Rights of passage in Niger by Interview with Bouréima Dodo | 22 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 Bouréima Dodo is an agro-pastoral producer in Niger, executive secretary of the Association for the Re-dynamisation of Livestock in Niger (AREN), a national organisation with about 36,000 members, and part of the Niger Farmers’ Platform, which is linked to the Network of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organisations of West Africa (ROPPA). Bouréima Dodo is an agro-pastoral producer in Niger, executive secretary of the Association for the Re-dynamisation of Livestock in Niger (AREN), a national organisation with about 36,000 members, and part of the Niger Farmers’ Platform, which is linked to the Network of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organisations of West Africa (ROPPA).
Viral times - The politics of emerging global animal diseases by GRAIN | 20 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 The world is in the midst of big changes with respect to global animal diseases. We are heading for more diseases, more deadly types of disease, and more capacity for these diseases to spread. There is also a greater probability of the emergence of zoonotic diseases and global pandemics.Yet the international response to this situation has so far failed by a large measure to reflect the seriousness of the crisis. The fault lies in governments’ unwillingness to confront the dominant powers of industrial livestock farming – whether it be the pharmaceutical corporations and their patents or the industrial meat corporations and their factory farms. The world is in the midst of big changes with respect to global animal diseases. We are heading for more diseases, more deadly types of disease, and more capacity for these diseases to spread. There is also a greater probability of the emergence of zoonotic diseases and global pandemics.Yet the international response to this situation has so far failed by a large measure to reflect the seriousness of the crisis. The fault lies in governments’ unwillingness to confront the dominant powers of industrial livestock farming – whether it be the pharmaceutical corporations and their patents or the industrial meat corporations and their factory farms.
Germ warfare - Livestock disease, public health and the militaryindustrial complex by GRAIN | 18 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 Animal diseases that threaten human health - the global reaction by governments to this is plagued by three key problems: information (a lack of transparency and poor media coverage); privatisation (of viruses, vaccines and related materials and technologies for commercial purposes); and military use (the growing intrinsic connection between health research and development and military use). Animal diseases that threaten human health - the global reaction by governments to this is plagued by three key problems: information (a lack of transparency and poor media coverage); privatisation (of viruses, vaccines and related materials and technologies for commercial purposes); and military use (the growing intrinsic connection between health research and development and military use).
Livestock diversity still threatened - Interlaken conference ducks the issues by GRAIN | 16 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 An international conference to debate the future of animal genetic resources was organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) from 3 to 7 September 2007 in Interlaken, Switzerland. It was attended by almost 300 people from more than 100 countries. Governments adopted the “Interlaken Declaration” and agreed on a “Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources”. This was the first major intergovernmental conference to address the problem of how to reduce the rapidly dwindling diversity of livestock breeds of the few dozen animal species that are used in agriculture and pastoralism for food, fibre, fuel and power, as well as for social, cultural and environmental purposes. An international conference to debate the future of animal genetic resources was organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) from 3 to 7 September 2007 in Interlaken, Switzerland. It was attended by almost 300 people from more than 100 countries. Governments adopted the “Interlaken Declaration” and agreed on a “Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources”. This was the first major intergovernmental conference to address the problem of how to reduce the rapidly dwindling diversity of livestock breeds of the few dozen animal species that are used in agriculture and pastoralism for food, fibre, fuel and power, as well as for social, cultural and environmental purposes.
CAFTA and the Budapest Treaty - The debate in Costa Rica by Silvia Rodríguez Cervantes | 14 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 Bilateral trade agreements are the latest tool to spread patents on life worldwide. They may be used to force countries to provide patents on plants and animals or to join the UPOV Convention’s softer system of plant variety rights. Or they may include an obligation to sign the little-known Budapest Treaty on the patenting of micro-organisms. This was the option chosen for Central America and the Dominican Republic, which, through their free-trade agreement with the USA, are having the Budapest Treaty forced upon them. But the debate is far from over, for many Costa Ricans are determined to stop this happening. Bilateral trade agreements are the latest tool to spread patents on life worldwide. They may be used to force countries to provide patents on plants and animals or to join the UPOV Convention’s softer system of plant variety rights. Or they may include an obligation to sign the little-known Budapest Treaty on the patenting of micro-organisms. This was the option chosen for Central America and the Dominican Republic, which, through their free-trade agreement with the USA, are having the Budapest Treaty forced upon them. But the debate is far from over, for many Costa Ricans are determined to stop this happening.
