CALL FOR INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION INTO GM CROP FAILURE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF INDEPENDENT MONITORING PANEL
Three varieties of Monsanto’s genetically modified maize failed to produce crops during the 2008/9 growing season, leaving up to 200 000 hectares of fields barren of cobs and crop losses across several provinces in South Africa. According the GRAIN SA, the varieties are: MON 810, NK 603 and MON 810 x NK 603. These seeds were sold to commercial maize farmers and provided to resource poor farmers in South Africa.
"Next Generation Biofuels": Bursting The New "Green" Bubble Letter challenges unrealistic promises from an unsustainable industry
For Immediate Release January 15, 2009
CONTACTS:
o Dr. Rachel Smolker, Agrofuels Specialist, Global Justice Ecology Project,
Email to: rsmolker@globaljusticeecology.org, Office: +1 802 482 2689, Mobile: +1 802 735 7794
o Dr. John Peck, Executive Director, Family Farm Defenders,
jepeck@wisc.edu +1 608 260 0900
o Kathy Jo Wetter, ETC Group, kjo@etcgroup.org, tel: +1 919 688 7302
10 reasons why biotechnology will not ensure food security, protect the environment and reduce poverty in the developing world
Miguel A. Altieri, University of California, Berkeley and
Peter Rosset, Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, Oakland, California
This article appeared in: Sierra Magazine
(Also available en español)
Agrofuels and Food Sovereignty: Another Agrarian Transition is Possible
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 | Agrofuels & Food Sovereignty - Canada 2008.pdf | 355.39 KB |
By Eric Holt-Giménez and Annie Shattuck
For presentation to the workshop
Food Sovereignty: Theory, Praxis, and Power
St. Andrews College, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon
November 17-18, 2008.
Agrofuels in the Americas.
Edited by Richard Jonasse.
As California considers new carbon-accounting standards for liquid fuels; a significant percentage of which will come from agrofuels; it is a perfect time to review what the past several years of the "Agrofuels Gold Rush" have wrought. This book looks primarily at the consequences in the U.S. and Latin America, but the problems with Agrofuels, in terms of Food Security, labor rights, and environmental destruction are widespread.
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| Agrofuels_in_the_Americas.pdf | 2.88 MB |
Individual Articles Below.
Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA)
Green Revolution advocates promote toxic high-tech solutions to a food crisis they invented. The real path to truly addressing hunger is through re-regulating the market, reducing the power of the agri-foods industrial complex, and building ecologically resilient family agriculture.
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| AGRA Fact Sheet 9-09 by Tanya Kerssen.pdf | 1.73 MB |
By Tanya Kerssen
Although AGRA claims to be a farmer-led, African initiative, all of its institutional structures and decision-making processes were developed without consulting even with Africa’s largest farmer organizations and federations. AGRA’s definition of participation is highly limited. prompting one farm leader to confront AGRA saying, "“You come. You buy the land. You make a plan. You build a house. Now you ask me, what color do I want to paint the kitchen? This is not participation!”
Read more in the attached pdf file.
ALLIANCE FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN AFRICA (ASFA) Challenges African leaders on Climate Change
Bole Declaration; 25th November, 2009; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
We, the ALLIANCE FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN AFRICA (AFSA), representing small holder farmers, pastoralists, hunter/gatherers, indigenous peoples, citizens and environmentalists from Africa, salute the strong and unified approach that African leaders have taken in the run up to the UNFCC Climate Negotiations.
However, we believe that the current African government practices do not go far enough to protecting Africa’s Food Sovereignty, Biodiversity, and the Culture and Livelihoods of her people.
AN EVENING OF DEBATE ON SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
Bioengineer Drew Endy is the leading enabler of open-source biotechnology. Technology activist Jim Thomas is the leading critic of biotech, based with ETC Group in Ottawa.
"Synthetic Biology includes the broad redefinition and expansion of biotechnology, with the ultimate goals of being able to design and build engineered biological systems that process information, manipulate chemicals, fabricate materials and structures, produce energy, provide food, and maintain and enhance human health and our environment." -- Wikipedia.
Anatomy of a 'Gene Spill'
Anatomy of a 'Gene Spill': Do We Really Need Genetically Engineered Food?
By Peter Rosset
Peter Rosset has a Ph.D. in agricultural ecology and is co-director of Food First.
Also available in PDF format.
Beware Americans Bearing Gifts - Another Poisoned Chalice in AfricaRaj Patel* The United States Agency for International Development recently chartered a ship - The Liberty Star - to deliver thirty six thousand tons of grain to an estimated 13 million starving people Southern Africa. The Malawian government accepted the donation, and Zimbabwe has just allowed the grain to be imported, as long as it is milled. Mozambique, however, will not let it cross its soil, and Zambia has decided that it wants nothing to do with it. Why? Because the US cannot guarantee that the grain is not genetically modified. |