2020 Report on Climate Change in Argentina. Who dares to call out agribusiness? by GRAIN | 5 Feb 2021 Climate Analysis of Argentina's official report on climate change, regarding both its assessments and its proposals, convinced that real solutions will come hand in hand with a profound change in the agro-food system. Analysis of Argentina's official report on climate change, regarding both its assessments and its proposals, convinced that real solutions will come hand in hand with a profound change in the agro-food system.
Digital control: how Big Tech moves into food and farming (and what it means) by GRAIN | 21 Jan 2021 Corporations | Multimedia The world’s biggest technology companies and distribution platforms, such as Microsoft and Amazon, have started entering the food sector. What does this mean for small farmers and local food systems? This is leading to a strong and powerful integration between the companies that supply products to farmers (pesticides, tractors, drones, etc) and those that control the flow of data and have access to food consumers. The world’s biggest technology companies and distribution platforms, such as Microsoft and Amazon, have started entering the food sector. What does this mean for small farmers and local food systems? This is leading to a strong and powerful integration between the companies that supply products to farmers (pesticides, tractors, drones, etc) and those that control the flow of data and have access to food consumers.
Agribusiness interests hijack 2021 UN Food Systems Summit by Anuradha Mittal | 12 Nov 2020 A powerful assessment on where the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit is heading. By Anuradha Mittal of the Oakland Institute A powerful assessment on where the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit is heading. By Anuradha Mittal of the Oakland Institute
Barbarians at the barn: private equity sinks its teeth into agriculture by GRAIN | 29 Sep 2020 Corporations Financial flows going into agriculture are growing more and more institutionalised – and more and more private. To be sure, investing in agriculture has been going on since time immemorial. After all, farmers do it every day as they improve their soils, set up cooperatives, share knowledge with their children and develop local markets. But since the mid 2000s, institutional investment in agriculture has started growing. From seven agriculture-focused funds in 2004 to more than 300 today, the interest in capturing profits from farming and agribusiness on a global scale is real – and Covid-19 is not slowing things down. Financial flows going into agriculture are growing more and more institutionalised – and more and more private. To be sure, investing in agriculture has been going on since time immemorial. After all, farmers do it every day as they improve their soils, set up cooperatives, share knowledge with their children and develop local markets. But since the mid 2000s, institutional investment in agriculture has started growing. From seven agriculture-focused funds in 2004 to more than 300 today, the interest in capturing profits from farming and agribusiness on a global scale is real – and Covid-19 is not slowing things down.
Digital fences: the financial enclosure of farmlands in South America by GRAIN | 21 Sep 2020 Land In all the countries studied in this report, the georeferenced cadastres became a requirement both for the land regularisation process and to access other public and credit policies in the financial system for rural properties. This trend to digitise land governance and the natural resources linked to it, is being reinforced by the World Bank: it has allocated USD 45.5 million for the registration of the Brazilian Cerrado’s private rural properties in the rural environmental cadastre and has also assigned USD 100 million to the multi-purpose cadastre in Colombia. In all the countries studied in this report, the georeferenced cadastres became a requirement both for the land regularisation process and to access other public and credit policies in the financial system for rural properties. This trend to digitise land governance and the natural resources linked to it, is being reinforced by the World Bank: it has allocated USD 45.5 million for the registration of the Brazilian Cerrado’s private rural properties in the rural environmental cadastre and has also assigned USD 100 million to the multi-purpose cadastre in Colombia.
Why the Bill Gates global health empire promises more empire and less public health by Jeremy Loffredo and Michele Greenstein | 18 Jul 2020 Behind a veil of corporate media PR, the Gates Foundation has served as a vehicle for Western capital while exploiting the Global South as a human laboratory. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to intensify this disturbing agenda. Excellent - and disturbing - analysis of the relation between Gates, vaccines and Big Pharma. Behind a veil of corporate media PR, the Gates Foundation has served as a vehicle for Western capital while exploiting the Global South as a human laboratory. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to intensify this disturbing agenda. Excellent - and disturbing - analysis of the relation between Gates, vaccines and Big Pharma.
