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".
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.”
Golden Rice is unnecessary and dangerous by STOP Golden Rice Alliance | 10 Mar 2015 Seeds With inexpensive Vitamin A abundantly available from various natural sources, it is a mistake to turn blindly to Golden Rice, a crop that the International Rice Research Institute itself admits it has not yet determined can actually improve vitamin A intake. Farmers and civil society organisations strongly denounce the Golden Rice Campaign Tour planned for the Philippines, Bangladesh, and India from 4-20 March 2015 and continue to call for the defence of traditional and farmer-bred crop varieties and the prohibition of the commercialisation of Golden Rice. With inexpensive Vitamin A abundantly available from various natural sources, it is a mistake to turn blindly to Golden Rice, a crop that the International Rice Research Institute itself admits it has not yet determined can actually improve vitamin A intake. Farmers and civil society organisations strongly denounce the Golden Rice Campaign Tour planned for the Philippines, Bangladesh, and India from 4-20 March 2015 and continue to call for the defence of traditional and farmer-bred crop varieties and the prohibition of the commercialisation of Golden Rice.
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.
Free trade and Mexico’s junk food epidemic by GRAIN | 2 Mar 2015 Corporations Transnational food companies are taking over traditional distribution channels in the South and replacing local foods with cheap, processed junk food, often with the direct support of governments. Free trade and investment agreements have been critical to their success. The case of Mexico provides a stark picture of the consequences for the world's poorest people. Transnational food companies are taking over traditional distribution channels in the South and replacing local foods with cheap, processed junk food, often with the direct support of governments. Free trade and investment agreements have been critical to their success. The case of Mexico provides a stark picture of the consequences for the world's poorest people.
Tycoon-controlled oil palm groups in Indonesia by Rahmawati Retno Winarni and Jan Willem van Gelder | 20 Feb 2015 Indonesia | land grabbing | corporations The rapid expansion of Indonesian oil palm plantations creates serious environmental and social problems. A report analyse the ownership and financing of 25 large tycoon-controlled business groups that control 31% (3.1 million hectares) of the total planted oil palm plantation at present. These groups still have at least 2 million hectares of undeveloped land banks under control. The most important business groups - in terms of their planted areas - are Sinar Mas Group, Salim Group, Jardine Matheson Group, Wilmar Group and Surya Dumai Group. The rapid expansion of Indonesian oil palm plantations creates serious environmental and social problems. A report analyse the ownership and financing of 25 large tycoon-controlled business groups that control 31% (3.1 million hectares) of the total planted oil palm plantation at present. These groups still have at least 2 million hectares of undeveloped land banks under control. The most important business groups - in terms of their planted areas - are Sinar Mas Group, Salim Group, Jardine Matheson Group, Wilmar Group and Surya Dumai Group.
Despite hunger, Mozambique leases huge land holdings to foreigners by Chris Arsenault, Reuters | 19 Feb 2015 Mozambique | land grabbing | corporations | laws & policies A report on landgrabbing by GRAIN and the Mozambique small farmers movement UNAC has sparked quite some debate in the country. According to Chris Arsenault of Reuters: "Mozambique, a country wracked by hunger, has signed away land concessions three times larger than Greater London to outside investors in the past decade, displacing thousands of farmers in the process, said a report released on Thursday". A report on landgrabbing by GRAIN and the Mozambique small farmers movement UNAC has sparked quite some debate in the country. According to Chris Arsenault of Reuters: "Mozambique, a country wracked by hunger, has signed away land concessions three times larger than Greater London to outside investors in the past decade, displacing thousands of farmers in the process, said a report released on Thursday".
The land grabbers of the Nacala Corridor by UNAC | GRAIN | 19 Feb 2015 Land A new report by Mozambique's National Farmers' Union (UNAC) and GRAIN shows there is a colonial-style scramble for Africa's farm lands under way. Politically-connected companies based in offshore tax havens have grabbed hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland from peasants in Mozambique. A new report by Mozambique's National Farmers' Union (UNAC) and GRAIN shows there is a colonial-style scramble for Africa's farm lands under way. Politically-connected companies based in offshore tax havens have grabbed hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland from peasants in Mozambique.
Thailand: Farmers and rights groups decry land activist killing by Bangkok Post | 16 Feb 2015 Thailand | land grabbing | actions On Wednesday, February 11 2015, Chai Bunthonglek, a land rights activist from Klong Sai Pattana village, Chaiburi District Suratthani Province and member of the Southern Peasant Federation of Thailand was gunned down. International and local human rights defenders have condemned the murder of a land rights activist in Surat Thani. On Wednesday, February 11 2015, Chai Bunthonglek, a land rights activist from Klong Sai Pattana village, Chaiburi District Suratthani Province and member of the Southern Peasant Federation of Thailand was gunned down. International and local human rights defenders have condemned the murder of a land rights activist in Surat Thani.
Structural reforms, free trade agreements and the war on subsistence by GRAIN | 10 Feb 2015 Corporations During twenty workshops, five pre-hearings, a final hearing and a complementary hearing of the Permanent People's Tribunal in Mexico, various communities and organisations exposed the vast and systematic character of the attack against the peasantry and independent food production. The purpose of this text is to present the Mexican case as a mirror in which other countries may see the first hand effects of the subordination implicit in free trade agreements. During twenty workshops, five pre-hearings, a final hearing and a complementary hearing of the Permanent People's Tribunal in Mexico, various communities and organisations exposed the vast and systematic character of the attack against the peasantry and independent food production. The purpose of this text is to present the Mexican case as a mirror in which other countries may see the first hand effects of the subordination implicit in free trade agreements.
EU-US trade deal threatens food safety by GRAIN, FOEE, IATP, and others | 5 Feb 2015 The trade agreement being negotiated between the US and EU threatens public health, consumer rights and animal welfare standards. This is documented in a new report co-published by FOEE, IATP, Centre for Food Safety, Compassion in Wolrd Farming, and GRAIN. The criticisms come as negotiators from both sides of the Atlantic meet behind closed doors in Brussels, Belgium this week to start writing new food safety rules for the trade deal and as hundreds of people demonstrated against the ‘Trojan Horse Treaty’. The trade agreement being negotiated between the US and EU threatens public health, consumer rights and animal welfare standards. This is documented in a new report co-published by FOEE, IATP, Centre for Food Safety, Compassion in Wolrd Farming, and GRAIN. The criticisms come as negotiators from both sides of the Atlantic meet behind closed doors in Brussels, Belgium this week to start writing new food safety rules for the trade deal and as hundreds of people demonstrated against the ‘Trojan Horse Treaty’.
Dominion Farm's land grab in Nigeria by Environmental Rights Action / Friends of the Earth Nigeria | Center for Environmental Education and Development (CEED) | 28 Jan 2015 Land Farmers in Taraba State refuse to give up their lands for massive rice plantation project backed by the G8 Farmers in Taraba State refuse to give up their lands for massive rice plantation project backed by the G8
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.
Right to land and seed by Jürgen Kraus and Heiko Thiele | 15 Dec 2014 food sovereignty | actions “Food sovereignty” is the main political demand of the landless and peasant movement in Bangladesh in times of climate change and intensifying land conflicts. The peasant movement fights for a revolutionary land reform and self-determined food production, in order to improve and guarantee the local and national food supply. “Food sovereignty” is the main political demand of the landless and peasant movement in Bangladesh in times of climate change and intensifying land conflicts. The peasant movement fights for a revolutionary land reform and self-determined food production, in order to improve and guarantee the local and national food supply.