Agrofuels in Asia: Fuelling poverty, conflict, deforestation by Almuth Ernsting | 14 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 In no other region in the world is the absurdity of the frenzied rush into agrofuels more blatant than in Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. Far from helping to reduce global warming, it is leading to a big increase in global carbon emissions. Just as serious, it is cementing the control over large areas of land of industrial groups that are amongst the most ruthless in the world in terms of environmental destruction, labour conditions and human rights abuses. In no other region in the world is the absurdity of the frenzied rush into agrofuels more blatant than in Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. Far from helping to reduce global warming, it is leading to a big increase in global carbon emissions. Just as serious, it is cementing the control over large areas of land of industrial groups that are amongst the most ruthless in the world in terms of environmental destruction, labour conditions and human rights abuses.
Snapshot of the agrofuel situation in some Asian countries by GRAIN | 12 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007
The new scramble for Africa by GRAIN | 8 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 Africa, with its large land area and cheap labour, is an obvious target for agrofuel developers. As one European agrofuel lobby group likes to point out, just 15 African countries have a combined arable land base larger than India available for agrofuel crop production. And already millions of hectares of the continent’s so-called “fallow” lands have been surveyed and allocated for agrofuels. Africa, with its large land area and cheap labour, is an obvious target for agrofuel developers. As one European agrofuel lobby group likes to point out, just 15 African countries have a combined arable land base larger than India available for agrofuel crop production. And already millions of hectares of the continent’s so-called “fallow” lands have been surveyed and allocated for agrofuels.
Latin America - Joao Pedro Stedile by GRAIN | 7 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 South America is becoming a key area for agrofuels, both ethanol made from sugar cane and biodiesel produced from soya oil and, to a lesser extent, palm oil. Latin American activists, who were the first to come up with the term agrocombustible (agrofuels), have also been among the first to denounce what is going on. Here they explain in their own words how the agrofuel craze is affecting their continent. João Pedro Stedile is one of the leaders of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), Brazil’s Landless Movement. In its recent conference in Brasilia, attended by 18,000 activists, the MST spoke out strongly against the damage being caused by agrofuel monoculture (http://www.mst.org.br). South America is becoming a key area for agrofuels, both ethanol made from sugar cane and biodiesel produced from soya oil and, to a lesser extent, palm oil. Latin American activists, who were the first to come up with the term agrocombustible (agrofuels), have also been among the first to denounce what is going on. Here they explain in their own words how the agrofuel craze is affecting their continent. João Pedro Stedile is one of the leaders of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), Brazil’s Landless Movement. In its recent conference in Brasilia, attended by 18,000 activists, the MST spoke out strongly against the damage being caused by agrofuel monoculture (http://www.mst.org.br).
Latin America - Max Thomet by GRAIN | 7 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 Max Thomet is a member of the collective CET SUR, which has its headquarters in the south of Chile. Its mission is to contribute to the mobilisation for social and cultural transformation led by social movements, which are trying to build sustainable societies through the reinvigoration of traditional values and the territorial empowerment of people at local level (http://www.cetsur.org). Max Thomet is a member of the collective CET SUR, which has its headquarters in the south of Chile. Its mission is to contribute to the mobilisation for social and cultural transformation led by social movements, which are trying to build sustainable societies through the reinvigoration of traditional values and the territorial empowerment of people at local level (http://www.cetsur.org).
Cotton Concentration Report: An assessment of Monsanto's proposed acquisition of Delta & Pine Land by Bill Freese, Centre for Food Safety, International Center for Technology Assessment | 7 Jul 2007
Latin America - Norma Giarraca by GRAIN | 6 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 Norma Giarraca is a lecturer in sociology at the Instituto Gino Germani in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She specialises in the study of social protest. Norma Giarraca is a lecturer in sociology at the Instituto Gino Germani in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She specialises in the study of social protest.
Latin America - Germán Velez by GRAIN | 5 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 Germán Velez is an activist from the Grupo Semillas (Seeds Group), a Colombian non-governmental organisation that works on environmental issues with local communities (http://www.semillas.org.co). Germán Velez is an activist from the Grupo Semillas (Seeds Group), a Colombian non-governmental organisation that works on environmental issues with local communities (http://www.semillas.org.co).
Further reading: good materials on agrofuels by GRAIN | 4 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 The volume of recent articles, papers and other materials on agrofuels can be overwhelming. Below we list some that we found particularly useful when preparing this Seedling. The volume of recent articles, papers and other materials on agrofuels can be overwhelming. Below we list some that we found particularly useful when preparing this Seedling.
Latin America - Soya nexus in South America by GRAIN | 4 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 Along with the rapid expansion of ethanol production, largely manufactured from sugar cane, South America is also beginning to play a key role as a producer of biodiesel. The main feedstock is soya and, for the soya farmers and the multinational grain companies, who were facing problems of overproduction, the new market outlet is a godsend. It gives them the perfect pretext for continuing their take-over of the continent. Along with the rapid expansion of ethanol production, largely manufactured from sugar cane, South America is also beginning to play a key role as a producer of biodiesel. The main feedstock is soya and, for the soya farmers and the multinational grain companies, who were facing problems of overproduction, the new market outlet is a godsend. It gives them the perfect pretext for continuing their take-over of the continent.
Fear over growing WIPO-FAO links by Geoff Tansey | 1 Jul 2007 Seedling - July 2007 Farmers’ and peasants’ lives are increasingly affected by international rules made by governments at remote international meetings. For some time transnational corporations have been using intergovernmental forums to extend their influence over food and farming policies in the developing world. For example, the introduction of rules on intellectual property (e.g. patents and plant variety protection) in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and, via WTO, into agriculture was very much a corporate-driven project. But sometimes smaller, stealthier steps can have an equally disturbing impact. We look at what is going on in two international organisations. Farmers’ and peasants’ lives are increasingly affected by international rules made by governments at remote international meetings. For some time transnational corporations have been using intergovernmental forums to extend their influence over food and farming policies in the developing world. For example, the introduction of rules on intellectual property (e.g. patents and plant variety protection) in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and, via WTO, into agriculture was very much a corporate-driven project. But sometimes smaller, stealthier steps can have an equally disturbing impact. We look at what is going on in two international organisations.