The latest from GRAIN

Film reviews

We review three films: "Squeezed" a film about the cost of free trade in the Asia–Pacific region; and two short films about fisherfolk in Canada

We review three films: "Squeezed" a film about the cost of free trade in the Asia–Pacific region; and two short films about fisherfolk in Canada

Cracking some hard nuts

Behind the scenes, and together with others, GRAIN has been involved in two projects this year which are now drawing to a close - an external evaluation and a study on whether and how it could be possible to set up a special funding mechanism.

Behind the scenes, and together with others, GRAIN has been involved in two projects this year which are now drawing to a close - an external evaluation and a study on whether and how it could be possible to set up a special funding mechanism.

Japan digs its claws into biodiversity through FTAs

Japan is increasingly using free trade agreements (FTAs) to tighten corporate control over seeds and other forms of biodiversity that are crucial to food, agriculture and medicine. Two such deals, sealed this month with the Chilean and Indonesian governments, put Japan in the big league of nations using bilateral trade deals to make seed-saving on the farm a thing of the past.

Japan is increasingly using free trade agreements (FTAs) to tighten corporate control over seeds and other forms of biodiversity that are crucial to food, agriculture and medicine. Two such deals, sealed this month with the Chilean and Indonesian governments, put Japan in the big league of nations using bilateral trade deals to make seed-saving on the farm a thing of the past.

In this special agrofuels issue...

We are devoting almost all of this edition to a single topic – the rapid expansion of biofuels across much of the globe. Read the editorial.

We are devoting almost all of this edition to a single topic – the rapid expansion of biofuels across much of the globe. Read the editorial.

Stop the agrofuel craze!

An introductory article that, among other things, looks at the mind-boggling numbers that are being bandied around: the Indian government is talking of planting 14 million hectares of land with jatropha; the Inter-American Development Bank says that Brazil has 120 million hectares that could be cultivated with agrofuel crops; and an agrofuel lobby is speaking of 379 million hectares being available in 15 African countries.

An introductory article that, among other things, looks at the mind-boggling numbers that are being bandied around: the Indian government is talking of planting 14 million hectares of land with jatropha; the Inter-American Development Bank says that Brazil has 120 million hectares that could be cultivated with agrofuel crops; and an agrofuel lobby is speaking of 379 million hectares being available in 15 African countries.