Mauritania: Foreign subsidies sour domestic milk industry by IRIN | 1 Oct 2012 Mauritania | food sovereignty Dairy farmers and pastoralists struggle as Mauritanian market is flooded with cheap milk products imported from Europe. Dairy farmers and pastoralists struggle as Mauritanian market is flooded with cheap milk products imported from Europe.
Move toward new Pan-African IP organisation alarms observers by William New | 28 Sep 2012 seeds & biodiversity | laws & policies A seemingly remote African Union proposal to create a Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization appears to have gained momentum and will come before African science and technology ministers for review in early November, according to sources. A copy of the final draft statutes shows how the new body would operate, and for some observers, how it would elevate African IP standards well above current levels, with “disastrous consequences” for access, development, and human rights. A seemingly remote African Union proposal to create a Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization appears to have gained momentum and will come before African science and technology ministers for review in early November, according to sources. A copy of the final draft statutes shows how the new body would operate, and for some observers, how it would elevate African IP standards well above current levels, with “disastrous consequences” for access, development, and human rights.
Statement on AGRA by | 27 Sep 2012 technologies Twenty-eight African organisations issue statement denouncing the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for imposing a corporate-controlled seed and chemical system of agriculture on smallholder farmers. Twenty-eight African organisations issue statement denouncing the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for imposing a corporate-controlled seed and chemical system of agriculture on smallholder farmers.
Land grabbing and food sovereignty in West and Central Africa by GRAIN | 19 Sep 2012 It is a long-standing tradition in many African countries to forbid the selling of land. When land is snapped up by large agribusiness interests in these countries, it is experienced as a brutal violation of this tradition, one that compromises the lives and livelihoods of entire generations to come. At a February 2012 workshop held by Synergie Paysanne, GRAIN, and the African Network for the Right to Food (RAPDA) in Ouidah, Benin, with the support of Bread for all, thirty or more participants representing small-farm organisations and NGOs active on the land grabbing issue in West and Central Africa came together to share their experiences and analysis. This article summarises the issues that were covered and the discussions that took place. It is a long-standing tradition in many African countries to forbid the selling of land. When land is snapped up by large agribusiness interests in these countries, it is experienced as a brutal violation of this tradition, one that compromises the lives and livelihoods of entire generations to come. At a February 2012 workshop held by Synergie Paysanne, GRAIN, and the African Network for the Right to Food (RAPDA) in Ouidah, Benin, with the support of Bread for all, thirty or more participants representing small-farm organisations and NGOs active on the land grabbing issue in West and Central Africa came together to share their experiences and analysis. This article summarises the issues that were covered and the discussions that took place.
Why are the FAO and the EBRD promoting the destruction of peasant and family farming? by LVC, GRAIN, ETC Group, FoEI, MMM, CLOC, Re:Common | 14 Sep 2012 Social organisations say they are shocked and offended by a Wall Street Journal article written by the Director General of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which calls on governments and society to embrace corporations as the main engine for global food production. In a collective statement, the groups say the FAO is abandoning its mission by promoting the destruction of peasant farming and land grabbing by agribusiness. Social organisations say they are shocked and offended by a Wall Street Journal article written by the Director General of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which calls on governments and society to embrace corporations as the main engine for global food production. In a collective statement, the groups say the FAO is abandoning its mission by promoting the destruction of peasant farming and land grabbing by agribusiness.
Behind the 'Green Economy': Profiting from environmental and climate crisis by GRAIN, Alianza Biodiversidad, WRM, ATALC | 11 Sep 2012 This article examines the real intentions behind the proposals for a "Green Economy". It is the introductory chapter to a Compendium on the Green Economy that was prepared as a common position for RIO+20 and that was published collectively in Spanish by GRAIN, Alianza Biodiversidad, World Rainforest Movement (WRM), and Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC). This article examines the real intentions behind the proposals for a "Green Economy". It is the introductory chapter to a Compendium on the Green Economy that was prepared as a common position for RIO+20 and that was published collectively in Spanish by GRAIN, Alianza Biodiversidad, World Rainforest Movement (WRM), and Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC).
Cereal secrets: The world's largest grain traders and global agriculture by Oxfam | 27 Aug 2012 corporations Oxfam recently put out a new report on the world's largest grain traders, the so-called ABCD firms, that provides a detailed overview of their activies, including the speculation that these companies are increasinlgy involved in. Oxfam recently put out a new report on the world's largest grain traders, the so-called ABCD firms, that provides a detailed overview of their activies, including the speculation that these companies are increasinlgy involved in.
Chinese government hires CP Group for US$4 billion project to set up factory farms in China by GRAIN | 23 Aug 2012 China | Thailand | corporations The Nation is reporting that Chia Tai, the Chinese arm of Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group, will manage a US$4 billion project to set up 13 industrial pig, poultry and shrimp farming projects in several Chinese provinces. The Nation is reporting that Chia Tai, the Chinese arm of Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group, will manage a US$4 billion project to set up 13 industrial pig, poultry and shrimp farming projects in several Chinese provinces.
