‘Militarized occupation’: local communities pay the price for palm oil by John C Cannon | 21 Nov 2014 land grabbing | food sovereignty There’s little doubt that the use of palm oil is expanding rapidly throughout the world, and with it the need for millions of hectares of land to grow oil palm trees. The results can be devastating for local communities who depend on the agriculture and forests that these lands support, which led the international NGO GRAIN to catalog the issues that arise with oil palm expansion in a report titled “Planet Palm Oil.” There’s little doubt that the use of palm oil is expanding rapidly throughout the world, and with it the need for millions of hectares of land to grow oil palm trees. The results can be devastating for local communities who depend on the agriculture and forests that these lands support, which led the international NGO GRAIN to catalog the issues that arise with oil palm expansion in a report titled “Planet Palm Oil.”
Street vendors join Global Day of Action: hundreds march to Walmart India headquarters by India FDI Watch | 19 Nov 2014 India | corporations | food sovereignty | laws & policies A street vendor in India would need to work for a staggering 350 million years to amass the same amount of wealth as the supermarket's owners, the Walton family – this is just one of the findings of new research by UNI Global Union ahead of worldwide protests against the family's role in global inequality today. A street vendor in India would need to work for a staggering 350 million years to amass the same amount of wealth as the supermarket's owners, the Walton family – this is just one of the findings of new research by UNI Global Union ahead of worldwide protests against the family's role in global inequality today.
Trade deals criminalise farmers' seeds by GRAIN | 18 Nov 2014 Seeds All around the world, the basic practice of saving seeds from one season to the next is being turned into a criminal offence, so that half a dozen large multinational corporations can turn seeds into private property and make money from them. GRAIN has just produced an updated dataset tracking how free trade agreements are privatising seeds across the world. All around the world, the basic practice of saving seeds from one season to the next is being turned into a criminal offence, so that half a dozen large multinational corporations can turn seeds into private property and make money from them. GRAIN has just produced an updated dataset tracking how free trade agreements are privatising seeds across the world.
Bailing out a foreign food company in the DR Congo by Chris Arsenault | 14 Nov 2014 Congo, the Democratic Republic of the | land grabbing | corporations European taxpayer funds save Canadian Congo plantation paying workers $1 a day, as backers say the move creates jobs. European taxpayer funds save Canadian Congo plantation paying workers $1 a day, as backers say the move creates jobs.
How a national food policy could save millions of American lives by Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, Ricardo Salvador and Olivier De Schutter | 10 Nov 2014 United States | corporations | technologies | climate crisis | laws & policies | food safety How we produce and consume food has a bigger impact on Americans’ well-being than any other human activity. Yet we have no food policy — no plan or agreed-upon principles — for managing American agriculture or the food system as a whole. That must change. An appeal for a US food policy. How we produce and consume food has a bigger impact on Americans’ well-being than any other human activity. Yet we have no food policy — no plan or agreed-upon principles — for managing American agriculture or the food system as a whole. That must change. An appeal for a US food policy.
Telling family farming fairy tales by GRAIN | 7 Nov 2014 In the last 50 years, a staggering 140 million hectares – the size of almost all the farmland in India – has been taken over by four industrial crops: soya bean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane. And this trend is accelerating. In the last 50 years, a staggering 140 million hectares – the size of almost all the farmland in India – has been taken over by four industrial crops: soya bean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane. And this trend is accelerating.
Food Systems Academy - an open education resource to transform our food systems by Food Systems Academy | 5 Nov 2014 corporations | food sovereignty | seeds & biodiversity A new site aims to help you increase your understanding of our food systems – where they came from, how they change, what the challenges are and how to meet them. A new site aims to help you increase your understanding of our food systems – where they came from, how they change, what the challenges are and how to meet them.
Gendering peasant movements, gendering food sovereignty by Pamela Caro | 5 Nov 2014 food sovereignty An interview with Pamela Caro from Chile's Women’s Development Research Center (CEDEM) exploring the invisibility of peasant women in the feminist and women’s movements as well as the weaknesses in how the food sovereignty concept deals with the challenges of feminism. An interview with Pamela Caro from Chile's Women’s Development Research Center (CEDEM) exploring the invisibility of peasant women in the feminist and women’s movements as well as the weaknesses in how the food sovereignty concept deals with the challenges of feminism.
