Land and seed laws under attack: who is pushing changes in Africa? by AFSA | GRAIN | 21 Jan 2015 Land | Seeds The lobby to industrialise food production in Africa is changing seed and land laws across the continent to serve agribusiness corporations. The end goal is to turn what has long been held as a commons into a marketable commodity that the private sector can control and extract profit from at the expense of small holder farmers and communities. The lobby to industrialise food production in Africa is changing seed and land laws across the continent to serve agribusiness corporations. The end goal is to turn what has long been held as a commons into a marketable commodity that the private sector can control and extract profit from at the expense of small holder farmers and communities.
GRAIN in 2013: highlights of our activities by GRAIN | 10 Dec 2014 Activity reports Corporations, power and the global food system; people's control over seeds; land grabbing; and agriculture and the climate crisis – these are the interconnected themes of GRAIN's work. In partnership with allies across the world. In partnership with allies across the world, we document the ways in which the industrial food system damages lives, livelihoods and ecologies, and support the fight for alternatives. Corporations, power and the global food system; people's control over seeds; land grabbing; and agriculture and the climate crisis – these are the interconnected themes of GRAIN's work. In partnership with allies across the world. In partnership with allies across the world, we document the ways in which the industrial food system damages lives, livelihoods and ecologies, and support the fight for alternatives.
Food sovereignty: five steps to cool the planet and feed its people by La Vía Campesina and GRAIN | 5 Dec 2014 Climate La Via Campesina and GRAIN explain how a worldwide redistribution of lands to small farmers and indigenous communities – combined with policies to support local markets and ecological agriculture – can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by half within a few decades, significantly curb deforestation and meet the food needs of the world's growing population. La Via Campesina and GRAIN explain how a worldwide redistribution of lands to small farmers and indigenous communities – combined with policies to support local markets and ecological agriculture – can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by half within a few decades, significantly curb deforestation and meet the food needs of the world's growing population.
The solution to climate change is in our lands by La Vía Campesina | GRAIN | 5 Dec 2014 Climate A global effort to give small farmers and indigenous communities control over lands is the best hope we have to deal with climate change and feed the world’s growing population. A global effort to give small farmers and indigenous communities control over lands is the best hope we have to deal with climate change and feed the world’s growing population.
Trade deals criminalise farmers' seeds by GRAIN | 18 Nov 2014 Seeds All around the world, the basic practice of saving seeds from one season to the next is being turned into a criminal offence, so that half a dozen large multinational corporations can turn seeds into private property and make money from them. GRAIN has just produced an updated dataset tracking how free trade agreements are privatising seeds across the world. All around the world, the basic practice of saving seeds from one season to the next is being turned into a criminal offence, so that half a dozen large multinational corporations can turn seeds into private property and make money from them. GRAIN has just produced an updated dataset tracking how free trade agreements are privatising seeds across the world.
Telling family farming fairy tales by GRAIN | 7 Nov 2014 In the last 50 years, a staggering 140 million hectares – the size of almost all the farmland in India – has been taken over by four industrial crops: soya bean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane. And this trend is accelerating. In the last 50 years, a staggering 140 million hectares – the size of almost all the farmland in India – has been taken over by four industrial crops: soya bean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane. And this trend is accelerating.
How does the Gates Foundation spend its money to feed the world? by GRAIN | 4 Nov 2014 Since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added “feeding the world” to its objectives almost a decade ago, it has channelled an impressive three billion dollars towards agricultural projects, much of it to improve farming in Africa. But GRAIN analysed the foundation's agricultural grants records for the past decade and reached some sobering conclusions. Since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added “feeding the world” to its objectives almost a decade ago, it has channelled an impressive three billion dollars towards agricultural projects, much of it to improve farming in Africa. But GRAIN analysed the foundation's agricultural grants records for the past decade and reached some sobering conclusions.
Harvest of hardship: Yala Swamp land grab destroys Kenyan farmers' livelihoods by GRAIN | 23 Oct 2014 Land A June 2014 interview with farmer Erastus Odindo about his community's struggle to defend their lands from US-based Dominion Farms A June 2014 interview with farmer Erastus Odindo about his community's struggle to defend their lands from US-based Dominion Farms
Karuturi still going down by Tax Justice Network, Forum Syd Kenya, GRAIN, Anywaa Survival Organisation, South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements | 9 Oct 2014 Media releases Karuturi Global Ltd, the Indian multinational that made its name in the global cut flower industry and recently acquired more than 300,000 ha in Ethiopia to produce food for foreign markets, is continuing its painful and massive decline. Karuturi Global Ltd, the Indian multinational that made its name in the global cut flower industry and recently acquired more than 300,000 ha in Ethiopia to produce food for foreign markets, is continuing its painful and massive decline.
Feeding the one percent by GRAIN | 7 Oct 2014 An IT billionaire's foray into agribusiness paints a disturbing picture of today's farmland financiers. An IT billionaire's foray into agribusiness paints a disturbing picture of today's farmland financiers.
Planet palm oil by GRAIN | 22 Sep 2014 Expanding production of cheap palm oil comes at a high price. Destruction of rainforests, labour exploitation, and brutal land grabbing: these are just a few of the nasty consequences that come with today's oil palm plantations. With palm oil companies finding lands in Indonesia and Malaysia more difficult to acquire, attention is shifting to Africa. Over the past fifteen years, foreign companies have signed over 60 deals covering nearly 4 million hectares in central and western Africa for the development of oil palm plantations. The land grabs are already generating violent conflicts in several African countries. Expanding production of cheap palm oil comes at a high price. Destruction of rainforests, labour exploitation, and brutal land grabbing: these are just a few of the nasty consequences that come with today's oil palm plantations. With palm oil companies finding lands in Indonesia and Malaysia more difficult to acquire, attention is shifting to Africa. Over the past fifteen years, foreign companies have signed over 60 deals covering nearly 4 million hectares in central and western Africa for the development of oil palm plantations. The land grabs are already generating violent conflicts in several African countries.
Food sovereignty for sale: supermarkets are undermining people's control over food and farming in Asia by GRAIN | 17 Sep 2014 In the past decade, food corporations have been taking over a bigger and bigger slice of the retail pie in Asia, with major implications for the entire food chain. Corporate supermarkets are expanding faster in this region than anywhere else on the planet. And as supermarkets and their procurement chains expand, they take revenue out of traditional food systems – and out of the hands of peasants, small scale food producers and traders. They also exert increasing influence over what people eat and how that food is produced. In the past decade, food corporations have been taking over a bigger and bigger slice of the retail pie in Asia, with major implications for the entire food chain. Corporate supermarkets are expanding faster in this region than anywhere else on the planet. And as supermarkets and their procurement chains expand, they take revenue out of traditional food systems – and out of the hands of peasants, small scale food producers and traders. They also exert increasing influence over what people eat and how that food is produced.
Land grabber's paradise: Cameroonian environmentalist faces trial by GRAIN | Oakland Institute | World Rainforest Movement | 17 Jun 2014 GRAIN, the Oakland Institute and the World Rainforest Movement call on Herakles and the Cameroonian government to drop all charges against Nasako Besingi and his fellow activists and instead engage in good faith with local communities seeking to defend their lands. GRAIN, the Oakland Institute and the World Rainforest Movement call on Herakles and the Cameroonian government to drop all charges against Nasako Besingi and his fellow activists and instead engage in good faith with local communities seeking to defend their lands.
Hungry for land by GRAIN and La Vía Campesina | 28 May 2014 Media releases A joint media release from GRAIN and La Vía Campesina on a new report, "Hungry for land", issues an urgent call for land to be put back in the hands of small farmers. The struggle for genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform is central to the fight for better food systems. A joint media release from GRAIN and La Vía Campesina on a new report, "Hungry for land", issues an urgent call for land to be put back in the hands of small farmers. The struggle for genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform is central to the fight for better food systems.
Hungry for land: small farmers feed the world with less than a quarter of all farmland by GRAIN | 28 May 2014 Land It is commonly heard today that small farmers produce most of the world's food. But how many of us realise that they are doing this with less than a quarter of the world's farmland, and that even this meagre share is shrinking fast? GRAIN took an in depth look at the data to see what is going on. It is commonly heard today that small farmers produce most of the world's food. But how many of us realise that they are doing this with less than a quarter of the world's farmland, and that even this meagre share is shrinking fast? GRAIN took an in depth look at the data to see what is going on.