Camila retires from GRAIN by GRAIN | 19 Dec 2018 It is with a tinge of sadness but a huge amount of love and appreciation that we announce that Camila Montecinos will retire from GRAIN as of 31 December 2018. It is with a tinge of sadness but a huge amount of love and appreciation that we announce that Camila Montecinos will retire from GRAIN as of 31 December 2018.
Villagers in Sierra Leone ponder their future after winning their lands back from a palm oil company by WRM and GRAIN | 18 Dec 2018 Sierra Leone | United Kingdom | land grabbing Villagers in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone are celebrating. After nearly a decade of struggling against a company that grabbed their lands and erected oil palm plantations, a court has ruled that the lands must be given back to the communities. Now they are trying to figure out what they should do with the large areas of lands that have been occupied by rows and rows of oil palms. Villagers in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone are celebrating. After nearly a decade of struggling against a company that grabbed their lands and erected oil palm plantations, a court has ruled that the lands must be given back to the communities. Now they are trying to figure out what they should do with the large areas of lands that have been occupied by rows and rows of oil palms.
Peasants rights victory in New York by Via Campesina | 18 Dec 2018 Congratulations to Via Campesina and allies for the adoption of the Peasant Rights Declaration at the UN in New York! Congratulations to Via Campesina and allies for the adoption of the Peasant Rights Declaration at the UN in New York!
GMO cotton failure in Burkina Faso: Farmers speak out by Inter Pares | 3 Dec 2018 Burkina Faso | GMOs For two years, over 500 farmers from the different cotton-growing regions in Burkina Faso documented their experience with Monsanto’s Bt cotton. This three-year farmer-led research initiative, called “Bt Cotton and Us: The Truth from our Fields,” provides an important counterbalance, as Burkina Faso was the first country in West Africa to adopt genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and industry often lauds its success when promoting GMOs in other countries. For two years, over 500 farmers from the different cotton-growing regions in Burkina Faso documented their experience with Monsanto’s Bt cotton. This three-year farmer-led research initiative, called “Bt Cotton and Us: The Truth from our Fields,” provides an important counterbalance, as Burkina Faso was the first country in West Africa to adopt genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and industry often lauds its success when promoting GMOs in other countries.
Only the soil can free us by Joeva Rock, Africa is a country | 29 Nov 2018 Burkina Faso | food sovereignty Why agricultural change is political change. Take the case of farmers in Burkina Faso. Why agricultural change is political change. Take the case of farmers in Burkina Faso.
Supermarkets out! Food systems are doing just fine without them by GRAIN | 26 Nov 2018 Corporations | Supermarket Watch In this edition of the Supermarkets Watch Asia Bulletin, we look at the expansion of multinational food companies and retailers from a widened point-of-view. These companies are adopting new strategies to expand their presence in Asia and across the globe. The editorial of this number of the Bulletin focuses on the aggressive actions of multinational supermarket chains in Africa. Their impact on local food systems has given birth to a new struggle across the African continent, led by small farmers, small vendors and consumers. In this edition of the Supermarkets Watch Asia Bulletin, we look at the expansion of multinational food companies and retailers from a widened point-of-view. These companies are adopting new strategies to expand their presence in Asia and across the globe. The editorial of this number of the Bulletin focuses on the aggressive actions of multinational supermarket chains in Africa. Their impact on local food systems has given birth to a new struggle across the African continent, led by small farmers, small vendors and consumers.
Pathways out of the climate chaos by Silvia Ribeiro | 21 Nov 2018 climate crisis Limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial is feasible. And it is our best hope of achieving environmental and social justice, of containing the impacts of a global crisis that was born out of historical injustice and highly unequal responsibility. An excellent piece by Silvia Ribeiro of the ETC Group, showing why we need 'radical realism' to fight the climata crisis, not artificial and dangerous technofixes. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial is feasible. And it is our best hope of achieving environmental and social justice, of containing the impacts of a global crisis that was born out of historical injustice and highly unequal responsibility. An excellent piece by Silvia Ribeiro of the ETC Group, showing why we need 'radical realism' to fight the climata crisis, not artificial and dangerous technofixes.
Don’t get fooled again! Unmasking two decades of lies about Golden Rice by GRAIN, MASIPAG and Stop Golden Rice! Network | 21 Nov 2018 Seeds In a now iconic Time magazine cover back in 2000, Golden Rice was hailed as the “rice that could save millions.” The optimistic prediction of commercialising the genetically-modified (GM) rice in the early 2000s turned out to be a dud: two decades hence and the Golden Rice has yet to fulfill its messianic promise of solving Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) among kids in poor countries. In a now iconic Time magazine cover back in 2000, Golden Rice was hailed as the “rice that could save millions.” The optimistic prediction of commercialising the genetically-modified (GM) rice in the early 2000s turned out to be a dud: two decades hence and the Golden Rice has yet to fulfill its messianic promise of solving Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) among kids in poor countries.