How does the Gates Foundation spend its money to feed the world? by GRAIN | 4 Nov 2014 Since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added “feeding the world” to its objectives almost a decade ago, it has channelled an impressive three billion dollars towards agricultural projects, much of it to improve farming in Africa. But GRAIN analysed the foundation's agricultural grants records for the past decade and reached some sobering conclusions. Since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added “feeding the world” to its objectives almost a decade ago, it has channelled an impressive three billion dollars towards agricultural projects, much of it to improve farming in Africa. But GRAIN analysed the foundation's agricultural grants records for the past decade and reached some sobering conclusions.
How much of world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture? by Rani Molla - Wall Street Journal | 30 Oct 2014 climate crisis GRAIN calculates that about half of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, and that we need to turn to small farmers and local markets to get rid of this. Rani Molla of the Wall Street Journal compares GRAIN's figures with what other's have to say about it. GRAIN calculates that about half of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, and that we need to turn to small farmers and local markets to get rid of this. Rani Molla of the Wall Street Journal compares GRAIN's figures with what other's have to say about it.
Harvest of hardship: Yala Swamp land grab destroys Kenyan farmers' livelihoods by GRAIN | 23 Oct 2014 Land A June 2014 interview with farmer Erastus Odindo about his community's struggle to defend their lands from US-based Dominion Farms A June 2014 interview with farmer Erastus Odindo about his community's struggle to defend their lands from US-based Dominion Farms
Feeding the world by USC Canada | 20 Oct 2014 food crisis | food sovereignty Here's, on one poster, the central message about feeding the world. By USC Canada. Here's, on one poster, the central message about feeding the world. By USC Canada.
The global struggle for food sovereignty by Talking Stick TV | 15 Oct 2014 food sovereignty What is the best work being done to address food sovereignty, environmental degradation and rural livelihoods around the world? How does the Gates Foundation relate to this good work? What is the role of international solidarity in advancing food sovereignty? A panel discussion with Million Belay (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa and MELCA-Ethiopia), Mariam Mayet (African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa) and Elizabeth Mpofu (ZIMSOFF and La Via Campesina Africa, Zimbabwe) What is the best work being done to address food sovereignty, environmental degradation and rural livelihoods around the world? How does the Gates Foundation relate to this good work? What is the role of international solidarity in advancing food sovereignty? A panel discussion with Million Belay (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa and MELCA-Ethiopia), Mariam Mayet (African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa) and Elizabeth Mpofu (ZIMSOFF and La Via Campesina Africa, Zimbabwe)
Land rush in Palawan must end: calling for a moratorium on oil palm expansion by Coalition against Land Grabbing (CALG) | 14 Oct 2014 Philippines | land grabbing | food sovereignty Recent years have seen an exponential increase in land deals across the Philippines to convert large expanses of land to produce crops mainly intended for export. Palawan, in spite of its unique recognition as a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve, has not been spared from massive investments in extractive resources and industrial agriculture, especially oil palm development. Recent years have seen an exponential increase in land deals across the Philippines to convert large expanses of land to produce crops mainly intended for export. Palawan, in spite of its unique recognition as a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve, has not been spared from massive investments in extractive resources and industrial agriculture, especially oil palm development.
Karuturi still going down by Tax Justice Network, Forum Syd Kenya, GRAIN, Anywaa Survival Organisation, South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements | 9 Oct 2014 Media releases Karuturi Global Ltd, the Indian multinational that made its name in the global cut flower industry and recently acquired more than 300,000 ha in Ethiopia to produce food for foreign markets, is continuing its painful and massive decline. Karuturi Global Ltd, the Indian multinational that made its name in the global cut flower industry and recently acquired more than 300,000 ha in Ethiopia to produce food for foreign markets, is continuing its painful and massive decline.