Walls and the tiger by Katrien Curvers and Sushma Kallam | 17 Jun 2015 India | land grabbing The documentary Walls and the Tiger is a six-year account of the strife of a rural community in Andhra Pradesh, India, to reverse the merciless grabbing of their fertile land by the government and corporations in the name of “development.” It follows the rural villagers of Kona Forest village, who have been living traditionally for thousands of years, and who have been robbed of their land to build the Kakinada SEZ. Their resistance has been violently suppressed, but so far, they have been able to hold off loosing their land by uniting, cooperating, and not losing faith. Help us to spread the film and our message as widely as possible The documentary Walls and the Tiger is a six-year account of the strife of a rural community in Andhra Pradesh, India, to reverse the merciless grabbing of their fertile land by the government and corporations in the name of “development.” It follows the rural villagers of Kona Forest village, who have been living traditionally for thousands of years, and who have been robbed of their land to build the Kakinada SEZ. Their resistance has been violently suppressed, but so far, they have been able to hold off loosing their land by uniting, cooperating, and not losing faith. Help us to spread the film and our message as widely as possible
Over-grazing and desertification in the Syrian steppe are the root causes of war by Gianluca Serra | 8 Jun 2015 Syrian Arab Republic | food sovereignty | laws & policies | land grabbing Civil war in Syria is the result of the desertification of the ecologically fragile Syrian steppe, writes Gianluca Serra - a process that began in 1958 when the former Bedouin commons were opened up to unrestricted grazing. Civil war in Syria is the result of the desertification of the ecologically fragile Syrian steppe, writes Gianluca Serra - a process that began in 1958 when the former Bedouin commons were opened up to unrestricted grazing.
The color of food: stories of race, resilience, and farming in the United States by Natasha Bowens | 28 May 2015 United States | food sovereignty | seeds & biodiversity A collection of portraits and stories of Black, Native, Asian and Latina farmers in the United States, digging into critical issues at the intersection of race and food to challenge the status quo of agrarian identity. A collection of portraits and stories of Black, Native, Asian and Latina farmers in the United States, digging into critical issues at the intersection of race and food to challenge the status quo of agrarian identity.
Press release: Monsanto, out of China! by Save Green Association | 23 May 2015 China | corporations | GMOs Chinese food safety activists stated that Monsanto not only hid the information from the Chinese government and people, but also defrauded them with fake reports in order to obtain a safety license. Covering up Roundup’s carcinogenicity and the risks posed to human health by Roundup-tolerant GM soybeans and corn, Monsanto misled China to massively import and produce its products. After demanded to make public the report submitted by Monsanto for securing the safety certificate for its Roundup to enter Chinese market last year. This year during Global Day against Monsanto on May 23, a network of concern Chinese citizen launch ‘Monsanto out of China!’ website to showcases protests by people in China against Monsanto. Chinese food safety activists stated that Monsanto not only hid the information from the Chinese government and people, but also defrauded them with fake reports in order to obtain a safety license. Covering up Roundup’s carcinogenicity and the risks posed to human health by Roundup-tolerant GM soybeans and corn, Monsanto misled China to massively import and produce its products. After demanded to make public the report submitted by Monsanto for securing the safety certificate for its Roundup to enter Chinese market last year. This year during Global Day against Monsanto on May 23, a network of concern Chinese citizen launch ‘Monsanto out of China!’ website to showcases protests by people in China against Monsanto.
Agroecology: putting food sovereignty into action by WhyHunger | 15 May 2015 Brazil | Guatemala | Haiti | India | Mali | United States | food sovereignty | seeds & biodiversity Agroecology is an agricultural method based on the traditional knowledge of those who cultivate the land and a way of life. WhyHunger release its first agroecology publication that shares the knowledge and perspectives of social movement leaders that are working to “scale up” agroecology around the world. Agroecology is an agricultural method based on the traditional knowledge of those who cultivate the land and a way of life. WhyHunger release its first agroecology publication that shares the knowledge and perspectives of social movement leaders that are working to “scale up” agroecology around the world.
Food, farming and climate change: it's bigger than everything else by Ryan Zinn | 30 Apr 2015 climate crisis When we think of climate change and global warming, visions of coal-fired power plants and solar panels come to mind. Policy discussions and personal action usually revolve around hybrid cars, energy-efficient homes and debates about the latest technological solutions. However, the global agriculture system is at the heart of both the problem and the solution. When we think of climate change and global warming, visions of coal-fired power plants and solar panels come to mind. Policy discussions and personal action usually revolve around hybrid cars, energy-efficient homes and debates about the latest technological solutions. However, the global agriculture system is at the heart of both the problem and the solution.
