Food safety - rigging the game by GRAIN | 18 Jul 2008 Seedling - July 2008 | Corporations As the push toward neoliberalism advances, and quantitative measures to protect local markets, such as tariffs and quotas, disappear, industrial powers are turning to qualitative measures such as food safety regulations to further skew trade in their favour. In the food safety arena, both the US and the EU are pressing their standards on other countries. For Washington, even though its own food safety system is widely criticised as too lax, this means getting countries to accept GMOs and US meat safety inspections. For Brussels, whose food safety standards have a much better reputation, it means imposing high standards on countries that cannot meet them. Bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) have become a tool of choice to push through the changes. As the push toward neoliberalism advances, and quantitative measures to protect local markets, such as tariffs and quotas, disappear, industrial powers are turning to qualitative measures such as food safety regulations to further skew trade in their favour. In the food safety arena, both the US and the EU are pressing their standards on other countries. For Washington, even though its own food safety system is widely criticised as too lax, this means getting countries to accept GMOs and US meat safety inspections. For Brussels, whose food safety standards have a much better reputation, it means imposing high standards on countries that cannot meet them. Bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) have become a tool of choice to push through the changes.
North-South coalition sets out 'draft modalities' on TRIPS by GRAIN | 17 Jul 2008 BIO-IPR (1997-2009)
Whose coast is it? by GRAIN | 10 Jul 2008 Seedling - July 2008 Resisting Coastal Invasion / 52 mins / Director: K.P. Sasi, a film review by GRAIN Resisting Coastal Invasion / 52 mins / Director: K.P. Sasi, a film review by GRAIN
Seeds of information by GRAIN | 8 Jul 2008 Seedling - July 2008 "GM seeds dig in", "Peak glyphosate", "Crisis management" and "GM crops not the answer" "GM seeds dig in", "Peak glyphosate", "Crisis management" and "GM crops not the answer"
Food crisis - how do we get out of it? by GRAIN | 1 Jul 2008 Multimedia | Corporations Food prices - especially cereals, but also dairy and meat - had been rising throughout 2007, way out of synch with wages. By early 2008, grain prices were surging and riots had broken out in nearly 40 countries, instilling fear among the world's political elites. Obviously something is wrong with what's happening. This is clearly a time to turn things around, to mobilise around a new, creative vision that can not only bring short term remedies, but the kind of profound change that we truly need to get out of this food crisis. A video with GRAIN's take on the issue. Food prices - especially cereals, but also dairy and meat - had been rising throughout 2007, way out of synch with wages. By early 2008, grain prices were surging and riots had broken out in nearly 40 countries, instilling fear among the world's political elites. Obviously something is wrong with what's happening. This is clearly a time to turn things around, to mobilise around a new, creative vision that can not only bring short term remedies, but the kind of profound change that we truly need to get out of this food crisis. A video with GRAIN's take on the issue.