Leaked ProSAVANA Master Plan confirms worst fears by Justiça Ambiental! et al | 30 Apr 2013 Civil society groups have finally seen a leaked copy of the most recent version of the Master Plan for the ProSAVANA programme, dated March 2013. The copy confirms that the governments of Japan, Brazil and Mozambique are secretly paving the way for a massive land grab in Northern Mozambique. Civil society groups have finally seen a leaked copy of the most recent version of the Master Plan for the ProSAVANA programme, dated March 2013. The copy confirms that the governments of Japan, Brazil and Mozambique are secretly paving the way for a massive land grab in Northern Mozambique.
Ugandan schoolboys reflect on landgrabbing by Lorna Jones | 26 Apr 2013 Ochen Solomon is one of four Ugandan schoolboys who wrote essays about the effects of land grabbing on the lives of their families and community as part of the annual Essay Contest for Children and Young People of African Descent 2013. This London-originated initiative encourages and supports educational development in children aged 7 to 16 years in Africa and across the African diaspora. Ochen and his schoolmates chose to read GRAIN's report, "Squeezing Africa Dry" from a list of documents on contemporary issues. The questions they had to address were: What are your views on the topic of land grabbing? What are your solutions to these challenges? What is your family, or people you know, doing about it? They then conducted their own independent research on their chosen topic, and then provided their perspective on it. Ochen Solomon is one of four Ugandan schoolboys who wrote essays about the effects of land grabbing on the lives of their families and community as part of the annual Essay Contest for Children and Young People of African Descent 2013. This London-originated initiative encourages and supports educational development in children aged 7 to 16 years in Africa and across the African diaspora. Ochen and his schoolmates chose to read GRAIN's report, "Squeezing Africa Dry" from a list of documents on contemporary issues. The questions they had to address were: What are your views on the topic of land grabbing? What are your solutions to these challenges? What is your family, or people you know, doing about it? They then conducted their own independent research on their chosen topic, and then provided their perspective on it.
Karuturi guilty of tax evasion by Tax Justice Network et al | 22 Apr 2013 Media releases | Land The Kenyan government has found Karuturi Global Ltd, the world's biggest producer of cut roses, guilty of tax evasion. This is the first time an African government has brought a large multinational company to court for transfer mispricing through a fully public process. The Kenyan government has found Karuturi Global Ltd, the world's biggest producer of cut roses, guilty of tax evasion. This is the first time an African government has brought a large multinational company to court for transfer mispricing through a fully public process.
Brazilian megaproject in Mozambique set to displace millions of peasants by UNAC, Via Campesina Africa, GRAIN | 29 Nov 2012 The Brazilian government and private sector are collaborating with Japan to push a large-scale agribusiness project in Northern Mozambique. The project, called ProSavana, will make 14 million hectares of land available to Brazilian agribusiness companies for the production of soybeans, maize and other commodity crops that will be exported by Japanese multinationals. This area of Mozambique, known as the Nacala Corridor, is home to millions of farming families who are at risk of losing their lands in the process. The Brazilian government and private sector are collaborating with Japan to push a large-scale agribusiness project in Northern Mozambique. The project, called ProSavana, will make 14 million hectares of land available to Brazilian agribusiness companies for the production of soybeans, maize and other commodity crops that will be exported by Japanese multinationals. This area of Mozambique, known as the Nacala Corridor, is home to millions of farming families who are at risk of losing their lands in the process.
GM maize in Mexico: An irreversible path by UCCS, TWN, GRAIN, INES, ENS | 23 Nov 2012 The Mexican government is considering allowing the planting of 2.4 million hectares of genetically engineered maize, as requested by agribusiness giants Monsanto, DuPont, Dow and others. The Mexican Unión de Científicos Comprotmetidos con la Sociedad (UCCS), together with several international organisations including GRAIN, put out a report addressed to the Mexican government to stop this totally irresponsible act in the heart of the world's centre of diversity of this crop. You can download it here (pdf). The Mexican government is considering allowing the planting of 2.4 million hectares of genetically engineered maize, as requested by agribusiness giants Monsanto, DuPont, Dow and others. The Mexican Unión de Científicos Comprotmetidos con la Sociedad (UCCS), together with several international organisations including GRAIN, put out a report addressed to the Mexican government to stop this totally irresponsible act in the heart of the world's centre of diversity of this crop. You can download it here (pdf).
