Day Four - Still Alive

Another successful day and I've got to admit, this isn't as hard as expected. Granted, I miss being able to steal a spoonful of my friend's dinner without having to ask for a list of ingredients. And actually I would have loved a slither of cheese on my bread to liven up the meal.... But in general, I still look forward to my meals and have less to worry about in terms of sell-by dates and funny smelling chicken... Today's menu was some bran flakes and soy milk for breakfast, some soup for lunch and after a long day I return home for some ratatouille for dinner... deliscious! Home here is used tentatively as I actually mean my uni halls, but regardless of its box-like quality I feel I have made it homely enough to be called home at least for now. Another of Oxfam's initiatives is to ensure farmers everywhere are protected from having their home stolen fromt them.

Since the food price spikes of 2008, wealthy companies have invested heavily in cheap agricultural land in poor countries, often for commercial use. But in many cases, the land sold is actually being used by poor families to grow food. These families are often forcibly evicted with little or no warning or compensation, and in many cases the land is either left idle by investors who know it will only grow in value, or used in ways that reduce food production. So it's time for effective global rules to get land grabs under control – rules which ensure local communities see the benefits of investments and which help make sure that governments provide secure access to land for smallholder farmers, and especially women.