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’.
Media release: Farmers in Nigeria's Taraba State refuse to give up lands by GRAIN | 28 Jan 2015 Media releases Farmers in Nigeria's north eastern state of Taraba are being forced off lands they have farmed for generations to make way for US company Dominion Farms to establish a 30,000 ha rice plantation. Farmers in Nigeria's north eastern state of Taraba are being forced off lands they have farmed for generations to make way for US company Dominion Farms to establish a 30,000 ha rice plantation.
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
Media release: Africa's land and seed laws under attack by Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) | GRAIN | 22 Jan 2015 Media releases The lobby to industrialise food production in Africa is not only pouring money into plantation projects on the ground, it is changing African laws to serve foreign agribusiness as well. This is the main finding of a new report from the civil society organisations Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and GRAIN. The lobby to industrialise food production in Africa is not only pouring money into plantation projects on the ground, it is changing African laws to serve foreign agribusiness as well. This is the main finding of a new report from the civil society organisations Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and GRAIN.
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.
Media release: Planet palm oil – peasants pay the price for cheap vegetable oil by GRAIN | 13 Dec 2014 Media releases Cultivation of oil palms is expanding rapidly around the world. New monoculture plantations mean brutal land grabbing, the destruction of rainforests and the exploitation of workers. Cultivation of oil palms is expanding rapidly around the world. New monoculture plantations mean brutal land grabbing, the destruction of rainforests and the exploitation of workers.
GRAIN in 2013: highlights of our activities by GRAIN | 10 Dec 2014 Activity reports Corporations, power and the global food system; people's control over seeds; land grabbing; and agriculture and the climate crisis – these are the interconnected themes of GRAIN's work. In partnership with allies across the world. In partnership with allies across the world, we document the ways in which the industrial food system damages lives, livelihoods and ecologies, and support the fight for alternatives. Corporations, power and the global food system; people's control over seeds; land grabbing; and agriculture and the climate crisis – these are the interconnected themes of GRAIN's work. In partnership with allies across the world. In partnership with allies across the world, we document the ways in which the industrial food system damages lives, livelihoods and ecologies, and support the fight for alternatives.
Food sovereignty: five steps to cool the planet and feed its people by La Vía Campesina and GRAIN | 5 Dec 2014 Climate La Via Campesina and GRAIN explain how a worldwide redistribution of lands to small farmers and indigenous communities – combined with policies to support local markets and ecological agriculture – can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by half within a few decades, significantly curb deforestation and meet the food needs of the world's growing population. La Via Campesina and GRAIN explain how a worldwide redistribution of lands to small farmers and indigenous communities – combined with policies to support local markets and ecological agriculture – can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by half within a few decades, significantly curb deforestation and meet the food needs of the world's growing population.
The solution to climate change is in our lands by La Vía Campesina | GRAIN | 5 Dec 2014 Climate A global effort to give small farmers and indigenous communities control over lands is the best hope we have to deal with climate change and feed the world’s growing population. A global effort to give small farmers and indigenous communities control over lands is the best hope we have to deal with climate change and feed the world’s growing population.
Trade deals criminalise farmers' seeds by GRAIN | 18 Nov 2014 Seeds All around the world, the basic practice of saving seeds from one season to the next is being turned into a criminal offence, so that half a dozen large multinational corporations can turn seeds into private property and make money from them. GRAIN has just produced an updated dataset tracking how free trade agreements are privatising seeds across the world. All around the world, the basic practice of saving seeds from one season to the next is being turned into a criminal offence, so that half a dozen large multinational corporations can turn seeds into private property and make money from them. GRAIN has just produced an updated dataset tracking how free trade agreements are privatising seeds across the world.
Telling family farming fairy tales by GRAIN | 7 Nov 2014 In the last 50 years, a staggering 140 million hectares – the size of almost all the farmland in India – has been taken over by four industrial crops: soya bean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane. And this trend is accelerating. In the last 50 years, a staggering 140 million hectares – the size of almost all the farmland in India – has been taken over by four industrial crops: soya bean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane. And this trend is accelerating.
How does the Gates Foundation spend its money to feed the world? by GRAIN | 4 Nov 2014 Since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added “feeding the world” to its objectives almost a decade ago, it has channelled an impressive three billion dollars towards agricultural projects, much of it to improve farming in Africa. But GRAIN analysed the foundation's agricultural grants records for the past decade and reached some sobering conclusions. Since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation added “feeding the world” to its objectives almost a decade ago, it has channelled an impressive three billion dollars towards agricultural projects, much of it to improve farming in Africa. But GRAIN analysed the foundation's agricultural grants records for the past decade and reached some sobering conclusions.
How much of world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture? by Rani Molla - Wall Street Journal | 30 Oct 2014 Climate GRAIN calculates that about half of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, and that we need to turn to small farmers and local markets to get rid of this. Rani Molla of the Wall Street Journal compares GRAIN's figures with what other's have to say about it. GRAIN calculates that about half of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, and that we need to turn to small farmers and local markets to get rid of this. Rani Molla of the Wall Street Journal compares GRAIN's figures with what other's have to say about it.
Harvest of hardship: Yala Swamp land grab destroys Kenyan farmers' livelihoods by GRAIN | 23 Oct 2014 Land A June 2014 interview with farmer Erastus Odindo about his community's struggle to defend their lands from US-based Dominion Farms A June 2014 interview with farmer Erastus Odindo about his community's struggle to defend their lands from US-based Dominion Farms