The small town of Millau in southwest France was the scene last summer of an extraordinary protest. Responding to America's hike of import duties on the locally produced Roquefort cheese, an angry group of local farmers marched to the site of a McDonald's fastfood restaurant, then under construction, and dismantled it. They piled the building on the back of their tractors and drove it through the town in front of cheering supporters. The protest made frontpage news around the world as the latest indication of burgeoning public concern about the growth of junk food and the agribusiness it depends on. Leading the protest in Millau was a local sheep farmer, Jos& 233; Bov& 233;, who has emerged as a charismatic and eloquent spokesman for the movement. In this lively and hardhitting book Bov& 233;, together with the General Secretary of the French Farmers Confederation, Fran& 231;ois Dufour, recounts the dramatic events of the demonstration and Bov& 233;'s subsequent imprisonment. They examine the issues behind the campaign: the industrialization of agriculture in a global economy, the massive environmental damage this is wreaking, and the tasteless, unhealthy food that results. Bov& 233; and Dufour propose an alliance of farmers, consumers and ecologists to promote public awareness of these issues. They launched their campaign to enthusiastic support at the WTO protests in Seattle last November.

ISBN-13: 9781859846148 ISBN-10: 1859846149 Publisher: Verso Publish Date: August 2001 Page Count: 206 Related Categories Books > Political Science > Political Process - General Books > Political Science > Public Policy - General Books > Business & Economics > Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism