The People’s Forum on Food Sovereignty
Indeed: One does not sell the earth upon which the people walk.
Tashunka Witko, 1840–1877
See:
http://peoplesforum2009.foodsovereignty.org/the_peoples_forum
Add comment November 13, 2009
Farmers face eviction in Tanzania
Tanzania farmers in key arable areas face eviction by multinational corporations out to cultivate agrofuel products, reports the East African news.
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/663988/-/view/printVersion/-/qmw8u2z/-/index.html
Add comment October 5, 2009
UN states that one billion people go hungry
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has stated that the number of hungry people will pass the one billion mark this year, reports Al Jazeera.
A short video by Al Jazeera documenting the disturbing situation is available on their web site: http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/09/2009916171540486313.html
It is reported that situation could get worse, and reinforces the urgent need to move from corporate driven food systems to that of people-led food sovereignty.
Add comment September 18, 2009
No to WTO and FTA
Delhi was a witness to a recent meeting and protest march against WTO and Free Trade Agreements (FTA) where a range of groups from unions, civil society organizations, people movements, farmers and fisherfolk all combined to oppose the implementations of FTA in India.
FTA harmonizes rules across nation states designed to benefit large corporations. The flow of trade and investment through FTA are free of nation state intervention and hence countries become integrated into the international free market. A process of Globalization.
Proponents argue that FTA will encourage economic growth and the so-called ‘trickle-down’ effect will alleviate poverty. Critics, however, highlight that free trade serves the interests of powerful states and multinational corporations and in fact deepens inequalities. Further still developing nations, poor people (mainly women) and their livelihoods will be undermined by decisions made in democratic vacuums at Delhi, Geneva, Washington and corporate board rooms.
For further details see: http://focusweb.org/; http://www.icrindia.org/?page_id=370; http://www.twnside.org.sg/latestinfo.htm; http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=782&Itemid=1
The FTA and the lines of power are being re-drawn and reminds me of some brilliant spoken word by Ambalavaner Sivanandan and music by Asian Dub Foundation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTxeS50kk-0
Add comment September 8, 2009
Trying to Make a Difference:
Tehelka, a public interest journalism group, profiles a selection of activists in India. The Forest Right Act, Bhopal, Dams, North East issues around troops and the adivasi struggle against a steel plant are just a few of the struggles mentioned.
Inspiring
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=Ne220809coverstory.asp
Add comment August 20, 2009
Adivasi Struggle
A short and entertaining video depicting the adivasi struggle in India is well worth a view. The short music video focuses on land, resources and importantly adivasi way of life and being undermined by a range of developments. Although there is no footage of biofuels the broader concerns of displacement is captured well in this playful video.
The short video is based on a song entitled: We Will Not Leave Our Village
1 comment July 31, 2009
Towards Food Sovereignty
An excellent publication has been published by IIED:
Towards Food Sovereignty: Reclaiming Autonomous Food Systems.
This new chapter focuses on the need to transform agricultural research and is released this week to coincide with the CSD discussions on agriculture held in New York. It combines text, video clips, photos, audio recordings and animations in an online publication.
The publication builds and expands on themes addressed in the IAASTD report and more – situating arguments and discussions within the food sovereignty paradigm. It also addresses the politics of knowledge in the governance of food systems as well as notions of cognitive justice and equivalency between indigenous knowledge systems and western science.
You can download the chapter from the IIED website.
http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=G02493
Add comment May 16, 2009
Haramata and Biofuels
The Haramata (54) publication on drylands in Africa has a special focus on biofuels. Biofuels are investigated in some parts of Africa and a view point from India is also included in the journal.
The Haramata (54) can be downloaded from IIED’s website:
Add comment April 27, 2009
Sir Bob Geldolf, Biofuels and Africa: false optimism in the social and economic impacts of biofuels?
Sir Bob Geldof believes biofuels will have a ‘positive impact on poverty-stricken communities’ in Africa. He will air his perspective at the World Biofuels Market, March 16th-18th (http://www.worldbiofuelsmarkets.com/). Recent research conducted through the food-energy nexus project, however, has highlighted that there are many actors in the complicated markets of biofuels that do not favor the poor.
The food and energy nexus research project in the Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh, India has indicated that the biofuels market deepens financial insecurity, threatens food security, and displaces poor people from their livelihoods and lands. Further still, biofuels plantations and their yields does not match with promise made by science or other advocates of agrofuels.
Sir Bob Geldolf at the Biofuels Market conference will be provided with a space to air his perspectives and that of business. But when will poverty-stricken communities get their opportunities to voice their perspectives on biofuels? Where are the documented deliberative and democratic process on the complex issues that surround biofuels, poverty and ethnicity?
It is imperative that the Biofuels Market conference and Sir Bob Geldolf explains a few things for example: How will biofuels improve the lives of the poor? What impact will biofuels have on the environment and the ways of life for marginalized communities? How will biofuels impact differentially on the bases of social-political-geographical contexts (gender, environments, class, race/caste etc)? How and who makes the decisions? And importantly, how will biofuels lead to long-term food and energy security?
A report and anthra (http://www.anthra.org/) video documenting the food and energy research project in Nalgonda will be available soon.
See this link for comments made by Sir Bob Geldolf on Biofuels: http://bioenergy.checkbiotech.org/news/bob_geldof_believes_biofuels_can_eradicate_poverty_africa
jasbersingh@gmail.com
Add comment February 26, 2009
