INDIA: A second Green Revolution is not the answer by by Living Farms and GRAIN | 21 Sep 2010 India's Union Government is allocating some US$ 86.3 million to push a Green Revolution into India's eastern states. It is a hefty sum to bring a ghost back to life. But it is not just the amount that farmers, activists, scientists and consumer groups were raising their voices against at a recent workshop in Odisha. It is the government's disregard for the alternatives that exist and the havoc that the Green Revolution has already wreaked on the country. India's Union Government is allocating some US$ 86.3 million to push a Green Revolution into India's eastern states. It is a hefty sum to bring a ghost back to life. But it is not just the amount that farmers, activists, scientists and consumer groups were raising their voices against at a recent workshop in Odisha. It is the government's disregard for the alternatives that exist and the havoc that the Green Revolution has already wreaked on the country.
World Bank report on land grabbing: beyond the smoke and mirrors by GRAIN | 8 Sep 2010 Land On 7 September 2010, the World Bank finally published its much anticipated report on the global farmland grab. GRAIN's take on the report is that it is both a disappointment and a failure. Very little new and solid data about how these land grab deals are playing out on the ground is presented. The findings that the Bank does articulate -- that the land grab trend is huge and growing, that communities are not benefiting and that the conditions under which most of these deals are being pursued are extremely poor -- corroborate what many have been saying for two years already. The Bank's own direct involvement in the global land grab is hardly mentioned. Most of the report is smoke and mirrors talk about potentials and opportunities, leading us to the conclusion that there is a huge disconnect between what the World Bank says, what is happening on the ground and what is truly needed. Right now, numerous governments and civil society organisations are calling to put a brake of one form or another on these land grab deals, which the study essentially ignores. On 7 September 2010, the World Bank finally published its much anticipated report on the global farmland grab. GRAIN's take on the report is that it is both a disappointment and a failure. Very little new and solid data about how these land grab deals are playing out on the ground is presented. The findings that the Bank does articulate -- that the land grab trend is huge and growing, that communities are not benefiting and that the conditions under which most of these deals are being pursued are extremely poor -- corroborate what many have been saying for two years already. The Bank's own direct involvement in the global land grab is hardly mentioned. Most of the report is smoke and mirrors talk about potentials and opportunities, leading us to the conclusion that there is a huge disconnect between what the World Bank says, what is happening on the ground and what is truly needed. Right now, numerous governments and civil society organisations are calling to put a brake of one form or another on these land grab deals, which the study essentially ignores.
CHINA: New troubles with hybrid and GM rice by GRAIN | 27 Jul 2010 China's utopian quest for the rice crop suffered a couple of blows recently. A new rice virus disease – called Southern Rice Black Streak Dwarf Virus (SRBSDV) transmitted by the white back planthopper (WBPH) – was reportedly spreading across China, covering 300,000 ha of rice land in nine provinces. China's utopian quest for the rice crop suffered a couple of blows recently. A new rice virus disease – called Southern Rice Black Streak Dwarf Virus (SRBSDV) transmitted by the white back planthopper (WBPH) – was reportedly spreading across China, covering 300,000 ha of rice land in nine provinces.
PHILIPPINES: Govt's own data point to lower hybrid rice yield; groups call to remove subsidy by GRAIN | 15 Jul 2010 The Department of Agriculture's (DA) own Bureau of Agricultural Statistics revealed that yields of hybrid rice from 2008-2009 averaged only 5.58 metric tons (MT) per hectare. A far cry from what chief of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) rice program, Frisco Malabanan, claims that “hybrid rice achieves greater yields and thus farmers earn more without increasing their cultivation area.” Malabanan said that farmers could harvest as much as 12 MT from hybrid rice and enjoy a profit increase of at least P30,000 (US$ 650) per hectare. The Department of Agriculture's (DA) own Bureau of Agricultural Statistics revealed that yields of hybrid rice from 2008-2009 averaged only 5.58 metric tons (MT) per hectare. A far cry from what chief of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) rice program, Frisco Malabanan, claims that “hybrid rice achieves greater yields and thus farmers earn more without increasing their cultivation area.” Malabanan said that farmers could harvest as much as 12 MT from hybrid rice and enjoy a profit increase of at least P30,000 (US$ 650) per hectare.
Editorial and full issue by GRAIN | 13 Jul 2010 Seedling - July 2010 GRAIN has been around since 1990, and to celebrate this we have devoted most of this issue of Seedling to looking at how we – and the issues that we deal with – have changed over this period. To mark the occasion, we have also altered our design into one that we feel is modern, practical and pleasing to the eye. GRAIN has been around since 1990, and to celebrate this we have devoted most of this issue of Seedling to looking at how we – and the issues that we deal with – have changed over this period. To mark the occasion, we have also altered our design into one that we feel is modern, practical and pleasing to the eye.
Twenty years of fighting for seeds and food sovereignty by GRAIN | 13 Jul 2010 Seedling - July 2010 A twentieth anniversary invites reflection. Reflection on where we came from, the path we have travelled, and the challenges ahead. Without pretending to provide a full analysis, we present below some discussion on this. In the process, we have talked to many of the people who have accompanied us over the last two decades, and asked them about the paths that they have taken, and for their reflections on the struggle for a better food system and a better world. Some of their responses are included in the text and accompanying boxes. A twentieth anniversary invites reflection. Reflection on where we came from, the path we have travelled, and the challenges ahead. Without pretending to provide a full analysis, we present below some discussion on this. In the process, we have talked to many of the people who have accompanied us over the last two decades, and asked them about the paths that they have taken, and for their reflections on the struggle for a better food system and a better world. Some of their responses are included in the text and accompanying boxes.
