UnderMining Agriculture - New Report from The Gaia Foundation by Gaia Foundation | 18 Sep 2014 land grabbing | corporations The world's food production and millions of small farmers and communities are under increasing threat from the rapid expansion of mining, says a new report released by the Gaia Foundation. The world's food production and millions of small farmers and communities are under increasing threat from the rapid expansion of mining, says a new report released by the Gaia Foundation.
Social Movements denounce corporate take-over of Ban Ki-Moon Climate Summit by Climatespace | 18 Sep 2014 climate crisis Social movements representing more than 200 million members around the world have publicly denounced the corporate take-over of the upcoming Ban Ki-Moon Climate Summit. In a joint statement published on September 16, they call for systemic change rather than the voluntary pledges and market-based and destructive public-private partnership initiatives that currently feature on the Summit’s agenda, like REDD+ Climate-Smart Agriculture and the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Social movements representing more than 200 million members around the world have publicly denounced the corporate take-over of the upcoming Ban Ki-Moon Climate Summit. In a joint statement published on September 16, they call for systemic change rather than the voluntary pledges and market-based and destructive public-private partnership initiatives that currently feature on the Summit’s agenda, like REDD+ Climate-Smart Agriculture and the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.
The political economy of Africa's burgeoning chemical fertiliser rush by African Centre for Biosafety | 16 Sep 2014 corporations | technologies The African Centre for Biosafety has just released an in-depth report, The Political economy of Africa’s burgeoning chemical fertiliser rush, which looks at the role of fertiliser in the push for a Green Revolution in Africa, some of the key present and future fertiliser trends on the continent, and identifies the major players involved. The African Centre for Biosafety has just released an in-depth report, The Political economy of Africa’s burgeoning chemical fertiliser rush, which looks at the role of fertiliser in the push for a Green Revolution in Africa, some of the key present and future fertiliser trends on the continent, and identifies the major players involved.
Carnivorous greed by Silvia Ribeiro | 12 Sep 2014 corporations The industrial production of meat and meat products is becoming a huge problem for environmental pollution and the ravages to land and water. It’s also one of the greatest factors contributing to climate change and is the main global destination for GM crops. The industrial production of meat and meat products is becoming a huge problem for environmental pollution and the ravages to land and water. It’s also one of the greatest factors contributing to climate change and is the main global destination for GM crops.
Nestlé, ADM and Cargill can’t escape liability for cocoa child slavery, rules court by Oliver Nieburg | 11 Sep 2014 Cote d'Ivoire | corporations “Driven by the goal to reduce costs in any way possible, the defendants allegedly supported the use of child slavery, the cheapest form of labor available,” said senior circuit judge DW Nelson. He said that the companies controlled the Ivorian cocoa market and instead of using that control to stop slavery, they facilitated it. “Driven by the goal to reduce costs in any way possible, the defendants allegedly supported the use of child slavery, the cheapest form of labor available,” said senior circuit judge DW Nelson. He said that the companies controlled the Ivorian cocoa market and instead of using that control to stop slavery, they facilitated it.
Goodbye and thank you, Sarath! by Asian Peasant Coalition | 9 Sep 2014 Sri Lanka | food sovereignty “In Sri Lanka, my greatest desire is to enlighten the plantation population, about a million, that they have their own land to till and be a dignified citizens in the country” – Sarath Fernando, founder of Sri Lanka's Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform, 1942-2014 “In Sri Lanka, my greatest desire is to enlighten the plantation population, about a million, that they have their own land to till and be a dignified citizens in the country” – Sarath Fernando, founder of Sri Lanka's Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform, 1942-2014
The future control of food by Geoff Tansey | 8 Sep 2014 food crisis | laws & policies A wide-ranging guide to the key issues of intellectual property and ownership, genetics, biodiversity, and food security. It also discusses civil society responses to relevant changes and developments in these issues, how they affect the direction of research and development, the nature of global negotiation processes and various alternative futures. A wide-ranging guide to the key issues of intellectual property and ownership, genetics, biodiversity, and food security. It also discusses civil society responses to relevant changes and developments in these issues, how they affect the direction of research and development, the nature of global negotiation processes and various alternative futures.
What do Chinese dumplings have to do with global warming? by Nicola Twilley | 8 Sep 2014 China | corporations | climate crisis An artificial winter has begun to stretch across the country, through its fields and its ports, its logistics hubs and freeways. China had 250 million cubic feet of refrigerated storage capacity in 2007; by 2017, the country is on track to have 20 times that. This is not simply transforming how Chinese people grow, distribute and consume food. It also stands to become a formidable new factor in climate change; cooling is already responsible for 15 percent of all electricity consumption worldwide, and leaks of chemical refrigerants are a major source of greenhouse-gas pollution. An artificial winter has begun to stretch across the country, through its fields and its ports, its logistics hubs and freeways. China had 250 million cubic feet of refrigerated storage capacity in 2007; by 2017, the country is on track to have 20 times that. This is not simply transforming how Chinese people grow, distribute and consume food. It also stands to become a formidable new factor in climate change; cooling is already responsible for 15 percent of all electricity consumption worldwide, and leaks of chemical refrigerants are a major source of greenhouse-gas pollution.
