, and who consumes them - he
shows how grains do not represent a unitary political and economic
force. Whilst the differences between them may seem small, they can lead
to competing economic interests and policy preferences with serious and,
on occasions, violent geopolitical consequences.
This richly detailed and authoritative guide will be of interest to
students across the social sciences, as well as anyone interested in
current affairs.