Day 284 - 22 Oct 96 - Page 12


     
     1        of the rainforest, responsibility for destruction of the
     2        rainforest, substituting for that responsibility for
     3        starvation in the third world?   It is not a trap
     4        question.  It seems to me I probably can, but I want to
     5        know if that is what you would say.
     6
     7   MR. MORRIS:   I think in general, yes, we are talking about a
     8        system here in the second page, the economics page, clearly
     9        talks about the effects of international trade and US
    10        corporations role in that and the effect that has on
    11        keeping people in the third world poor and hungry.  I do
    12        not see US corporations using their power to send food to
    13        the third world.  They use it to take.  But, yes.
    14
    15        And in the second, on page 3, the rainforest section,
    16        although there is soya mentioned on the second page, but
    17        page 3, then it would be a similar case, yes, in terms of
    18        the hamburger industry in particular and those producing
    19        pet food and fast food packaging material as well, which
    20        does not apply to McDonald's.
    21
    22        So these allegations, including the ecological catastrophe,
    23        clearly bear the meaning that the burger and fast food
    24        industry as a whole is morally responsible for the effects
    25        of that industry because the appetite of such an industry
    26        for raw materials at costs which would enable high profits
    27        to be made leads to such environmental damage as described
    28        in the leaflets, and by promoting and contributing to that
    29        demand McDonald's is contributing to the resulting damage.
    30        In fact, as regarding the hamburger industry, McDonald's
    31        are by far and away the largest contributor to the damage,
    32        the environmental damage, caused by the increasing demand
    33        for hamburgers globally and in particular in the USA.
    34        (Pause).  Just sticking with page 1 - sorry, page 2.
    35
    36   MR JUSTICE BELL:  I think it is easier for me if you call one
    37        the economic, the imperialism page, and the other the
    38        rainforest page.  I know it deals with nutrition as well.
    39
    40   MR. MORRIS:   OK.  The economics page.  The economics page
    41        clearly sets out the relationship between social and
    42        environmental problems and the cause of them, if you like,
    43        is an economic connection.  The causality operates through
    44        economics, and the process of demand and supply is the key
    45        to the economics, I suppose.  The demand is created often
    46        through, for example, huge advertising campaigns promoting
    47        beef products, and McDonald's advertising budget, of
    48        course, dwarfs the rest of the fast food industry put
    49        together.  I think we have heard in this country they are
    50        responsible for 75 percent of all fast food advertising.  I 
    51        am sure we have not heard any evidence to the contrary that 
    52        that is the same, that will be a similar position, 
    53        elsewhere.  But certainly if there is one organisation in
    54        the world that can be identified for creating a demand for
    55        hamburgers worldwide, then McDonald's would be by far and
    56        away the number one.
    57
    58        Obviously, there is a chain between demand and supply and
    59        we would say that -- let me have a look.  (Pause) I mean,
    60        the economics page deals with some of the complexities of

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