2012: a big year for…

It’s been hard to avoid the fact that 2012 will see the UK host the Olympics, but what you might not know is that the coming year is also designated International Year of Cooperatives, and Alan Turing Year, celebrating the life and influence of the mathematician, computer pioneer, and code-breaker.

Perhaps more significantly for WDM’s campaigning, 2012 will also be our big opportunity to secure European regulation to stop financial speculation on food prices from fuelling food price spikes which drive hunger and poverty around the world.

With long awaited proposals to regulate food speculation finally being published by the European commission at the end of last year, 2012 will see both European parliamentarians and finance ministers considering the draft legislation, with the power either to strengthen or weaken it.

The first stage of the process in the European parliament is a questionnaire for ‘interested parties’ by the lead MEP for the legislation, Markus Ferber. This consultation will no doubt see many responses from the financial sector, urging MEPs to water down the proposed rules to enable them to continue making millions from speculating on food prices.

It’s vital that Mr Ferber hears from the public that we want strong regulation to rein in the speculators - so please sign our petition calling for just that. The consultation closes in just ten days time, so we’re planning to hand it in on Wednesday 11 January. Please sign it now so that we can send demonstrate the strength of public support for strong, effective regulation to curb food speculation.