Slideshow: Who's behind the land grabs? by GRAIN | 16 Oct 2012 A small number of people are taking over more and more of the world's farmlands, and the water that goes with it, leaving everyone else with less, or none at all. As the world plunges deeper into a food crisis, these new farmland lords will hold sway over who gets to eat and who doesn't and who profits and who perishes within the food system. To help pull back the curtain on the land grabbers, GRAIN has pieced together a slide show that tells a little about some of those who have been most actively pursuing or supporting farmland grabs. A small number of people are taking over more and more of the world's farmlands, and the water that goes with it, leaving everyone else with less, or none at all. As the world plunges deeper into a food crisis, these new farmland lords will hold sway over who gets to eat and who doesn't and who profits and who perishes within the food system. To help pull back the curtain on the land grabbers, GRAIN has pieced together a slide show that tells a little about some of those who have been most actively pursuing or supporting farmland grabs.
Why are the FAO and the EBRD promoting the destruction of peasant and family farming? by LVC, GRAIN, ETC Group, FoEI, MMM, CLOC, Re:Common | 14 Sep 2012 Social organisations say they are shocked and offended by a Wall Street Journal article written by the Director General of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which calls on governments and society to embrace corporations as the main engine for global food production. In a collective statement, the groups say the FAO is abandoning its mission by promoting the destruction of peasant farming and land grabbing by agribusiness. Social organisations say they are shocked and offended by a Wall Street Journal article written by the Director General of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which calls on governments and society to embrace corporations as the main engine for global food production. In a collective statement, the groups say the FAO is abandoning its mission by promoting the destruction of peasant farming and land grabbing by agribusiness.
Behind the 'Green Economy': Profiting from environmental and climate crisis by GRAIN, Alianza Biodiversidad, WRM, ATALC | 11 Sep 2012 This article examines the real intentions behind the proposals for a "Green Economy". It is the introductory chapter to a Compendium on the Green Economy that was prepared as a common position for RIO+20 and that was published collectively in Spanish by GRAIN, Alianza Biodiversidad, World Rainforest Movement (WRM), and Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC). This article examines the real intentions behind the proposals for a "Green Economy". It is the introductory chapter to a Compendium on the Green Economy that was prepared as a common position for RIO+20 and that was published collectively in Spanish by GRAIN, Alianza Biodiversidad, World Rainforest Movement (WRM), and Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC).
"The great food robbery", a new book from GRAIN by GRAIN | 4 May 2012 GRAIN is happy to announce its new book "The great food robbery: how corporations control food, grab land and destroy the climate", just published with Fahamu Books and Pambazuka Press. The book looks at the forces driving the world into the food crisis. It focuses on corporations and the ways they organise and control food production and distribution and how this destroys local food systems. It provides information and analysis that will enable and inspire people to take the food system back from corporations and put it in the hands of local communities. GRAIN is happy to announce its new book "The great food robbery: how corporations control food, grab land and destroy the climate", just published with Fahamu Books and Pambazuka Press. The book looks at the forces driving the world into the food crisis. It focuses on corporations and the ways they organise and control food production and distribution and how this destroys local food systems. It provides information and analysis that will enable and inspire people to take the food system back from corporations and put it in the hands of local communities.
GRAIN releases data set with over 400 global land grabs by GRAIN | 23 Feb 2012 Media releases | Land GRAIN launches a new data set documenting 416 recent, large-scale land grabs by foreign investors for the production of food crops. The collection of cases cover nearly 35 million hectares of land in 66 countries, providing a stark snapshot of how agribusiness is expanding across the globe and how it is taking food production out of the hands of farmers and local communities. GRAIN launches a new data set documenting 416 recent, large-scale land grabs by foreign investors for the production of food crops. The collection of cases cover nearly 35 million hectares of land in 66 countries, providing a stark snapshot of how agribusiness is expanding across the globe and how it is taking food production out of the hands of farmers and local communities.
Can India turn the tide on the supermarket tsunami? by GRAIN | 9 Feb 2012 India is one of several countries now being hit by what is referred to as a third wave of corporate retail expansion in the global South. Widespread protests led by India's small shopkeepers and retail workers have put a government decision to open up the retail sector to foreign control on hold for now, but corporations like Walmart and Carrefour will not easily give up on such opportunites for growth. The impacts of big retail's growing control over food markets in the South are particularly harsh for peasants, pastoralists and fisherfolk because they are completely shutout of its supply chains. India is one of several countries now being hit by what is referred to as a third wave of corporate retail expansion in the global South. Widespread protests led by India's small shopkeepers and retail workers have put a government decision to open up the retail sector to foreign control on hold for now, but corporations like Walmart and Carrefour will not easily give up on such opportunites for growth. The impacts of big retail's growing control over food markets in the South are particularly harsh for peasants, pastoralists and fisherfolk because they are completely shutout of its supply chains.
