Media release: Africa's land and seed laws under attack by Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) | GRAIN | 22 Jan 2015 Media releases The lobby to industrialise food production in Africa is not only pouring money into plantation projects on the ground, it is changing African laws to serve foreign agribusiness as well. This is the main finding of a new report from the civil society organisations Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and GRAIN. The lobby to industrialise food production in Africa is not only pouring money into plantation projects on the ground, it is changing African laws to serve foreign agribusiness as well. This is the main finding of a new report from the civil society organisations Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and GRAIN.
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.
Media release: Planet palm oil – peasants pay the price for cheap vegetable oil by GRAIN | 13 Dec 2014 Media releases Cultivation of oil palms is expanding rapidly around the world. New monoculture plantations mean brutal land grabbing, the destruction of rainforests and the exploitation of workers. Cultivation of oil palms is expanding rapidly around the world. New monoculture plantations mean brutal land grabbing, the destruction of rainforests and the exploitation of workers.
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.
How much of world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture? by Rani Molla - Wall Street Journal | 30 Oct 2014 Climate GRAIN calculates that about half of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, and that we need to turn to small farmers and local markets to get rid of this. Rani Molla of the Wall Street Journal compares GRAIN's figures with what other's have to say about it. GRAIN calculates that about half of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, and that we need to turn to small farmers and local markets to get rid of this. Rani Molla of the Wall Street Journal compares GRAIN's figures with what other's have to say about it.
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.
Cheap oil by GRAIN | 22 Sep 2014 The demand for palm oil is insatiable. Consumption has increased by about 1.5 million tonnes per year since the mid 1980s, going from just a few million tonnes to over 50 million tonnes today. Palm oil now accounts for over half of the world's total consumption of oils and fats. The demand for palm oil is insatiable. Consumption has increased by about 1.5 million tonnes per year since the mid 1980s, going from just a few million tonnes to over 50 million tonnes today. Palm oil now accounts for over half of the world's total consumption of oils and fats.
Cash crop by GRAIN | 22 Sep 2014 The surging global demand for oil palm has produced windfall profits for palm oil companies and turned them into hot targets for investment by banks, pension funds and other financiers looking to cash in on the palm oil boom. All the major palm oil companies are ploughing this new found money into more plantations. So much so that it is difficult to say if money is a bigger driver of plantation expansion than the global demand for palm oil. The surging global demand for oil palm has produced windfall profits for palm oil companies and turned them into hot targets for investment by banks, pension funds and other financiers looking to cash in on the palm oil boom. All the major palm oil companies are ploughing this new found money into more plantations. So much so that it is difficult to say if money is a bigger driver of plantation expansion than the global demand for palm oil.