Give your vote to Close the hunger casino! ... Stop people starving + 'them' buying holiday islands at your + the starving's expense
 

Millions of people are starving as rich bankers drive up the cost of food and fatten their profits. But if we act right now, we can get the rules we need to ban this outrage.

European leaders are on the brink of making a deal that would stop the world’s biggest banks betting on food prices in their quest for a fast buck. But the United Kingdom and others -- pushed by powerful lobbies -- are trying to water-down rules so much that they will be almost meaningless! If we give other EU leaders a massive public boost they can face down the UK and other blockers and close the hunger casino!

Recently we’ve beaten back the bank lobby to win new EU rules on bank bonuses and bank tax evasion. Now let’s seize this moment to go further -- sign now and share with everyone! When 500,000 people have signed Avaaz will deliver our message to EU leaders ahead of key negotiations:

Avaaz - Close the hunger casino!

As other economic opportunities dried up, bankers have looked for new things to gamble on. Goldman Sachs made nearly $400 million last year betting on food staples like wheat and soya. Food prices can be influenced by climate shifts, changing diets and the price of oil, but buying billions of dollars worth of food contracts has clearly pushed prices to all time peaks. When the price of rice and grain doubled between 2010 and 2011, it sparked hunger revolts in 30 countries and drove 115 million more people into extreme poverty.

People power just persuaded one big bank -- Barclays of London -- to ditch most of its food speculating. And now the European Union is set to pass sweeping legislation that could force all banks to end the disastrous speculation on food prices. But the powerful banking lobby has got the United Kingdom -- home to the world’s biggest financial sector -- and others to water down the law to allow banks wiggle room to continue speculating.

Today we have a rare chance to help almost a billion people who go to bed hungry every night. Let’s give the EU the support it needs to win this fight against the blockers and the banks. Sign now and share with everyone:

Avaaz - Close the hunger casino!