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.
‘Militarized occupation’: local communities pay the price for palm oil by John C Cannon | 21 Nov 2014 land grabbing | food sovereignty There’s little doubt that the use of palm oil is expanding rapidly throughout the world, and with it the need for millions of hectares of land to grow oil palm trees. The results can be devastating for local communities who depend on the agriculture and forests that these lands support, which led the international NGO GRAIN to catalog the issues that arise with oil palm expansion in a report titled “Planet Palm Oil.” There’s little doubt that the use of palm oil is expanding rapidly throughout the world, and with it the need for millions of hectares of land to grow oil palm trees. The results can be devastating for local communities who depend on the agriculture and forests that these lands support, which led the international NGO GRAIN to catalog the issues that arise with oil palm expansion in a report titled “Planet Palm Oil.”
Street vendors join Global Day of Action: hundreds march to Walmart India headquarters by India FDI Watch | 19 Nov 2014 India | corporations | food sovereignty | laws & policies A street vendor in India would need to work for a staggering 350 million years to amass the same amount of wealth as the supermarket's owners, the Walton family – this is just one of the findings of new research by UNI Global Union ahead of worldwide protests against the family's role in global inequality today. A street vendor in India would need to work for a staggering 350 million years to amass the same amount of wealth as the supermarket's owners, the Walton family – this is just one of the findings of new research by UNI Global Union ahead of worldwide protests against the family's role in global inequality today.
Bailing out a foreign food company in the DR Congo by Chris Arsenault | 14 Nov 2014 Congo, the Democratic Republic of the | land grabbing | corporations European taxpayer funds save Canadian Congo plantation paying workers $1 a day, as backers say the move creates jobs. European taxpayer funds save Canadian Congo plantation paying workers $1 a day, as backers say the move creates jobs.
How a national food policy could save millions of American lives by Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, Ricardo Salvador and Olivier De Schutter | 10 Nov 2014 United States | corporations | technologies | climate crisis | laws & policies | food safety How we produce and consume food has a bigger impact on Americans’ well-being than any other human activity. Yet we have no food policy — no plan or agreed-upon principles — for managing American agriculture or the food system as a whole. That must change. An appeal for a US food policy. How we produce and consume food has a bigger impact on Americans’ well-being than any other human activity. Yet we have no food policy — no plan or agreed-upon principles — for managing American agriculture or the food system as a whole. That must change. An appeal for a US food policy.
Gates Foundation refutes report it fails African farmers by Karrie Kehoe, Thomson Reuters | 5 Nov 2014 corporations | technologies | food crisis | seeds & biodiversity The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has rejected accusations that too much of its funding goes to Western researchers, saying it is helping small farmers in African countries. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has rejected accusations that too much of its funding goes to Western researchers, saying it is helping small farmers in African countries.
Food Systems Academy - an open education resource to transform our food systems by Food Systems Academy | 5 Nov 2014 corporations | food sovereignty | seeds & biodiversity A new site aims to help you increase your understanding of our food systems – where they came from, how they change, what the challenges are and how to meet them. A new site aims to help you increase your understanding of our food systems – where they came from, how they change, what the challenges are and how to meet them.
Gendering peasant movements, gendering food sovereignty by Pamela Caro | 5 Nov 2014 food sovereignty An interview with Pamela Caro from Chile's Women’s Development Research Center (CEDEM) exploring the invisibility of peasant women in the feminist and women’s movements as well as the weaknesses in how the food sovereignty concept deals with the challenges of feminism. An interview with Pamela Caro from Chile's Women’s Development Research Center (CEDEM) exploring the invisibility of peasant women in the feminist and women’s movements as well as the weaknesses in how the food sovereignty concept deals with the challenges of feminism.
How much of world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture? by Rani Molla - Wall Street Journal | 30 Oct 2014 climate crisis 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.
Feeding the world by USC Canada | 20 Oct 2014 food crisis | food sovereignty Here's, on one poster, the central message about feeding the world. By USC Canada. Here's, on one poster, the central message about feeding the world. By USC Canada.
The global struggle for food sovereignty by Talking Stick TV | 15 Oct 2014 food sovereignty What is the best work being done to address food sovereignty, environmental degradation and rural livelihoods around the world? How does the Gates Foundation relate to this good work? What is the role of international solidarity in advancing food sovereignty? A panel discussion with Million Belay (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa and MELCA-Ethiopia), Mariam Mayet (African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa) and Elizabeth Mpofu (ZIMSOFF and La Via Campesina Africa, Zimbabwe) What is the best work being done to address food sovereignty, environmental degradation and rural livelihoods around the world? How does the Gates Foundation relate to this good work? What is the role of international solidarity in advancing food sovereignty? A panel discussion with Million Belay (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa and MELCA-Ethiopia), Mariam Mayet (African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa) and Elizabeth Mpofu (ZIMSOFF and La Via Campesina Africa, Zimbabwe)
Land rush in Palawan must end: calling for a moratorium on oil palm expansion by Coalition against Land Grabbing (CALG) | 14 Oct 2014 Philippines | land grabbing | food sovereignty Recent years have seen an exponential increase in land deals across the Philippines to convert large expanses of land to produce crops mainly intended for export. Palawan, in spite of its unique recognition as a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve, has not been spared from massive investments in extractive resources and industrial agriculture, especially oil palm development. Recent years have seen an exponential increase in land deals across the Philippines to convert large expanses of land to produce crops mainly intended for export. Palawan, in spite of its unique recognition as a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve, has not been spared from massive investments in extractive resources and industrial agriculture, especially oil palm development.
Malawi's Green Revolution by African Centre for Biosafety | 7 Oct 2014 Malawi | corporations | technologies | food crisis The Green Revolution in Malawi is being pushed as the success story that other countries in the continents should follow. The African Centre for Biosafety collaborated with local partners in the country to find out what's really going on, and produced an excellent report that recommends that the country stops following this path and starts supporting small farmers and their food systems instead. The Green Revolution in Malawi is being pushed as the success story that other countries in the continents should follow. The African Centre for Biosafety collaborated with local partners in the country to find out what's really going on, and produced an excellent report that recommends that the country stops following this path and starts supporting small farmers and their food systems instead.
CSO report for the “FAO’s State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture” by IPC | 3 Oct 2014 seeds & biodiversity The International planning committee for food sovereignty has been asked by FAO to produce a report, by the end of the year, on “The contribution made by farmers, pastoralists, forest dwellers, fishers and other small-scale food providers to the conservation, development and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and agriculture” and seeks your input. The International planning committee for food sovereignty has been asked by FAO to produce a report, by the end of the year, on “The contribution made by farmers, pastoralists, forest dwellers, fishers and other small-scale food providers to the conservation, development and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and agriculture” and seeks your input.
Will GM crops feed the world? by Canadian Biotechnology Action Network | 2 Oct 2014 technologies | seeds & biodiversity CBAN's new report Will GM Crops Feed the World? examines experiences with GM crops and exposes the many ways in which they threaten the environment and farmers’ livelihoods, and overlook the real causes of hunger. CBAN's new report Will GM Crops Feed the World? examines experiences with GM crops and exposes the many ways in which they threaten the environment and farmers’ livelihoods, and overlook the real causes of hunger.