Orphans of the Land by Jessica Milgroom, Cultivate! | 19 Nov 2018 Mozambique | land grabbing A great documentary film about resettlement of communities in Mozambique who had to make way for the Limpopo National Park. People facing resettlement are filled with hope for a better life. Although some families find prosperity after resettlement, as orphans of the land, villages lose autonomy to make decisions about the natural resources on which their livelihoods and social cohesion depend. Based on four years research, this film puts names and faces to the people who are being displaced from their land to make room for a national park. A great documentary film about resettlement of communities in Mozambique who had to make way for the Limpopo National Park. People facing resettlement are filled with hope for a better life. Although some families find prosperity after resettlement, as orphans of the land, villages lose autonomy to make decisions about the natural resources on which their livelihoods and social cohesion depend. Based on four years research, this film puts names and faces to the people who are being displaced from their land to make room for a national park.
The Daewoo-Madagascar land grab: Ten years on by GRAIN and the Collective for the Defence of Malagasy Lands | 16 Nov 2018 Land On 18 November 2008, The Financial Times exposed a massive deal being negotiated between Daewoo Logistics and the government of Madagascar. Through this deal, the South Korean company was seeking access to no less than 1.3 million hectares to grow maize for export back home while the local communities were uninformed. The breaking of this story helped lead to the overthrow of the Malagasy government a few months later, and woke the world up to an outrageous new trend of global land grabbing for agricultural production driven by the food and financial crises. Ten years later, what are we seeing? On 18 November 2008, The Financial Times exposed a massive deal being negotiated between Daewoo Logistics and the government of Madagascar. Through this deal, the South Korean company was seeking access to no less than 1.3 million hectares to grow maize for export back home while the local communities were uninformed. The breaking of this story helped lead to the overthrow of the Malagasy government a few months later, and woke the world up to an outrageous new trend of global land grabbing for agricultural production driven by the food and financial crises. Ten years later, what are we seeing?
Open letter - Brazilian civil society recommendations for the 14th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its protocols by Brazilian civil society | 16 Nov 2018 Brazil | seeds & biodiversity We, Brazilian peasants, family farmers, indigenous peoples, traditional peoples and communities, community scientists, social and trade union movements and urban groups, aware of the themes to be discussed at COP14, hereby manifest our position. We, Brazilian peasants, family farmers, indigenous peoples, traditional peoples and communities, community scientists, social and trade union movements and urban groups, aware of the themes to be discussed at COP14, hereby manifest our position.
Corporate control and food sovereignty: issues and ways forward by Focus on the Global South | 15 Nov 2018 Cambodia | Indonesia | Lao People's Democratic Republic | Myanmar | Thailand | Viet Nam | corporations | food sovereignty On 24 July 2018, Focus on the Global South, ETC Group, and the Chulalongkorn University Research Institute (CUSRI) organized a forum in Bangkok on corporate concentration in agriculture and food, and its implications on food sovereignty in South East Asia. The forum brought speakers from a number of national, regional and international organisations, and the audience of around 60 individuals comprised representatives from social movements, civil society organisations, academia, and the general public. On 24 July 2018, Focus on the Global South, ETC Group, and the Chulalongkorn University Research Institute (CUSRI) organized a forum in Bangkok on corporate concentration in agriculture and food, and its implications on food sovereignty in South East Asia. The forum brought speakers from a number of national, regional and international organisations, and the audience of around 60 individuals comprised representatives from social movements, civil society organisations, academia, and the general public.
The global farmland grab by pension funds needs to stop by GRAIN | 13 Nov 2018 Land Money from pension funds has fuelled the financial sector's massive move into farmland investing over the past decade. The number of pension funds involved in farmland investment and the amount of money they are deploying into it is increasing, under the radar. This unprecedented take-over of farmland by financial companies has major implications for rural communities and food systems, and must be challenged. Leaving it to the companies to police themselves with their own voluntary guidelines is a recipe for disaster. Money from pension funds has fuelled the financial sector's massive move into farmland investing over the past decade. The number of pension funds involved in farmland investment and the amount of money they are deploying into it is increasing, under the radar. This unprecedented take-over of farmland by financial companies has major implications for rural communities and food systems, and must be challenged. Leaving it to the companies to police themselves with their own voluntary guidelines is a recipe for disaster.
Agroecology for Africa by AFSA | 10 Nov 2018 agroecology | agroecology A great animated video explains why agroecology is right for Africa. By AFSA A great animated video explains why agroecology is right for Africa. By AFSA
Supermarkets out of Africa! Food systems across the continent are doing just fine without them by GRAIN | 8 Nov 2018 Corporations Africa's food systems are a final frontier for multinational food companies and retailers. Most Africans still consume a healthy diet of traditional foods, supplied by millions of small vendors and small farmers across the continent. But this is slowly changing as global food companies and retailers adopt new strategies to expand their presence on the continent, led by the aggressive actions of some multinational supermarket chains. The livelihoods of millions of small vendors and local farmers are at risk, as are people's health and the continent's diverse traditional food cultures. While African governments do little but facilitate this expansion of foreign supermarkets, small vendors, farmers and urban consumers are coming together to defend their local food systems. Africa's food systems are a final frontier for multinational food companies and retailers. Most Africans still consume a healthy diet of traditional foods, supplied by millions of small vendors and small farmers across the continent. But this is slowly changing as global food companies and retailers adopt new strategies to expand their presence on the continent, led by the aggressive actions of some multinational supermarket chains. The livelihoods of millions of small vendors and local farmers are at risk, as are people's health and the continent's diverse traditional food cultures. While African governments do little but facilitate this expansion of foreign supermarkets, small vendors, farmers and urban consumers are coming together to defend their local food systems.