Interview with Daycha Siripatra by GRAIN | 18 Apr 2008 Seedling - April 2008 Daycha Siripatra is an agriculturist, farmer, rice breeder and one of the leading grassroots activists in Thailand. He is also the founder of the Khao Kwan Foundation (KKF), an organisation involved in promoting sustainable agriculture and ecological alternatives. KKF is one of the founding organisations of the Alternative Agriculture Network in Thailand. Daycha Siripatra is an agriculturist, farmer, rice breeder and one of the leading grassroots activists in Thailand. He is also the founder of the Khao Kwan Foundation (KKF), an organisation involved in promoting sustainable agriculture and ecological alternatives. KKF is one of the founding organisations of the Alternative Agriculture Network in Thailand.
Resources by GRAIN | 16 Apr 2008 Seedling - April 2008 The Future Control of Food: a guide to international negotiations and rules on intellectual property, biodiversity, and food security edited by Geoff Tansey and Tasmin Rajotte; La bataille des OGM: Combat vital ou d’arrière-garde? by Birgit Müller; Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Choices and the Battle for the World’s Food System by Raj Patel The Future Control of Food: a guide to international negotiations and rules on intellectual property, biodiversity, and food security edited by Geoff Tansey and Tasmin Rajotte; La bataille des OGM: Combat vital ou d’arrière-garde? by Birgit Müller; Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Choices and the Battle for the World’s Food System by Raj Patel
GRAIN's latest publications by GRAIN | 12 Apr 2008 Seedling - April 2008 We take a look at GRAIN's latest publications... We take a look at GRAIN's latest publications...
Bilateral agreements imposing TRIPS-plus intellectual property rights on biodiversity in developing countries by GRAIN | 8 Apr 2008 Updated as of March 2008 Updated as of March 2008
Faults in the vault: not everyone is celebrating Svalbard by GRAIN | 26 Feb 2008 The "Global Seed Vault" buried in a frozen island in Svalbard, Norway, is sadly the latest move in a wider strategy to make ex situ (off site) storage in seed banks the dominant approach to crop diversity conservation. The Vault gives a false sense of security in a world where the crop diversity present in the farmers' fields continues to be eroded and destroyed at an ever-increasing rate and contributes to the access problems that plague the international ex situ system. The "Global Seed Vault" buried in a frozen island in Svalbard, Norway, is sadly the latest move in a wider strategy to make ex situ (off site) storage in seed banks the dominant approach to crop diversity conservation. The Vault gives a false sense of security in a world where the crop diversity present in the farmers' fields continues to be eroded and destroyed at an ever-increasing rate and contributes to the access problems that plague the international ex situ system.
Bird flu in eastern India: another senseless slaughter by GRAIN | 13 Feb 2008 The carnage of poultry, in which 3.7 million birds were culled, in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal is a striking testament to the failure of the global response to the bird flu crisis. In a flash, one of the world’s most dynamic areas of poultry farming has been practically ruined, a priceless stock of biodiversity wiped out, and the livelihoods of millions of poor families pushed to the brink. This has been caused not so much by bird flu as by the response to it. The carnage of poultry, in which 3.7 million birds were culled, in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal is a striking testament to the failure of the global response to the bird flu crisis. In a flash, one of the world’s most dynamic areas of poultry farming has been practically ruined, a priceless stock of biodiversity wiped out, and the livelihoods of millions of poor families pushed to the brink. This has been caused not so much by bird flu as by the response to it.
Cotton, Contaminated? by Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, India | 5 Feb 2008 Looks at contamination from GM cotton in India Looks at contamination from GM cotton in India
Economic Comparison of Transgenic and Nontransgenic Cotton Production Systems in Georgia, USA by P. Jost, D. Shurley, S. Culpepper, P. Roberts, R. Nicholsc, J. Reevesc and S. Anthony - Agronomy Journal 100:42-51 (2008) | 4 Feb 2008 Questions the contribution of transgenics to revenue for cotton farmers in the USA. Questions the contribution of transgenics to revenue for cotton farmers in the USA.
Fighting FTAs: the growing resistance to bilateral free trade and investment agreements by bilaterals.org, BIOTHAI, GRAIN (editors) | 1 Feb 2008 Corporations This publication aims to do three things. First, it tries to provide a solid understanding of the "FTA frenzy" that so many governments are caught up in. Many people often do not understand bilateral FTAs very well until their government is on the path to signing one. Then again, there is are significant differences between a US FTA, a Japanese FTA and a South-South one. Part one of this document tries to dissect and make sense of all that. Secondly, it brings together people’s accounts of the struggle against FTAs in their own countries from different parts of the world. While there is a huge diversity in these struggles, there is a lot of commonality too, as will be seen across part two. Where accounts could not be shared in writing, we tried to pull together some audio interviews which are available through the publication’s website. Finally, part three tries to draw some learnings from people’s experiences to date, which might help those who have yet to engage in the fight against FTAs. This publication aims to do three things. First, it tries to provide a solid understanding of the "FTA frenzy" that so many governments are caught up in. Many people often do not understand bilateral FTAs very well until their government is on the path to signing one. Then again, there is are significant differences between a US FTA, a Japanese FTA and a South-South one. Part one of this document tries to dissect and make sense of all that. Secondly, it brings together people’s accounts of the struggle against FTAs in their own countries from different parts of the world. While there is a huge diversity in these struggles, there is a lot of commonality too, as will be seen across part two. Where accounts could not be shared in writing, we tried to pull together some audio interviews which are available through the publication’s website. Finally, part three tries to draw some learnings from people’s experiences to date, which might help those who have yet to engage in the fight against FTAs.
January 2008 by GRAIN | 30 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 Download the whole of Seedling here, and read this issue's editorial Download the whole of Seedling here, and read this issue's editorial
Communities & activists protest against pro-GM anti-conservation remarks of Biodiversity Authority Chairperson in India by | 29 Jan 2008
Livestock breeding in the hands of corporations by Susanne gura | 28 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 Scarcely noticed by the general public, the global livestock industry is going through a rapid process of concentration. Company takeovers and co-operation agreements proliferate and technology is changing fast. Patents are flying out for genetic material, and other proprietary strategies are being vigorously pursued. In a process that bears an uncanny resemblance to what has happened to the global seed market, the breeding sector – now renamed “livestock genetics” – is becoming the nerve centre of the industry and extending its control over livestock farming. Quick to seize the opportunity, agro-giants such as Monsanto are moving in. Scarcely noticed by the general public, the global livestock industry is going through a rapid process of concentration. Company takeovers and co-operation agreements proliferate and technology is changing fast. Patents are flying out for genetic material, and other proprietary strategies are being vigorously pursued. In a process that bears an uncanny resemblance to what has happened to the global seed market, the breeding sector – now renamed “livestock genetics” – is becoming the nerve centre of the industry and extending its control over livestock farming. Quick to seize the opportunity, agro-giants such as Monsanto are moving in.
