Re-situating the benefits from biodiversity by GRAIN | 28 Apr 2005 Seedling - April 2005 In 2004, the members of the Convention on Biological Diversity started negotiating an "international regime on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing". Many developing country governments are enthusiastic about this process. They speak about it as something which will put an end to biopiracy and finally realise the "fair and equitable sharing of benefits" derived from biodiversity, long promised by the CBD. In reality, the regime will have very little to do with benefit-sharing at all, much less with fair and equitable sharing. The focus will remain where it has always been in the CBD's discussions: on access to genes for research and commercialisation, and on setting a price for such access. The only new element likely to materialise in the regime is some form of international enforcement for national access legislations, possibly a system of certificates to prove that a genetic resource has been lawfully acquired. In 2004, the members of the Convention on Biological Diversity started negotiating an "international regime on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing". Many developing country governments are enthusiastic about this process. They speak about it as something which will put an end to biopiracy and finally realise the "fair and equitable sharing of benefits" derived from biodiversity, long promised by the CBD. In reality, the regime will have very little to do with benefit-sharing at all, much less with fair and equitable sharing. The focus will remain where it has always been in the CBD's discussions: on access to genes for research and commercialisation, and on setting a price for such access. The only new element likely to materialise in the regime is some form of international enforcement for national access legislations, possibly a system of certificates to prove that a genetic resource has been lawfully acquired.
Bt cotton in South Africa: the case of the Makhathini farmers by Elfrieda Pschorn-Strauss | 26 Apr 2005 Seedling - April 2005 This article summarises the results of five years of research undertaken by Biowatch South Africa on the socio-economic impact of Bt cotton on small-scale farmers in South Africa. It forms part of a comprehensive research paper on the topic that will be published later this year. (This paper has been written by Elfrieda Pschorn-Strauss, a researcher with Biowatch South Africa. The research has been done with the assistance of Lawrence Mkhaliphi, Charles Louw, Wendy Forse and Gwendolyn Wellmann.) This article summarises the results of five years of research undertaken by Biowatch South Africa on the socio-economic impact of Bt cotton on small-scale farmers in South Africa. It forms part of a comprehensive research paper on the topic that will be published later this year. (This paper has been written by Elfrieda Pschorn-Strauss, a researcher with Biowatch South Africa. The research has been done with the assistance of Lawrence Mkhaliphi, Charles Louw, Wendy Forse and Gwendolyn Wellmann.)
USAID: Making the world hungry for GM crops by GRAIN | 25 Apr 2005 This briefing examines how the US government uses USAID to actively promote GM agriculture. The focus is on USAID's major programmes for agricultural biotechnology and the regions where these programmes are most active in parts of Africa and Asia[1]. These USAID programmes are part of a multi-pronged strategy to advance US interests with GM crops. Increasingly the US government uses multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements and high-level diplomatic pressure to push countries towards the adoption of many key bits of corporate-friendly regulations related to GM crops. And this external pressure has been effectively complimented by lobbying and funding from national and regional USAID biotech networks. This briefing examines how the US government uses USAID to actively promote GM agriculture. The focus is on USAID's major programmes for agricultural biotechnology and the regions where these programmes are most active in parts of Africa and Asia[1]. These USAID programmes are part of a multi-pronged strategy to advance US interests with GM crops. Increasingly the US government uses multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements and high-level diplomatic pressure to push countries towards the adoption of many key bits of corporate-friendly regulations related to GM crops. And this external pressure has been effectively complimented by lobbying and funding from national and regional USAID biotech networks.
USAID in Africa: 'For the American Corporations' by GRAIN | 24 Apr 2005 Seedling - April 2005 This article examines how the US government uses the International Agency for Development (USAID) to advance a global agenda for GM agriculture. The focus is on USAID’s major programmes for agricultural biotechnology in Africa. This article examines how the US government uses the International Agency for Development (USAID) to advance a global agenda for GM agriculture. The focus is on USAID’s major programmes for agricultural biotechnology in Africa.
No, air, don't sell yourself.... by GRAIN | 22 Apr 2005 Seedling - April 2005 The concept of “environmental services” has become popular over the last decade and has crept insidiously into our collective consciousness without setting off the alarm bells it should have done. Environmental services pro-vide the means of taking privatisation to a new level – a means of privatising many things that have as-yet been unavailable for privatisation: air, water and all sorts of other ecological processes. What has been undertaken so far in the name of environmental services, and what are the implications of turning such basic elements into commodities? The concept of “environmental services” has become popular over the last decade and has crept insidiously into our collective consciousness without setting off the alarm bells it should have done. Environmental services pro-vide the means of taking privatisation to a new level – a means of privatising many things that have as-yet been unavailable for privatisation: air, water and all sorts of other ecological processes. What has been undertaken so far in the name of environmental services, and what are the implications of turning such basic elements into commodities?
Resolution adopted at the FOE-Africa/TWN Conference on GMOs and Africa, 21-23 March 2005, Lagos, Nigeria by | 21 Apr 2005
A Global Week of Action against GM, in Andhra Pradesh, India by GRAIN & DDS | 20 Apr 2005 Seedling - April 2005
Push for GM papaya continues in Thailand and South-East Asia by GRAIN & BioThai | 18 Apr 2005 Seedling - April 2005
Indigenous peoples oppose National Geographic & IBM research project by GRAIN | 13 Apr 2005 BIO-IPR (1997-2009)
The Siem Reap Statement by | 7 Apr 2005 A collective farmers' statement condemning the top-down model of agricultural research A collective farmers' statement condemning the top-down model of agricultural research
What Is Food Sovereignty? by Via Campesina | 1 Apr 2005 Via Campesina's position paper on food sovereignty Via Campesina's position paper on food sovereignty