Ploughing through the meanders in food speculation by ODG, in collaboraton with Mundobat, Soberania Alimentaria and GRAIN | 24 Jul 2011 Today every movement in the Chicago, London or Hanover exchanges, where futures contracts for cereals and oilseed grains are negotiated, has an impact on food. Speculation has become one of the main causes of the changes in the price of food. Why is this happening now? How does this work? Who are the winners and who are the losers? This report, written by researchers at the Catalan NGO ODG, and in cooperation with Mundobat, Soberania Alimentaria magazine, and GRAIN, tries to unveil some of the issues. Download the pdf version. Today every movement in the Chicago, London or Hanover exchanges, where futures contracts for cereals and oilseed grains are negotiated, has an impact on food. Speculation has become one of the main causes of the changes in the price of food. Why is this happening now? How does this work? Who are the winners and who are the losers? This report, written by researchers at the Catalan NGO ODG, and in cooperation with Mundobat, Soberania Alimentaria magazine, and GRAIN, tries to unveil some of the issues. Download the pdf version.
It's time to outlaw land grabbing, not to make it 'responsible'! by Via Campesina, GRAIN and others | 17 Apr 2011 Land On 18-20 April 2011, a gathering of some 200 farmland investors, government officials and international civil servants will meet at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC to discuss how to operationalise "responsible" large-scale land acquisitions. Over in Rome, the Committee on World Food Security, housed at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, is about to start a process of consultation on principles to regulate such deals. Social movements and civil society organisations (CSOs), on the other hand, are mobilising to stop land grabs, and undo the ones already coming into play, as a matter of utmost urgency. Why do the World Bank, UN agencies and a number of highly concerned governments insist on trying to promote these land grab deals as "responsible agricultural investments"? On 18-20 April 2011, a gathering of some 200 farmland investors, government officials and international civil servants will meet at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC to discuss how to operationalise "responsible" large-scale land acquisitions. Over in Rome, the Committee on World Food Security, housed at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, is about to start a process of consultation on principles to regulate such deals. Social movements and civil society organisations (CSOs), on the other hand, are mobilising to stop land grabs, and undo the ones already coming into play, as a matter of utmost urgency. Why do the World Bank, UN agencies and a number of highly concerned governments insist on trying to promote these land grab deals as "responsible agricultural investments"?
The new farm owners: corporate investors lead the rush for control over overseas farmland by GRAIN | 20 Nov 2010 The two big global crises that erupted in 2008 – the world food crisis and the broader financial crisis that the food crisis has been part of are together spawning a new and disturbing trend towards buying up land for outsourced food production. For the past two years, investors have been scrambling to take control of farmland in in Asia, Africa and Latin America. A background article on landgrabbing by GRAIN, published as a chapter in the Monthly Review Press book 'Agriculture and food in crisis'. The two big global crises that erupted in 2008 – the world food crisis and the broader financial crisis that the food crisis has been part of are together spawning a new and disturbing trend towards buying up land for outsourced food production. For the past two years, investors have been scrambling to take control of farmland in in Asia, Africa and Latin America. A background article on landgrabbing by GRAIN, published as a chapter in the Monthly Review Press book 'Agriculture and food in crisis'.
From green to gene revolution: How farmers lost control of the seeds from agricultural modernisation (2010) by GRAIN and PEAC | 30 Oct 2010 This downloadable pamphlet is developed by GRAIN and the Pesticides Eco-Alternatives Centre (PEAC) to raise Chinese farmers' awareness about the broad historical context of industrial agriculture, and how it paved the way for the introduction of modern varieties of crops and agricultural technologies. Available in Mandarin. A shorter version (brochure) published by PEAC is also available. This downloadable pamphlet is developed by GRAIN and the Pesticides Eco-Alternatives Centre (PEAC) to raise Chinese farmers' awareness about the broad historical context of industrial agriculture, and how it paved the way for the introduction of modern varieties of crops and agricultural technologies. Available in Mandarin. A shorter version (brochure) published by PEAC is also available.