The relation between food and politics is a very complex relationship in both directions, each one affects the other.
Have you ever thought of how can food or unemployment have psychological effects on people. This can be the major motive that make people get very angry and start revolutions.
As we now see in Egypt, dictatorial regime and the food gathered the educated and less educated people in one revolution. Maybe the people in Tahrir Square have different motives but they all have the same aim, changing the regime. They are all – in spite of their different reasons – looking for a better future and better hopes.
On the other hand politics now is affecting the food, the revolution that is happening now in Egypt has effects on food, as an example Egyptians can’t find now enough food, because of curfew the food isn’t transported to the shops.
The New Scientist made this report about the Complexity Theory. It explains a lot of this relation.
The early signs of this are showing. Bread is getting scarce in Egypt’s capital, Cairo. Bakeries are closing for lack of flour and there have been reports that a baker who tried to raise prices was killed. Imported wheat is sitting in ports as cranes and lorries stand idle.
The interlocking dependencies that tie modern economies together spread dislocation further. Even where there is food, Egyptians have little money to buy it, as businesses and banks close, cash machines empty and wages dry up.
Egypt’s uprising was triggered when Tunisia unexpectedly threw off a 30-year dictatorship last month. That uprising was triggered partly by food prices, which hit all-time highs in December.
Since then demonstrators in Algeria, Morocco, Jordan and Yemen have also protested about high food prices. Asian investment bank Nomura recently drew up a list of 25 governments most vulnerable to food shortages – in countries that depend on imports and whose people spend a third or more of their incomes on food – Egypt came sixth. Morocco, Algeria and Lebanon were in the top five; Tunisia came 18th.