Farmers make more money with ecological farming by Mark Curtis & Greenpeace | 22 Apr 2015 Kenya | Malawi | technologies | food sovereignty | seeds & biodiversity More money for small scale farmers with ecological farming – this is the message contained in a Greenpeace Africa report released in Nairobi today. The report – based on research in Kenya and Malawi – shows that ecological farming provides substantial financial benefits to small-scale farmers when compared to those farmers that use agro-chemical More money for small scale farmers with ecological farming – this is the message contained in a Greenpeace Africa report released in Nairobi today. The report – based on research in Kenya and Malawi – shows that ecological farming provides substantial financial benefits to small-scale farmers when compared to those farmers that use agro-chemical
Global resistance to land grabs by Bolloré and Socfin by ReAct | 22 Apr 2015 Cambodia | Cameroon | Cote d'Ivoire | Liberia | Sierra Leone | land grabbing Peasant farmers deprived of their lands have launched a series of occupations of Socfin's plantations in Cameroon, Liberia, Cambodia and Côte d'Ivoire Peasant farmers deprived of their lands have launched a series of occupations of Socfin's plantations in Cameroon, Liberia, Cambodia and Côte d'Ivoire
Why we need local food systems and how to get them by Friend of the Earth Europe | 14 Apr 2015 corporations | food sovereignty New report: communities taking control of the food revolution New report: communities taking control of the food revolution
World Social Forum 2015: Space of convergence of land and water struggles by CLWS | 26 Mar 2015 land grabbing | food sovereignty We, social and grassroots movements and their allies met at the African Social Forum in Dakar in October 2014, with the objective to unite all the struggles for the Land and Water and against the criminalization of activists thereof. We have developed a declaration entitled "Rights to Water and Land, A Common Struggle". We, social and grassroots movements and their allies met at the African Social Forum in Dakar in October 2014, with the objective to unite all the struggles for the Land and Water and against the criminalization of activists thereof. We have developed a declaration entitled "Rights to Water and Land, A Common Struggle".
South Africa – Land for food! One woman, one hectare! Rural Women's Assembly march in Cape Town on 21 March by Rural Women's Assembly | 19 Mar 2015 South Africa | food sovereignty | laws & policies | actions Rural women are the guardians of seed, life and love. Without land, seeds cannot be planted. Without land, life cannot be brought forth and without land in the hands of women, the love for nature does not exist while corporate control rapidly destroys the planet we share. We will not wait to be given land and will march across the world in unity with our sisters. Rural women are the guardians of seed, life and love. Without land, seeds cannot be planted. Without land, life cannot be brought forth and without land in the hands of women, the love for nature does not exist while corporate control rapidly destroys the planet we share. We will not wait to be given land and will march across the world in unity with our sisters.
The global biomass robbery by EJOLT | 13 Mar 2015 Ethiopia | Indonesia | Paraguay | land grabbing | corporations The latest report by EJOLT, a global alliance of environmental justice organisations, on the nature and impact of the increasing global biomass trade. The report examines the global evolution of food production and international food trade and identifies related drivers of socio-environmental conflicts. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, global trade in agricultural products grew more than three times faster than agricultural production. Nearly all the new land that had been put into production since 1986 was used to produce export crops. The authors conclude that the EU should revise the Common Agricultural Policy to strengthen small-scale farming, promote shorter production chains, support fair trade schemes, as well as to increase organic and permaculture practices. Henk Hobbelink from GRAIN said that “On this topic, the only real policy recommendation that I see is that the expansion of the commodity crops should be stopped and reversed, and land should be reverted to food production in the hand of small farmers.” The latest report by EJOLT, a global alliance of environmental justice organisations, on the nature and impact of the increasing global biomass trade. The report examines the global evolution of food production and international food trade and identifies related drivers of socio-environmental conflicts. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, global trade in agricultural products grew more than three times faster than agricultural production. Nearly all the new land that had been put into production since 1986 was used to produce export crops. The authors conclude that the EU should revise the Common Agricultural Policy to strengthen small-scale farming, promote shorter production chains, support fair trade schemes, as well as to increase organic and permaculture practices. Henk Hobbelink from GRAIN said that “On this topic, the only real policy recommendation that I see is that the expansion of the commodity crops should be stopped and reversed, and land should be reverted to food production in the hand of small farmers.”
Realities of rural women across South Asia - a report from North India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by La Via Campesina South Asia | 8 Mar 2015 Bangladesh | India | Sri Lanka | food sovereignty | actions Though the word “farmer” is gender neutral, when people think of farmers, they automatically picture men. This is so internalized that we have to specify “women farmers” to address the significant half of ‘the farming world’. The blindness to women in agriculture goes beyond language; the visible-invisible contribution of women in the agriculture sector and rural society is completely neglected. Members of LVC South Asia take this day as an opportunity to share the realities of rural women in each of our areas – farmers facing sexual violence in North India, religious fundamentalism in Bangladesh, and militarism in Sri Lanka. Though the word “farmer” is gender neutral, when people think of farmers, they automatically picture men. This is so internalized that we have to specify “women farmers” to address the significant half of ‘the farming world’. The blindness to women in agriculture goes beyond language; the visible-invisible contribution of women in the agriculture sector and rural society is completely neglected. Members of LVC South Asia take this day as an opportunity to share the realities of rural women in each of our areas – farmers facing sexual violence in North India, religious fundamentalism in Bangladesh, and militarism in Sri Lanka.
Who controls our food? by Nick Dearden | 4 Mar 2015 food sovereignty How we produce food is a deeply political issue that affects the lives and livelihoods of billions of people. A new report from Global Justice Now, From The Roots Up, shows that not only can small-scale organically produced food feed the world, but it can do so better than intensive, corporate-controlled agriculture. How we produce food is a deeply political issue that affects the lives and livelihoods of billions of people. A new report from Global Justice Now, From The Roots Up, shows that not only can small-scale organically produced food feed the world, but it can do so better than intensive, corporate-controlled agriculture.
Mali: "Agroecology is in our hands! We are building it further together!" by La Via Campesina | 25 Feb 2015 food sovereignty | seeds & biodiversity From 24-27 February, the women and men gathered at the International Agroecology Conference in Mali will debate and share experiences to reinforce a common vision and principles of agroecology that include its social, economic and political elements. From 24-27 February, the women and men gathered at the International Agroecology Conference in Mali will debate and share experiences to reinforce a common vision and principles of agroecology that include its social, economic and political elements.