False promises: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) by Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung and others | 10 Jul 2020 An excellent report by a number of German donors and NGOs, with groups in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and Mali, about the disastrous impact of AGRA on African farmers. The report recommends that donors dump AGRA and fund agroecology instead An excellent report by a number of German donors and NGOs, with groups in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and Mali, about the disastrous impact of AGRA on African farmers. The report recommends that donors dump AGRA and fund agroecology instead
“Gates Ag One”: one more push to get farmers into high tech by GRAIN | 27 Jan 2020 Last week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will set up a new ag research institute. Doesn't look like it will be different from the ones already there. "Gates Ag One" is really one more way to push the Gates agenda for agribusiness. Last week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will set up a new ag research institute. Doesn't look like it will be different from the ones already there. "Gates Ag One" is really one more way to push the Gates agenda for agribusiness.
Cornell Alliance for Science is a PR Campaign for the Agrichemical Industry by Stacy Malkan | 27 Nov 2019 An excellent investigative piece by Stacy Malkan of "U.S. Right to Know" about the misleading and deceitful practices of the Cornell Alliance for Science. An excellent investigative piece by Stacy Malkan of "U.S. Right to Know" about the misleading and deceitful practices of the Cornell Alliance for Science.
Food sovereignty is Africa's only solution to climate chaos by GRAIN | 31 Jul 2019 Climate The convergence of the climate crisis and rising food imports in Africa is a recipe for catastrophe. Unless actions are taken to build up local food systems and reverse the growing reliance on imports of cereals and other staple foods, there will be multiple and more severe repeats of the 2007-8 food crisis that caused food riots across the continent. African governments and donors have wasted the past decade on failed programmes and policies to support corporate agribusiness while doing little to effectively challenge the corporations that are dumping surplus food commodities, driving up global greenhouse gas emissions and destroying biodiversity. Now, movements for climate justice and African food producers must urgently join forces to eliminate the dependence on food imports and realise food sovereignty across the continent to respond to the climate crisis. The convergence of the climate crisis and rising food imports in Africa is a recipe for catastrophe. Unless actions are taken to build up local food systems and reverse the growing reliance on imports of cereals and other staple foods, there will be multiple and more severe repeats of the 2007-8 food crisis that caused food riots across the continent. African governments and donors have wasted the past decade on failed programmes and policies to support corporate agribusiness while doing little to effectively challenge the corporations that are dumping surplus food commodities, driving up global greenhouse gas emissions and destroying biodiversity. Now, movements for climate justice and African food producers must urgently join forces to eliminate the dependence on food imports and realise food sovereignty across the continent to respond to the climate crisis.
What's wrong with biofortified crops? The fight for genuine solutions to malnutrition is on by GRAIN et al | 11 Jul 2019 Seeds GRAIN and friends issue a call to action; inviting women's groups and peasant organisations to examine the issue of biofortification—locally, regionally, nationally or globally. We think there is enough information and experience to justify a boycott of all biofortified crops and foods, coupled with demands for investment in a different approach to agricultural research based on agroecology, local culture and food sovereignty. GRAIN and friends issue a call to action; inviting women's groups and peasant organisations to examine the issue of biofortification—locally, regionally, nationally or globally. We think there is enough information and experience to justify a boycott of all biofortified crops and foods, coupled with demands for investment in a different approach to agricultural research based on agroecology, local culture and food sovereignty.
Biofortified crops or biodiversity? The fight for genuine solutions to malnutrition is on by GRAIN | 4 Jun 2019 Seeds GRAIN took a look at the current status of biofortification in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the emerging critiques from feminist perspectives and food sovereignty movements. What we found is a worrisome push for a top-down and anti-diversity approach to food and health that may ultimately undermine people’s capacities to strengthen their local food systems. GRAIN took a look at the current status of biofortification in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the emerging critiques from feminist perspectives and food sovereignty movements. What we found is a worrisome push for a top-down and anti-diversity approach to food and health that may ultimately undermine people’s capacities to strengthen their local food systems.
When Bt brinjal is a failure, why Golden rice? by Farida Akhter, New Age | 11 Feb 2019 Bangladesh | seeds & biodiversity Introduction of genetically modified crop is a highly risky venture, particularly in a country like Bangladesh that is rich in biodiversity and bio-geographically known as the origin of diversity spot. Despite the known risks, Bangladesh has been targeted for experiment and field trials of GM transgenic crops such as Bt brinjal. This has been done despite the resistance from the farmers, scientists and environmental activists. Introduction of genetically modified crop is a highly risky venture, particularly in a country like Bangladesh that is rich in biodiversity and bio-geographically known as the origin of diversity spot. Despite the known risks, Bangladesh has been targeted for experiment and field trials of GM transgenic crops such as Bt brinjal. This has been done despite the resistance from the farmers, scientists and environmental activists.
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.
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.