Agriculture in 'terrible crisis': Indian farmers are struggling to survive by Devinder Sharma | 25 Aug 2014 India | food sovereignty | laws & policies The effort by the World Trade Organization to reshape Indian agricultural policies comes at a time when Indian agriculture is faced with a terrible agrarian crisis. The environmental impacts of the intensively-farmed Green Revolution have become a full-blown crisis of sustainability. With soil fertility devastated, water tables plummeting as a result of relentless water mining, environmental contamination from excessive use and abuse of chemical pesticides, the entire farming equation has gone wrong. The effort by the World Trade Organization to reshape Indian agricultural policies comes at a time when Indian agriculture is faced with a terrible agrarian crisis. The environmental impacts of the intensively-farmed Green Revolution have become a full-blown crisis of sustainability. With soil fertility devastated, water tables plummeting as a result of relentless water mining, environmental contamination from excessive use and abuse of chemical pesticides, the entire farming equation has gone wrong.
Bicolano farmers continue fight against Golden Rice field tests and commercialization! Call for a GMO free Bicol by MASIPAG | SIKWAL-GMO | KMB | 22 Aug 2014 Philippines | technologies | seeds & biodiversity A year after the uprooting of Golden Rice, more than a hundred farmers, scientists, consumers and basic sectors joined hands to call for the immediate halt of the planned field tests and commercialization of Golden Rice in Philippines, saying that this will only pose more problems rather than solving the problem on hunger and malnutrition. A year after the uprooting of Golden Rice, more than a hundred farmers, scientists, consumers and basic sectors joined hands to call for the immediate halt of the planned field tests and commercialization of Golden Rice in Philippines, saying that this will only pose more problems rather than solving the problem on hunger and malnutrition.
Who will feed China’s pigs?...And why it matters to us and the planet by Tom Levitt | 20 Aug 2014 China | land grabbing | corporations A new generation of Chinese companies like the New Hope Group and COFCO are challenging the dominance of US agribusiness as they seek to meet China’s growing demand for food A new generation of Chinese companies like the New Hope Group and COFCO are challenging the dominance of US agribusiness as they seek to meet China’s growing demand for food
Economic valuation of nature. The price to pay for conservation? A critical exploration by Jutta Kill | 18 Aug 2014 corporations 'Nature is destroyed because it’s invisible to politicians and business', advocates of economic valuation say. The implicit assumption: Create a ‘nature that capital can see’ and the loss of biodiversity will be stopped. But it isn’t that simple! 'Nature is destroyed because it’s invisible to politicians and business', advocates of economic valuation say. The implicit assumption: Create a ‘nature that capital can see’ and the loss of biodiversity will be stopped. But it isn’t that simple!
China detains five in meat probe by Financial Times | 6 Aug 2014 China | United States | corporations Chinese authorities have detained five employees of a US-owned company accused of relabelling expired meat amid allegations of systemic violations at a key supplier to McDonald’s, KFC and other fast-food chains in China and Japan. Chinese authorities have detained five employees of a US-owned company accused of relabelling expired meat amid allegations of systemic violations at a key supplier to McDonald’s, KFC and other fast-food chains in China and Japan.
GMOs promote poverty and dependency in Africa by Nnimmo Bassey, Million Belay, and Mariam Mayet | 25 Jul 2014 GMOs The recent article, GM scaremongering in Africa is disarming the fight against poverty, published in the Guardian’s PovertyMatters Blog on 21 July 2014i, is a thinly veiled attack on those of us in Africa and elsewhere who are deeply skeptical of the supposed benefits that genetically modified (GM) crops will bring to the continent. Based on a report by London-based think-tank Chatham House, it represents paternalism of the worst kind, advancing the interests of the biotechnology industry behind a barely constructed façade of philanthropy. The recent article, GM scaremongering in Africa is disarming the fight against poverty, published in the Guardian’s PovertyMatters Blog on 21 July 2014i, is a thinly veiled attack on those of us in Africa and elsewhere who are deeply skeptical of the supposed benefits that genetically modified (GM) crops will bring to the continent. Based on a report by London-based think-tank Chatham House, it represents paternalism of the worst kind, advancing the interests of the biotechnology industry behind a barely constructed façade of philanthropy.
Dario Ruggiero interviews GRAIN staffers by Dario Ruggiero | 24 Jul 2014 land grabbing | seeds & biodiversity Dario Ruggiero of 'LT-Economy' interviewed GRAIN staffers Ramon Vera and Henk Hobbelink. Ramon talks about the struggles around seeds, and Henk zooms in on the issues of land grabbing. The full magazine which contains other interesting interviews and articles, can be downloaded here. Dario Ruggiero of 'LT-Economy' interviewed GRAIN staffers Ramon Vera and Henk Hobbelink. Ramon talks about the struggles around seeds, and Henk zooms in on the issues of land grabbing. The full magazine which contains other interesting interviews and articles, can be downloaded here.