Responsible farmland investing? Current efforts to regulate land grabs will make things worse by GRAIN | 22 Aug 2012 Land From the World Bank to pension funds, efforts are under way to regulate land grabs through the creation of codes and standards. The idea is to distinguish those land deals that do meet certain criteria and should be approvingly called "investments" from those that don't and can continue to be stigmatised as land "grabs". Up to now, it was mostly international agencies that were trying to do this. Now, the private sector is engaging in a serious way to set its own rules of the game. Either way, the net result is voluntary self-regulation -- which is ineffective, unreliable and no remedy for the fundamental wrongness of these deals. Rather than help financial and corporate elites to "responsibly invest" in farmland, we need them to stop and divest. Only then can the quite different matter of strengthening and supporting small-scale rural producers in their own territories and communities succeed, for the two agendas clash. In this article, GRAIN gives a quick update on what is going on. From the World Bank to pension funds, efforts are under way to regulate land grabs through the creation of codes and standards. The idea is to distinguish those land deals that do meet certain criteria and should be approvingly called "investments" from those that don't and can continue to be stigmatised as land "grabs". Up to now, it was mostly international agencies that were trying to do this. Now, the private sector is engaging in a serious way to set its own rules of the game. Either way, the net result is voluntary self-regulation -- which is ineffective, unreliable and no remedy for the fundamental wrongness of these deals. Rather than help financial and corporate elites to "responsibly invest" in farmland, we need them to stop and divest. Only then can the quite different matter of strengthening and supporting small-scale rural producers in their own territories and communities succeed, for the two agendas clash. In this article, GRAIN gives a quick update on what is going on.
Who will feed China: agribusiness or its own farmers? Decisions in Beijing echo around the world by GRAIN | 4 Aug 2012 Corporations China is now the world’s largest global food market. What Chinese people eat has repercussions on everyone, because of the increasingly global reach of how and where that food is produced. When China began importing soybeans as animal feed in the late 1990s to support the growth of its factory farms, it ushered in a dramatic agricultural transformation in both China and Latin America. Now Beijing is moving down the same path with maize, its other major feed crop, and global corporations and Chinese companies are scrambling to develop and control centers of supply for this potentially huge market. The fallout is already being felt around the globe: from rural exodus in China, to farmland grabs in Africa, to food inflation in Shanghai triggered by drought in the US. China can and should reverse course by shifting away from industrial meat production to small scale livestock farming based on local sources of feed. China is now the world’s largest global food market. What Chinese people eat has repercussions on everyone, because of the increasingly global reach of how and where that food is produced. When China began importing soybeans as animal feed in the late 1990s to support the growth of its factory farms, it ushered in a dramatic agricultural transformation in both China and Latin America. Now Beijing is moving down the same path with maize, its other major feed crop, and global corporations and Chinese companies are scrambling to develop and control centers of supply for this potentially huge market. The fallout is already being felt around the globe: from rural exodus in China, to farmland grabs in Africa, to food inflation in Shanghai triggered by drought in the US. China can and should reverse course by shifting away from industrial meat production to small scale livestock farming based on local sources of feed.
GRAIN external evaluation 2012 by GRAIN | 1 Aug 2012 Between April and June 2012, GRAIN underwent its latest external evaluation. This evaluation focused on GRAIN's work on land grabbing, over the period 2008-2011. The executive summary and recommendations are now available online. Between April and June 2012, GRAIN underwent its latest external evaluation. This evaluation focused on GRAIN's work on land grabbing, over the period 2008-2011. The executive summary and recommendations are now available online.
When CP came to the village: An interview with Wirat Phromson of Thailand's Northern Peasants' Federation by GRAIN | 30 Jul 2012 Thailand | corporations Wirat Phromson, a farmer from Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand, talks about his village's experience with contract farming for Thailand's biggest meat company, Charoen Pokphand. Wirat Phromson, a farmer from Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand, talks about his village's experience with contract farming for Thailand's biggest meat company, Charoen Pokphand.
Geopolitics of drought by Ian Masters | 24 Jul 2012 corporations | food crisis | food sovereignty Ian Masters interviews Eric Holt-Giménez about the current drought affecting numerous grain-producing countries and its potential impacts Ian Masters interviews Eric Holt-Giménez about the current drought affecting numerous grain-producing countries and its potential impacts
The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse - G8 corporate power by Glenn Ashton | 28 Jun 2012 corporations A Faustian bargain was made at the June 2012 G8 meeting by US President Obama. Instead of delivering on commitments, he changed tack and roped in a $3 billion "pledge of corporate assistance" for African agriculture. A Faustian bargain was made at the June 2012 G8 meeting by US President Obama. Instead of delivering on commitments, he changed tack and roped in a $3 billion "pledge of corporate assistance" for African agriculture.
Land grabbing by pension funds and other financial institutions must be stopped by GRAIN | 26 Jun 2012 land grabbing | corporations | food sovereignty A statement signed by over 60 environmental, development and farming groups calls for pension funds and other financial institutions to stop land grabbing. A statement signed by over 60 environmental, development and farming groups calls for pension funds and other financial institutions to stop land grabbing.