Corporations

GRAIN’s central focus is to support social movements across the world in their resistance to the growing corporate control over food production, markets and trade. We undertake research on how corporations – including agribusiness, large retail and the finance industry – displace millions of small-scale food producers and how trade and investment deals impose the legal conditions for it. 

Apart from our information work, we also support the efforts of partners and peoples’ movements to improve strategies, cooperation and popular action to challenge corporate power, and build capacity with them to achieve this.

Hunger profiteers in Latin America

Latin America is the world's largest exporter of food, but 4 in 10 people live with food insecurity in the region. Meanwhile, corporations and investors are making record profits by further entrenching impoverished food systems.

Latin America is the world's largest exporter of food, but 4 in 10 people live with food insecurity in the region. Meanwhile, corporations and investors are making record profits by further entrenching impoverished food systems.

The corporate agenda behind carbon farming

In this short video/text, GRAIN explains how giant agribusiness corporations like Bayer are rolling out carbon credit scams (a.k.a. carbon farming) to increase their power over farmers and extract more profits.

In this short video/text, GRAIN explains how giant agribusiness corporations like Bayer are rolling out carbon credit scams (a.k.a. carbon farming) to increase their power over farmers and extract more profits.

China and Vietnam’s questionable strategy to control Asia’s pig pandemic

In this update to previous GRAIN reports on African swine fever, we look into China and Vietnam’s questionable strategy for controlling Asia’s pig pandemic; the corporate interests behind it, and the harmful effects this is having on Asia’s fragile rural livelihoods.

In this update to previous GRAIN reports on African swine fever, we look into China and Vietnam’s questionable strategy for controlling Asia’s pig pandemic; the corporate interests behind it, and the harmful effects this is having on Asia’s fragile rural livelihoods.

Private equity sharks take a bite out of the 'blue economy'

The concentration of the global fishing industry into the hands of elite private equity groups does not offer communities any solution to their struggles for livelihoods, food sovereignty and justice. With all the issues dogging the industry – from labour exploitation to vast environmental pollution – there is no chance that private equity firms will bring about the right changes.

The concentration of the global fishing industry into the hands of elite private equity groups does not offer communities any solution to their struggles for livelihoods, food sovereignty and justice. With all the issues dogging the industry – from labour exploitation to vast environmental pollution – there is no chance that private equity firms will bring about the right changes.

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: 19 years is enough

We, and other organisations working with communities affected by industrial oil palm plantations, have repeatedly denounced the RSPO for its failure to address the grievances of communities whose lands were taken by palm oil companies. The fundamental problems with the institution and its certification scheme are described in detail in international statements signed by organisations from around the world in 2008 and in 2018, and recently in reports published in 2021 on the failure of RSPO to prevent deforestation, consult affected communities and address their grievances.

We, and other organisations working with communities affected by industrial oil palm plantations, have repeatedly denounced the RSPO for its failure to address the grievances of communities whose lands were taken by palm oil companies. The fundamental problems with the institution and its certification scheme are described in detail in international statements signed by organisations from around the world in 2008 and in 2018, and recently in reports published in 2021 on the failure of RSPO to prevent deforestation, consult affected communities and address their grievances.

Getting out of the food-energy-climate crisis

Today’s high prices for energy and food are intimately linked. But they are also intensely connected to how corporations exercise control over consumers, decision-makers and workers. Finding a way out of this “polycrisis” requires a deep transformation in how energy and food are produced and distributed, with actions that challenge corporate control head on.

Today’s high prices for energy and food are intimately linked. But they are also intensely connected to how corporations exercise control over consumers, decision-makers and workers. Finding a way out of this “polycrisis” requires a deep transformation in how energy and food are produced and distributed, with actions that challenge corporate control head on.

The fertiliser trap: the rising cost of farming’s addiction to chemical fertilisers

The era of cheap fertilisers is over. The costs have become too much to bear— both in terms of the financial burden for farmers and public budgets, the severe environmental and health impacts, and the long-term risks to food security. But there are ways out of this apparent dead end.

The era of cheap fertilisers is over. The costs have become too much to bear— both in terms of the financial burden for farmers and public budgets, the severe environmental and health impacts, and the long-term risks to food security. But there are ways out of this apparent dead end.

Farms, arms and Israel's agro-diplomacy

Israeli agribusiness has developed out of a militarised and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and, in recent years, its growth is closely tied to the promotion of Israel's political and economic agenda abroad. This report pulls back the curtain on the little-known Israeli companies pushing large-scale industrial agriculture projects across the global South.

Israeli agribusiness has developed out of a militarised and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and, in recent years, its growth is closely tied to the promotion of Israel's political and economic agenda abroad. This report pulls back the curtain on the little-known Israeli companies pushing large-scale industrial agriculture projects across the global South.

Free trade agreements: Mexico. How to get out of corporate submission?

Mexicans suffered devastating impacts of NAFTA: loss of food sovereignty to cheap imports, privatisation of seeds, loss of land and livelihoods, increasing crime, labour rights abuses, and more. They learned, however, one overarching lesson.

Mexicans suffered devastating impacts of NAFTA: loss of food sovereignty to cheap imports, privatisation of seeds, loss of land and livelihoods, increasing crime, labour rights abuses, and more. They learned, however, one overarching lesson.

We need a movement to take pensions out of financial markets

Conversations held with activists from around the world in May and June webinars of 2022 make clear the need for a movement to take pensions out of financial markets.

Conversations held with activists from around the world in May and June webinars of 2022 make clear the need for a movement to take pensions out of financial markets.

A fertiliser cartel holds the global food system hostage

A new report from INKOTA shows how fertiliser companies squeeze excess profits from the food system and how we have to end the policies and programmes – like AGRA in Africa – that are behind them

A new report from INKOTA shows how fertiliser companies squeeze excess profits from the food system and how we have to end the policies and programmes – like AGRA in Africa – that are behind them

Funding industrial agriculture vs agroecology: Not a simple binary

It's often said that we need to "shift funding" from industrial agriculture to agroecology in order to advance food sovereignty. While it’s true that we need to resource and strengthen agroecology, the idea that it’s matter of moving money around, or pointing institutions in a different direction, is not as straightforward as it sounds.

It's often said that we need to "shift funding" from industrial agriculture to agroecology in order to advance food sovereignty. While it’s true that we need to resource and strengthen agroecology, the idea that it’s matter of moving money around, or pointing institutions in a different direction, is not as straightforward as it sounds.

Lurching from food crisis to food crisis

As the world faces a worsening food crisis, a lot of new data and analysis have been coming out the last few weeks which give us a better understanding of what’s going on and how we might deal with it. At GRAIN, we’ve pulled together a review of key things we’ve learned.

As the world faces a worsening food crisis, a lot of new data and analysis have been coming out the last few weeks which give us a better understanding of what’s going on and how we might deal with it. At GRAIN, we’ve pulled together a review of key things we’ve learned.