Heat waves and heavier rains: How the climate crisis affects fresh market traders and street vendors by GRAIN | 27 May 2022 Supermarket Watch Asia Record high heatwaves and heavier rains across Asia and other parts of the world in the first few months of this year have led to much harsher conditions for street vendors and fresh market traders. The extreme weather has made it almost impossible to work and has spoiled fresh produce, making it useless for selling. The situation has been disastrous for the incomes of these vendors. Record high heatwaves and heavier rains across Asia and other parts of the world in the first few months of this year have led to much harsher conditions for street vendors and fresh market traders. The extreme weather has made it almost impossible to work and has spoiled fresh produce, making it useless for selling. The situation has been disastrous for the incomes of these vendors.
Socfin/Bolloré plantations: rising profits, ongoing repression by Collective | 25 May 2022 Media releases From Sierra Leone to Nigeria, through Cameroon, Guinea and Ivory Coast, communities living near the industrial palm oil and rubber plantations of Socfin/Bolloré are fighting for their rights and against repression. From Sierra Leone to Nigeria, through Cameroon, Guinea and Ivory Coast, communities living near the industrial palm oil and rubber plantations of Socfin/Bolloré are fighting for their rights and against repression.
GRAIN’s 2021 activity report by GRAIN | 12 May 2022 Activity reports As GRAIN takes its annual look over the past year, the tenacity of long-standing struggles and the beginning of new ones propel us forward. GRAIN’s 2021 activity report highlights the resilience of these international movements, which are resisting corporate control of their lives and developing real alternatives towards food sovereignty. As GRAIN takes its annual look over the past year, the tenacity of long-standing struggles and the beginning of new ones propel us forward. GRAIN’s 2021 activity report highlights the resilience of these international movements, which are resisting corporate control of their lives and developing real alternatives towards food sovereignty.
Hands off our buffel grass! Kenyan herders resist the privatisation of their biodiversity by GRAIN & Seed Savers Network - Kenya | 27 Apr 2022 Seeds Buffel grass is essential to Kenya’s pastoralists. It can be used as fodder, thatching & more. But an individual’s patent risks taking it away from communities, highlighting why the privatisation of biodiversity must be fiercely resisted on the continent. Buffel grass is essential to Kenya’s pastoralists. It can be used as fodder, thatching & more. But an individual’s patent risks taking it away from communities, highlighting why the privatisation of biodiversity must be fiercely resisted on the continent.
The digitalisation of land: more data, less land by GRAIN | 15 Apr 2022 Land As per its nature, public and communal lands cannot be bought, sold or offered as collateral for loans, making it harder for land grabbers to extract wealth if they take over these lands. This is where new technologies come in; the digital integration of cadastres and land registries enables these lands to be reclassified. Through cadastres, rural properties can be included on registries that provide access to public policies and funding, which, in turn, can be used as a basis to issue individual property titles. As per its nature, public and communal lands cannot be bought, sold or offered as collateral for loans, making it harder for land grabbers to extract wealth if they take over these lands. This is where new technologies come in; the digital integration of cadastres and land registries enables these lands to be reclassified. Through cadastres, rural properties can be included on registries that provide access to public policies and funding, which, in turn, can be used as a basis to issue individual property titles.
Defending People's milk: same plight, same fight for peasants and fresh milk vendors by GRAIN | 7 Mar 2022 Supermarket Watch Asia "People's milk", as most call the milk produced from these local networks, involves hundreds of millions of people, from small-scale farmers and pastoralists to local dairy processors and fresh milk vendors. More than 8 million rural families are engaged in dairy production in Pakistan, and, in India, the People's milk sector accounts for 85 per cent of the national milk market. "People's milk", as most call the milk produced from these local networks, involves hundreds of millions of people, from small-scale farmers and pastoralists to local dairy processors and fresh milk vendors. More than 8 million rural families are engaged in dairy production in Pakistan, and, in India, the People's milk sector accounts for 85 per cent of the national milk market.
From land grab to soil grab - the new business of carbon farming by GRAIN | 24 Feb 2022 Climate The world's largest agrochemical companies are pushing ahead with carbon credit programmes to enhance their power in the food system and enable big oil, food and tech corporations to avoid cuts to their emissions. This massive soil grab is based on faulty carbon sequestration schemes that undermine real climate solutions. The world's largest agrochemical companies are pushing ahead with carbon credit programmes to enhance their power in the food system and enable big oil, food and tech corporations to avoid cuts to their emissions. This massive soil grab is based on faulty carbon sequestration schemes that undermine real climate solutions.