Ramón Vera by Interview by GRAIN | 12 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 Ramón Vera Herrera, who was born in Mexico in 1950, is the new editor of Biodiversidad, sustento y culturas, a quarterly magazine published by GRAIN and REDES–AT. He is also the editor of an 18-year-old project called Ojarasca (published monthly in the Mexican newspaper La Jornada), which covers the life and struggles of the indigenous and peasant communities in Mexico and Latin America. Ramón Vera Herrera, who was born in Mexico in 1950, is the new editor of Biodiversidad, sustento y culturas, a quarterly magazine published by GRAIN and REDES–AT. He is also the editor of an 18-year-old project called Ojarasca (published monthly in the Mexican newspaper La Jornada), which covers the life and struggles of the indigenous and peasant communities in Mexico and Latin America.
New publications by GRAIN | 10 Jan 2008 Seedling - January 2008 New publications of interest: Fighting FTAs: The growing resistance to bilateral free trade and investment agreements, Good Crop/Bad Crop – Seed Politics and the Future of Food in Canada, La Vía Campesina – Globalization and the Power of Peasants, and Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific booklets. New publications of interest: Fighting FTAs: The growing resistance to bilateral free trade and investment agreements, Good Crop/Bad Crop – Seed Politics and the Future of Food in Canada, La Vía Campesina – Globalization and the Power of Peasants, and Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific booklets.
Whose harvest? The politics of organic seed certification by GRAIN | 3 Jan 2008 Seeds Millions of farmers around the world practice organic agriculture and over a billion people get most of their food from these farms. Currently only a small portion of what they produce is labeled as certified organic, but the global market for such foods is growing. While some believe that certification is needed to create market opportunities for small farmers others fear that existing systems are doing the reverse -- setting the stage for agribusiness to take over. Now these tensions are coming to a head with seeds. Today, new regulations governing seeds in organic farming, more attuned to the needs of seed corporations than seed savers, are popping up everywhere, with potentially devastating consequences for farmer seed systems. This Briefing provides the first global overview of regulations concerning seeds in organic farming and assesses what such regulations mean to the future of organic farming and the millions of farmers who sustain it. Millions of farmers around the world practice organic agriculture and over a billion people get most of their food from these farms. Currently only a small portion of what they produce is labeled as certified organic, but the global market for such foods is growing. While some believe that certification is needed to create market opportunities for small farmers others fear that existing systems are doing the reverse -- setting the stage for agribusiness to take over. Now these tensions are coming to a head with seeds. Today, new regulations governing seeds in organic farming, more attuned to the needs of seed corporations than seed savers, are popping up everywhere, with potentially devastating consequences for farmer seed systems. This Briefing provides the first global overview of regulations concerning seeds in organic farming and assesses what such regulations mean to the future of organic farming and the millions of farmers who sustain it.
A new Green Revolution for Africa? by GRAIN | 17 Dec 2007 Seeds For some time now, there's been talk of a new Green Revolution for Africa – because "Africa missed the first Green Revolution" or because "the first Green Revolution missed Africa". Now a new project, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is trying to put the concept into operation. This paper aims to describe what a Green Revolution really signifies, why such projects haven't worked before and why AGRA won't work either, in order to help people trying to take positions at the local, national and regional levels. For some time now, there's been talk of a new Green Revolution for Africa – because "Africa missed the first Green Revolution" or because "the first Green Revolution missed Africa". Now a new project, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is trying to put the concept into operation. This paper aims to describe what a Green Revolution really signifies, why such projects haven't worked before and why AGRA won't work either, in order to help people trying to take positions at the local, national and regional levels.
IRRI Inc. by GRAIN | 29 Nov 2007 Consultative Group's rice research institute goes into business. On November 9, 2007, in the midst of the Asian Seed Congress, IRRI announced the formation of its Hybrid Rice Research and Development Consortium. This lays the foundation for a direct relationship between IRRI and private seed companies: IRRI supplies the parent lines and corporations, who gain exclusive rights to the varieties, handle the marketing. Consultative Group's rice research institute goes into business. On November 9, 2007, in the midst of the Asian Seed Congress, IRRI announced the formation of its Hybrid Rice Research and Development Consortium. This lays the foundation for a direct relationship between IRRI and private seed companies: IRRI supplies the parent lines and corporations, who gain exclusive rights to the varieties, handle the marketing.
October 2007 by GRAIN | 30 Oct 2007 Seedling - October 2007 Editor's notes on what's in this issue, plus download the whole of the Seedling issue in PDF format. Editor's notes on what's in this issue, plus download the whole of the Seedling issue in PDF format.
What's wrong with rights ? by GRAIN | 28 Oct 2007 Seedling - October 2007 GRAIN invited a group of people around the world to reflect on their concepts of rights and how they affect people’s lives and welfare. This issue editorial. GRAIN invited a group of people around the world to reflect on their concepts of rights and how they affect people’s lives and welfare. This issue editorial.