The latest salvo in the battle over Africa's seed systems has been fired, writes Stephen Greenberg, with the Gates Foundation and USAID playing puppet-masters to Africa's governments - now meeting in Addis Ababa - as they drive forward corporation-friendly seed regulations that exclude and marginalize the small farmers whose seeds and labour feed the continent.
… Grabbing Africa's seeds: USAID, EU and Gates Foundation … Oliver Tickell | 23rd March 2015 News Africa Farming Seeds Corporations USA EU maria … The latest salvo in the battle over Africa's seed systems has been fired, writes …
From slave labour to armed conflict, our thirst for natural resources has created serious problems for Africa. Pádraig Carmody’s latest book attempts to unravel the moral morass, says Mark Newton
… The New Scramble for Africa Mark Newton | 9th May 2012 Reviews Books Reviews Africa Minerals Natural Resources Conflict … resources has created serious problems for Africa. Pádraig Carmody’s latest book attempts …
Across Africa, laws are being rewritten to open farming up to an agribusiness invasion - displacing the millions of small cultivators that now feed the continent, and replacing them with a new model of profit-oriented agriculture using patented seeds and varieties. The agencies effecting the transformation are legion - but they are all marching to a single drum.
… Land and seed laws under attack as Africa is groomed for corporate recolonization … AFSA The Ecologist | 12th February 2015 News Africa Food Farming Seeds Corporations Un Development sorghum-cut.jpg Across Africa, laws are being rewritten to open …
An elite group of aid donors and agribusiness corporations met in London this week to plan the takeover of Africa's seeds, writes Ian Fitzpatrick, replacing traditional seed breeding and saving by small farmers with a corporate model of privatized, 'improved', patented, genetically uniform and hybrid seeds in a profit-driven market.
… Carving up Africa - aid donors and agribusiness plot the … Oliver Tickell | 26th March 2015 News Africa Food Farming Corporations Seeds USA UK … in London this week to plan the takeover of Africa's seeds, writes Ian Fitzpatrick, …
What was NATO's violent intervention in Libya really all about? Now we know, writes Ellen Brown, thanks to Hillary Clinton's recently published emails. It was to prevent the creation of an independent hard currency in Africa that would free the continent from economic bondage under the dollar, the IMF and the French African franc, shaking off the last heavy chains of colonial exploitation.
… Why Qaddafi had to go: African gold, oil and the challenge to … | 14th March 2016 News Finance Economics Africa Libya War Politics USA France … creation of an independent hard currency in Africa that would free the continent from …
Important developments are unfolding at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty negotiations in New York this week, writes David Lowry. These include the surprisingly large scale of the US's warhead scrapping, and a grassroots rebellion against the nuclear states led by South Africa. But the UK and its media remain aloof from it all - intent on renewing Trident no matter what.
… | 21st May 2015 News Nuclear WMD UK USA South Africa titanii-missile-cut.jpg Important … against the nuclear states led by South Africa. But the UK and its media remain aloof … from seeking their own nuclear weapons. South Africa was arguably the most robust in …
Forest foods are a vital source of nutrition for millions of people, writes Bhaskar Vira, and we need to make them an even bigger part of our diets for the sake of health, biodiversity, local economies, and to increase food global security in a warming world.
… Vira | 1st June 2015 Comment Food Forests Africa Un allanblackia-woman-cut.jpg Forest … from hunger, with the majority living in Africa and Asia. The world's forests have … the iron content of dried seeds of the African locust bean and raw cashew nut are …
Major world trade deals now under negotiation would allow corporations to sue governments for billions if they tighten up laws and regulations, writes Thomas McDonagh. But increasingly countries are rejecting these dispute mechanisms that undermine sovereignty and democracy.
… 'standard' clauses after the fact. South Africa, Indonesia have rejected the tribunals In South Africa, the government has recently moved to … Italian investors Piero Foresti sued South Africa in relation to its Black Economic …
The Democratic Republic of Congo is to consult UNESCO, writes Melanie Gouby, over its wish to 'explore judiciously' for oil in Africa's first and most biodiverse National Park and World Heritage Site.
… Environment | 17th March 2015 News Oil Africa DRC Corporations Un … its wish to 'explore judiciously' for oil in Africa's first and most biodiverse National … UN body to "explore judiciously" . Virunga, Africa's oldest and most biodiverse park, has …
People power was at the forefront of UN talks on an global treaty for transnational corporations and human rights last week in Geneva, writes Amelia Collins. The fact that so many countries - led by South Africa and Ecuador - voiced their unequivocal support for legally binding rules, sets exactly the right tone for an ambitious and far-reaching negotiation.
… fact that so many countries - led by South Africa and Ecuador - voiced their unequivocal … such as Shell, Vale, Mekorot and Jindal Africa were presented to governments and the … in the UN, especially countries from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the …
Six environment heroes, one from each continent, are honoured for their work today - fighting threats from giant coal mines to forest destruction, fracking, high dams, illegal development and toxic waste dumps. Sophie Morlin-Yron reports.
… Waste Water Energy USA Indonesia Russia Peru Africa India Forests … from Peru's civil war. Desmond D'sa, South Africa Desmond D'Sa rallied south Durban's …
A UNESCO mission to Virunga, home to 200 Mountain gorillas, has demanded an end to oil exploitation in the National Park, which it describes as 'extremely threatened'. London-based Soco International began seismic testing in the Park last month.