Peasants still feed the world, even if FAO claims otherwise by AFSA, A Growing Culture, ETC Group, GRAIN, Groundswell International, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Landworkers Alliance, The Oakland Institute | 2 Feb 2022 Corporations The FAO has bumbled into a controversy over whether peasants or agribusiness feed most of the world. Seven organisations with long experience working on food and farming issues have written to the Director General of the FAO sharply criticizing the UN agency for a 2021 report that is statistically confusing and contradicts FAO positions. The FAO has bumbled into a controversy over whether peasants or agribusiness feed most of the world. Seven organisations with long experience working on food and farming issues have written to the Director General of the FAO sharply criticizing the UN agency for a 2021 report that is statistically confusing and contradicts FAO positions.
Ending violence against women street vendors and market traders by GRAIN | 10 Dec 2021 Supermarket Watch Asia On November 25, the world marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. For this occasion, we want to highlight the vulnerability that women street vendors and market traders endure, both physically and economically, and resound the call to end violence against them. On November 25, the world marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. For this occasion, we want to highlight the vulnerability that women street vendors and market traders endure, both physically and economically, and resound the call to end violence against them.
Trade deals pushing UPOV: an interactive map by Stop UPOV global alliance | 1 Dec 2021 Seeds | Multimedia A new map based on GRAIN’s dataset of signed FTAs in the past 20 years can help visualise which countries use free trade deals to push corporate control over seeds and which countries are under attack from these trade deals. A new map based on GRAIN’s dataset of signed FTAs in the past 20 years can help visualise which countries use free trade deals to push corporate control over seeds and which countries are under attack from these trade deals.
Corporations make a killing milking Africa by GRAIN | 18 Nov 2021 Corporations Africa's vibrant dairy sector is under threat. Multinational dairy corporations see the continent as a dumping ground for their excess production and as a new frontier for their processed dairy products. They are pushing for regulations, trade measures and agribusiness projects that will undermine local dairy systems and give them monopoly control over Africa's rapidly growing urban markets. Africa's vibrant dairy sector is under threat. Multinational dairy corporations see the continent as a dumping ground for their excess production and as a new frontier for their processed dairy products. They are pushing for regulations, trade measures and agribusiness projects that will undermine local dairy systems and give them monopoly control over Africa's rapidly growing urban markets.
New research shows 50 year binge on chemical fertilisers must end to address the climate crisis by GRAIN, Greenpeace International & Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) | 1 Nov 2021 Climate New research shows nitrogen fertilisers made from fossil fuels are an ecological disaster, responsible for around a quarter of all GHGs from agriculture. The research provides the first estimate of the global climate impacts of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers to cover the entire production chain, from manufacturing to soil application. A global phase-out is urgently required! New research shows nitrogen fertilisers made from fossil fuels are an ecological disaster, responsible for around a quarter of all GHGs from agriculture. The research provides the first estimate of the global climate impacts of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers to cover the entire production chain, from manufacturing to soil application. A global phase-out is urgently required!
Organising informal traders and local markets by GRAIN | 8 Oct 2021 Supermarket Watch Asia In this bulletin: we talk with a community organiser who has worked for more than a decade with fresh market traders and street vendors; and share how supermarkets became the pandemic’s winners while women workers the losers. In this bulletin: we talk with a community organiser who has worked for more than a decade with fresh market traders and street vendors; and share how supermarkets became the pandemic’s winners while women workers the losers.
Governments use a pig pandemic to expand corporate power and crush small farms by GRAIN | 6 Oct 2021 Corporations A variant of African swine fever that entered Europe in 2007 has laid waste to pig farms in Eastern Europe and Asia and, now, for the first time in 40 years, ASF is back in the Americas. The corporate approach to “biosecurity” will not stop ASF, and it will only make the world more vulnerable to new diseases. A variant of African swine fever that entered Europe in 2007 has laid waste to pig farms in Eastern Europe and Asia and, now, for the first time in 40 years, ASF is back in the Americas. The corporate approach to “biosecurity” will not stop ASF, and it will only make the world more vulnerable to new diseases.
The corporate attack on Pakistan’s small dairies by GRAIN | 29 Sep 2021 Corporations Under the banner of pasteurisation and modernisation of the dairy sector, the Government of Pakistan, dairy corporations and international agencies like USAID, are on the offensive to marginalize smallholder dairies. Corporate dairies are not leaving any stone unturned to damage the reputation of fresh, local milk. Under the banner of pasteurisation and modernisation of the dairy sector, the Government of Pakistan, dairy corporations and international agencies like USAID, are on the offensive to marginalize smallholder dairies. Corporate dairies are not leaving any stone unturned to damage the reputation of fresh, local milk.