Global agribusiness: two decades of plunder by GRAIN | 13 Jul 2010 Seedling - July 2010 We offer a brief overview of the expansion of agribusiness in the global food system in the past two decades, with some thoughts on what we can expect from these companies in the years ahead. We offer a brief overview of the expansion of agribusiness in the global food system in the past two decades, with some thoughts on what we can expect from these companies in the years ahead.
Haiti’s farmers call for a break with neoliberalism by GRAIN | 13 Jul 2010 Seedling - July 2010 Peasant organisations in Haiti are angry at the Haitian authorities for allowing multinational donors and corporations to take advantage of the post-earthquake reconstruction programme to deepen the country’s reliance on the outside world. They are calling instead for a radical programme of agricultural reconstruction, to rebuild the country’s ravaged peasantry and bring about food sovereignty. Peasant organisations in Haiti are angry at the Haitian authorities for allowing multinational donors and corporations to take advantage of the post-earthquake reconstruction programme to deepen the country’s reliance on the outside world. They are calling instead for a radical programme of agricultural reconstruction, to rebuild the country’s ravaged peasantry and bring about food sovereignty.
Seeds by GRAIN | 13 Jul 2010 Seedling - July 2010 “Miracle crop” not so miraculous after all, The colony of Puerto Rico, We haven’t seen anything yet …., and, Clan fights to save sacred sites. “Miracle crop” not so miraculous after all, The colony of Puerto Rico, We haven’t seen anything yet …., and, Clan fights to save sacred sites.
Asia’s seed laws – Control over farmers' seeds by GRAIN | 10 Jun 2010 A new collaborative briefing, written by GRAIN and published by PANAP (Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific), takes a close look at seed laws in the Asia region. A new collaborative briefing, written by GRAIN and published by PANAP (Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific), takes a close look at seed laws in the Asia region.
VIETNAM: Farmers face hardships due to faulty hybrid rice seeds by GRAIN | 3 Jun 2010 Hundreds of farming households in the central province of Binh Dinh are experiencing hardships, as the Nhi uu 838 hybrid rice seeds, sowed for winter-spring harvest, have not sprouted. Hundreds of farming households in the central province of Binh Dinh are experiencing hardships, as the Nhi uu 838 hybrid rice seeds, sowed for winter-spring harvest, have not sprouted.
The World Bank in the hot seat by GRAIN | 8 May 2010 A curious thing happened last week. A lot of people were under the impression that the World Bank was going to release its long-awaited study on global land grabs at its annual land conference in Washington DC on 26 April 2010. This is what GRAIN was told. It's what many journalists were told. And it's what those involved in producing the study expected. But it didn't happen. What's holding the bank back? A curious thing happened last week. A lot of people were under the impression that the World Bank was going to release its long-awaited study on global land grabs at its annual land conference in Washington DC on 26 April 2010. This is what GRAIN was told. It's what many journalists were told. And it's what those involved in producing the study expected. But it didn't happen. What's holding the bank back?
GM in the public eye in Asia by GRAIN | 8 May 2010 Seeds Public is meant to be for people. But, as in evident with Bt crop research in Asia, “public” agricultural research is becoming less about the needs of ordinary people and small farmers and more about scientific control and corporate interests. The recent controversy around Bt brinjal/eggplant in parts of South and South-east Asia, together with the Bt rice research in China's public sector, show that governments and corporations, be they in competition or co-operation, are pushing the same GM crops into Asia's farms and food supply. This is decisively changing the perception of public agricultural research. People are realising that their public agricultural universities and national research institutes may not really be on their side. Public is meant to be for people. But, as in evident with Bt crop research in Asia, “public” agricultural research is becoming less about the needs of ordinary people and small farmers and more about scientific control and corporate interests. The recent controversy around Bt brinjal/eggplant in parts of South and South-east Asia, together with the Bt rice research in China's public sector, show that governments and corporations, be they in competition or co-operation, are pushing the same GM crops into Asia's farms and food supply. This is decisively changing the perception of public agricultural research. People are realising that their public agricultural universities and national research institutes may not really be on their side.
Feeding the corporate coffers - Why hybrid rice continues to fail Asia's small farmers by Various | 30 Apr 2010 For decades now, hybrid rice has been promoted across Asia as a silver bullet for hunger. But a new collaborative briefing published by GRAIN and several other organisations in Asia and the Pacific* examines how hybrid rice has consistently failed Asia’s small farmers over the past decade. From Bangladesh to China, from the Philippines to Indonesia, the promised increased yield has been elusive in farmers’ fields, and the expansion of hybrid rice is now being linked to a recent upsurge of outbreaks of planthoppers across Asia. Hybrid rice is not being promoted for agricultural development but for the control over farming that it offers and the profits that it generates for the seed and agro-chemical companies. For decades now, hybrid rice has been promoted across Asia as a silver bullet for hunger. But a new collaborative briefing published by GRAIN and several other organisations in Asia and the Pacific* examines how hybrid rice has consistently failed Asia’s small farmers over the past decade. From Bangladesh to China, from the Philippines to Indonesia, the promised increased yield has been elusive in farmers’ fields, and the expansion of hybrid rice is now being linked to a recent upsurge of outbreaks of planthoppers across Asia. Hybrid rice is not being promoted for agricultural development but for the control over farming that it offers and the profits that it generates for the seed and agro-chemical companies.
Stop land grabbing now by LVC, FIAN, LRAN, GRAIN | 22 Apr 2010 Bulletin board Say No to the principles of “responsible” agro-enterprise investment promoted by the World Bank - a message to the World Bank and the international community. Say No to the principles of “responsible” agro-enterprise investment promoted by the World Bank - a message to the World Bank and the international community.