… the greatest variety of plants and animals in Africa: "The fact that the State Party is … "The world should not stand by and allow Africa's oldest national park to become its … as one of the first properties recognized in Africa as having outstanding universal natural …
The global rebirth of nuclear power was meant to be well under way by now, writes Jim Green. But in fact, nuclear's share of world power generation is on a steady long term decline, and new reactors are getting ever harder to build, and finance. The only real growth area is decommissioning, but that too has a problem: where's the money to pay for it?
… EU USA France Germany Japan Saudi Arabia Africa … in India's nuclear program. What about South Africa and Saudi Arabia? Last year Saudi Araba … program is not constrained. As for South Africa, its on-again off-again nuclear power …
Since 1948 the UN's Food and Agriculture has been clinging to an outmoded definition of 'forests' that includes industrial wood plantations, writes WRM in this Open Letter for delivery to the FAO today, International Forests Day. This mis-definition seriously harms real forests and forest peoples as it justifies the clearance of real forests and their replacement with cash crops of trees.
… people took to the streets in Durban, South Africa, to protest against the problematic way … FAO definition for 100 million Ha of Africa The main example is the World Bank (WB) … during UNFCCC COP 21 in Paris, the so-called 'African Forest Landscape Restoration …
Some of the world's most powerful figures tout the benefits of GMOs, writes Stacy Malkan, but what's the real story? Facts on the ground expose the PR spin, half truths and outright propaganda that has come to dominate a public conversation that is not so much about engineering genes, but engineering truth for the benefit of multinational corporations.
… vitamin fortification. "And so I think, for Africa, this is going to make a huge … (breeding)." Gates responded: "Well, the Africans it's up in the air, and Kenya just … using these things and if you want farmers in Africa to improve nutrition and be competitive …
The Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture made its high-profile launch at the New York Climate Summit. But for a huge coalition of civil society organizations, it's a 'greenwash' initiative designed to promote intensive profit-driven industrial agriculture at the expense of small farmers, environment, and the real solutions.
… pour la Protection du Patrimoine Genetique African (COPAGEN) Corporate Europe Observatory … Abalimi Bezekhaya (Farmers of Hope), South Africa ACRA-CCS Foundation, Italy Action Contre la Faim, France Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN), …
Peru, notorious for its brutal exploitation of forests, oil and minerals, theft of indigenous lands and murder of eco-defenders, is an unlikely host for the COP20 climate talks, writes Alexander Reid Ross. Except that Peru's actions reflect the corporate land-grabbing agenda manifest in the false solutions on offer in Lima this week. It's a time for resistance, not compromise!
… and Europe in the name of producing food for Africans, while bestowing just a tiny percentage of their massive budget on Africa, itself. The Gates Foundation's project with African countries, known as the New Alliance …
The United Nations has voted to legislate against human rights abuses carried out by transnational corporations, reports Lucia Ortiz. But the resolution, proposed by Ecuador and South Africa, was opposed by the US and the member states of the EU.
… the resolution, proposed by Ecuador and South Africa, was opposed by the US and the member … The resolution, tabled by Ecuador and South Africa, was finally voted on at the UNHRC last …
Meeting global targets to end hunger by 2030 could be challenging given a recent increase in food insecurity exacerbated by conflict and environmental degradation. CATHERINE EARLY reports.
… agricultural conditions in Southern Africa were improving global food supply, but … Weather shocks, including floods in West Africa, hurricanes in the Caribbean and droughts in parts of East Africa, have compounded the fragile conditions …
Last week the UN General Assembly's Disarmament and Security Committee voted for negotiations to begin next year on a new international treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, writes Rebecca Johnson, bypassing the stalled Non Proliferation Treaty. One immediate consequence is to make the UK's plans to replace its Trident nuclear missile system 'completely untenable'.
… of nuclear free countries, including South Africa which eliminated its nuclear arsenal in … Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa, with 57 co-sponsors, calls for the … weapons when they don't have any. Several African and Latin American diplomats reported …
Having enjoyed brief media coverage, world attention towards climate change during the last few weeks did not end with a bang. Instead, it fizzled out, bogged down in international policy and technicalities at the UN Climate Change Conference in Nairobi last week. Why?
… Saudi Arabia, Japan, Canada, Norway and South Africa were keen for CCS to be included in the … of the G-77/China group of nations, South Africa argued that developed countries should … to follow suit. The latter should, South Africa said, be “empowered” to do so. Despite …
Damning UN investigation condemns WWF flagship project in Congo and reveals massive scale of abuse.
… scale of abuse. A WWF project in central Africa has been responsible for abuses and … to people and the environment throughout Africa. “Millions have already been spent on …
The US taxpayers who finance foreign food aid surely believe they are feeding starving people, writes James Bovard. But the truth is the reverse - it is undermining indigenous agriculture in recipient countries - creating famine and chronic malnutrition, while sabotaging self-sufficiency.
… James Bovard | 27th July 2014 News Food USA Africa Politics Health foodaid-oxfam-cut.jpg … the 1980s, famines and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa were continually in the world news. But …