Land Nationalisation

A thought provoking article in today's Guardian by Ian Jack which deals with the implications of rapidly increasing cost of agricultural land and it consequential impact on future food security. He concludes by raising the prospect of land nationalisation being a political consideration to ensuring food supply, as it was in the early part of the 20th century.

The market response to any shortage, or likely increase in demand, is to increase cost and thus maximise profitable return for the owners (and therefore controllers) of capital.

The issue of land ownership for growing affordable and sustainable food needs to be addressed for many reasons; including food security, reducing food miles, sustaining/increasing organic production and resisting the use of bio-fuels. State owned land in the control of local food cooperatives with local shops selling the produce at cost is an old, yet much needed approach.

You never know the new Tory Cooperative Movement (whatever next?) may already be on to this. I think we can rule out New Labour arriving at such a conclusion given this weeks desire to avoid the 'N' word, preferring to speak of temporary public ownership.