The latest from GRAIN

#COP21: cooling the planet—frontline communities lead the struggle

Join this public event organised by the Global Convergence of Land and Water Struggles on Thursday 10 December 2015 at 13:00-17:00 in Paris. 

Join this public event organised by the Global Convergence of Land and Water Struggles on Thursday 10 December 2015 at 13:00-17:00 in Paris. 

The great climate robbery

"How the food system drives climate change and what we can do about it" A new book by GRAIN

"How the food system drives climate change and what we can do about it" A new book by GRAIN

Seeds in the hands of farmers

In this video, Henk Hobbelink of GRAIN contrasts the approaches to seed conservation that have emerged since the so-called ‘green revolution’. He advocates for on-farm, farmer-led conservation which secures the control of seed in the hands of small farmers.

In this video, Henk Hobbelink of GRAIN contrasts the approaches to seed conservation that have emerged since the so-called ‘green revolution’. He advocates for on-farm, farmer-led conservation which secures the control of seed in the hands of small farmers.

Argentina: New “national” GMOs. Resistance multiplies.

The government of Argentina has announced with great fanfare the introduction of new GMOs allegedly different from the existing ones in three ways: 1) the transgenes do not code for herbicide resistance or production of the Bt toxin; 2) some of them are claimed to promise yield increases, and 3) they have not been developed by corporations but by universities and public research institutes. These, however, are pretexts under which to continue imposing the same agribusiness model on our country.  

The government of Argentina has announced with great fanfare the introduction of new GMOs allegedly different from the existing ones in three ways: 1) the transgenes do not code for herbicide resistance or production of the Bt toxin; 2) some of them are claimed to promise yield increases, and 3) they have not been developed by corporations but by universities and public research institutes. These, however, are pretexts under which to continue imposing the same agribusiness model on our country.  

The secretive trade agreements that could scupper climate change ​action​

While all the focus and hope for tackling climate change is on COP 21 in Paris, starting today, secretive global trade deals are already negating any commitments that might be made at the summit. The texts from the various trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), make it clear that they will increase production, trade and consumption of fossil fuels. An article by GRAIN for the Guardian.

While all the focus and hope for tackling climate change is on COP 21 in Paris, starting today, secretive global trade deals are already negating any commitments that might be made at the summit. The texts from the various trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), make it clear that they will increase production, trade and consumption of fossil fuels. An article by GRAIN for the Guardian.

Food, ag and climate @ COP21

A listing of key programmes of activities on the connections between farming, the food system and climate change during the COP21 in Paris (30 Nov - 11 Dec 2015)

A listing of key programmes of activities on the connections between farming, the food system and climate change during the COP21 in Paris (30 Nov - 11 Dec 2015)

Where the struggles of peasants and forest communities converge

GRAIN is happy to announce the release of the latest issue of the World Rainforest Movement’s monthly bulletin, which, for the first time, has been co-produced with GRAIN. The bulletin focuses on the common struggles of peasant and forest-dependent communities relating to climate change. It brings together several articles showing how corporations are advancing their agendas through false solutions, such as REDD+ or “climate smart” agriculture and forestry, and through trade agreements and certification schemes, such as the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil. The bulletin includes a range of resources and case studies highlighting how communities and social movements are working for real solutions to climate change and building food sovereignty.

GRAIN is happy to announce the release of the latest issue of the World Rainforest Movement’s monthly bulletin, which, for the first time, has been co-produced with GRAIN. The bulletin focuses on the common struggles of peasant and forest-dependent communities relating to climate change. It brings together several articles showing how corporations are advancing their agendas through false solutions, such as REDD+ or “climate smart” agriculture and forestry, and through trade agreements and certification schemes, such as the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil. The bulletin includes a range of resources and case studies highlighting how communities and social movements are working for real solutions to climate change and building food sovereignty.

Top Swedish, US and Canadian pension funds linked to Brazilian land grabs, displacement of people

Media Release - 17 November 2015 A New York company managing the retirement savings of workers in Sweden, the US and Canada is evading Brazilian laws on foreign investment to acquire farmlands from a businessman accused of violently displacing local communities, according to a new report, released today by Rede Social de Justiça e Direitos Humanos, GRAIN, Inter Pares, and Solidarity Sweden – Latin America.

Media Release - 17 November 2015 A New York company managing the retirement savings of workers in Sweden, the US and Canada is evading Brazilian laws on foreign investment to acquire farmlands from a businessman accused of violently displacing local communities, according to a new report, released today by Rede Social de Justiça e Direitos Humanos, GRAIN, Inter Pares, and Solidarity Sweden – Latin America.

Foreign pension funds and land grabbing in Brazil

A New York company managing the retirement savings of workers in Sweden, the US and Canada is evading Brazilian laws on foreign investment to acquire farmlands from a businessman accused of violently displacing local communities

A New York company managing the retirement savings of workers in Sweden, the US and Canada is evading Brazilian laws on foreign investment to acquire farmlands from a businessman accused of violently displacing local communities

International civil society alarmed by conviction of Cameroonian environmental human rights defender

Media release. Yaoundé November 5, 2015 Cameroonian authorities must stop the repression of environmental human rights defender according to an international coalition of six environmental and human rights organizations, which includes Greenpeace Africa, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), GRAIN, Fern, Oakland Institute and SAVE.

Media release. Yaoundé November 5, 2015 Cameroonian authorities must stop the repression of environmental human rights defender according to an international coalition of six environmental and human rights organizations, which includes Greenpeace Africa, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), GRAIN, Fern, Oakland Institute and SAVE.

Corporations replace peasants as the "vanguard" of China's new food security agenda

Food security has always been a top priority for China's rulers. Up until recently that meant ensuring enough food was produced in China to feed the entire population, and this task fell almost entirely to China's peasant farmers. Over the past couple of decades, however, the government has embraced trade agreements that oblige China to import foods and implemented policies that favour the development of larger farms and massive agribusiness and food corporations.  

Food security has always been a top priority for China's rulers. Up until recently that meant ensuring enough food was produced in China to feed the entire population, and this task fell almost entirely to China's peasant farmers. Over the past couple of decades, however, the government has embraced trade agreements that oblige China to import foods and implemented policies that favour the development of larger farms and massive agribusiness and food corporations.  

How REDD+ projects undermine peasant farming and real solutions to climate change

A new publication by GRAIN and WRM looks at the dangers for peasant communities from one of the main carbon market mechanisms on the table at the upcoming UN summit on climate change in Paris.

A new publication by GRAIN and WRM looks at the dangers for peasant communities from one of the main carbon market mechanisms on the table at the upcoming UN summit on climate change in Paris.

Trade deals boosting climate change: the food factor

The climate talks in Paris in December this year are viewed as a last chance for the world's governments to commit to binding targets that might halt our march towards catastrophe. But in the countdown to Paris, many of these same governments have signed or are pushing a raft of ambitious trade and investment deals that would pre-empt measures that they could take to deal with climate change

The climate talks in Paris in December this year are viewed as a last chance for the world's governments to commit to binding targets that might halt our march towards catastrophe. But in the countdown to Paris, many of these same governments have signed or are pushing a raft of ambitious trade and investment deals that would pre-empt measures that they could take to deal with climate change