Ghana's government is desperate to pass a Plant Breeders Bill that would remove farmers' ancient 'seed freedom' to grow, retain, breed and develop crop varieties - while giving corporate breeders a blanket exemption from seed regulations. Now the farmers are fighting back.
… Ghana's farmers battle ‘Monsanto law' to retain seed freedom Chris Walker … 2014 News Food Farming Seeds Ghana Africa Law Politics ghana-farmers-protest-cut.jpg … and to feed the country. Under the laws, farmers that use seed varieties claimed …
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 … Un Development sorghum-cut.jpg Across Africa, laws are being rewritten to open farming up to … the ground - they are also changing African laws to accommodate the agribusiness agenda. …
Lured by promises of aid and investment, African governments are rewriting laws to create lucrative opportunities for corporate agribusiness, writes Chris Walker - while consigning their own farmers to servitude and landlessness. But now farmers are rising up, as in Ghana where a new 'Monsanto law' threatens to end their right to grow, save and share their ancestral seeds.
… Farming Seeds Africa Corporations Finance Law Development brong-ahafo-ghana-cut.jpg … investment, African governments are rewriting laws to create lucrative opportunities for … rising up, as in Ghana where a new 'Monsanto law' threatens to end their right to grow, …
Industrial logging in the world's second largest rainforest is out of control, writes Raoul Monsembula, and spells disaster for both wildlife and forest people. There is an alternative: community forestry has just been enshrined in law. But resources must be committed to law enforcement in Congo and abroad, and to empowering forest communities.
… Forests Congo Africa Indigenous Peoples Law Regulation Commons bonobo.jpg Industrial … community forestry has just been enshrined in law. But resources must be committed to law enforcement in Congo and abroad, and to …
Ecocide is a global problem, writes Bukola Saraki, and laws are desperately needed to hold companies to account for the damage they cause. Nigeria - long despoiled with impunity by the oil industry - is just the place to start.
… a global problem, writes Bukola Saraki, and laws are desperately needed to hold companies … Parliament. However bringing an Ecocide Law to the EU does not have to be the first … this fight. Ecocide is a global problem - and laws are being drafted and petitioned for in …
Nigeria is suffering political instability resulting from desertification and pollution, writes Senator Bukola Saraki. As Africa's most populous country it has no choice but to engage in the fight against climate change, its causes, and its consequences.
… Comment Nigeria Africa Climate Change Unfccc Law nigeria-water-for-sale.png Nigeria is … on creating a global fund for implementing laws that would be created. Last week's GLOBE … to develop and pass climate change laws? With tight government budgets, raising …
On 10 December, the European Parliament will vote over a huge fisheries partnership agreement with Morocco. If the agreement is approved the environment, human rights, peace and international law will all suffer. Erik Hagen reports...
… human rights, peace and international law will all suffer. Erik Hagen reports... As … to join, in clear violation of international law, in the plunder of Western Sahara's fish. … actions. For example, Morocco has outlawed civil society organisations in Western …
Sharing and saving seed is a crucial part of traditional farming all over Africa, writes Heidi Chow. Maybe that's why governments, backed by multinational seed companies, are imposing oppressive seed laws that attack the continent's main food producers and open the way to industrial agribusiness. But Ghana's women farmers are having none of it.
… seed companies, are imposing oppressive seed laws that attack the continent's main food … why we exchange them." An oppressive new law is putting all this under threat The … by a proposed bill - dubbed the ‘Monsanto Law' - in Ghana. Its effect would be to …
Africa's poor environmental record has its roots in colonialism, which cut artificial boundaries through peoples and ecosystems, and left a rigid 'fortress conservation' ethic, writes Willem Daniel Lubbe. It's time for countries to adopt a new pan-African environmentalism, and transcend their colonial past.
… 2015 Comment Africa Biodiversity Conservation Law elephants-masai-mara-cut.jpg Africa's poor … is needed. In their 1996 book, International Law and the Conservation of Biological … development in international environmental law. The African Commission on Human and …
Coca-Cola is the latest company to join the agricultural 'scramble for Africa', writes Miriam Ross. Backed by £600 million of British aid under the guise of 'food security' and 'nutrition', a vast give-away of Africa's land is under way that will condemn small farmers to landlessness and poverty.
… corporations, backed by the full force of law, enter the valley? Photo: David Stanley … are required to make changes to their laws and policies to make life easier for big agribusiness. Laws governing seeds are a prime target. For …
Over 100,000 Burkina Faso farmers were pleased with Monsanto's yield-boosting Bt cotton, write Brian Dowd-Uribe & Matthew Schnurr. But not the companies that had to buy the crop at a fixed government-set price. The shorter fibres produced by Bt varieties led to less lint being extracted, and of lower quality, making it a lose-lose proposition for the country's most important industry.
… Faso's decision to drop GM cotton and the law of unintended consequences Brian …
The anti-poaching conference in London today was disrupted by protests at the Botswana delegation - who call the indigenous Bushmen of the Kalahari 'poachers' and are forcing them into death camps.
… for hunting. Botswana's Bushman-only 'Pass Laws' The majority of Bushmen are forced to … which has been likened to the hated Pass Laws under apartheid South Africa. A high …
Survival International argues that the activities of WWF in the Congo Basin have been shown to be doing tremendous damage to rainforest tribes like the Baka, without effectively protecting the environment. But efforts to hold them to account have been frustrated, the director of Survival, STEPHEN CORRY, argues.
… behind the fact it’s acting within local law. Nor can it claim powerlessness in the … legislation. That’s because countries have laws which hurt people: South African … all perfectly “legal” under their national laws. Those who think the OECD Guidelines …
Forensic analysis of DNA in ivory seized by police and customs officials reveals where it comes from, writes Samuel Wasser, giving valuable information to law enforcers. But this powerful tool is only as effective as the national authorities, and Tanzania, a major ivory hotspot, has been very slow to respond to warnings.
… Samuel Wasser, giving valuable information to law enforcers. But this powerful tool is only … just two areas. Targeting these two areas for law enforcement could stop the largest amount … State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to help us …
Overfishing along West Africa’s coast is endangering fish stocks and livelihoods, but local fishermen are not to blame.
… These unlicensed boats flout the laws and are not being stopped. They go in … these are illegally exceeded. International law forbids fishing with mono filament nets, … exist are old and often break down. ‘Fishery laws are worthless if they cannot be …
Groups representing over 5 million Nigerians are resisting Monsanto's attempt to introduce GM maize and cotton, writes Vanessa Amaral-Rogers. With growing evidence of harm to human health and environment, and failing GM crops in other countries, they say Monsanto's applications must be refused.
… in the past in accordance with international law and best biosafety practice?" According to … the National Biosafety Management Bill into law in the twilight days of his tenure in … Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) Women Environmental Programme …
Sugar may seem innocuous enough, but sweet-toothed Western consumers could be fuelling conflict between poor farming communities and big business with every spoonful. Sam Campbell reports from Phnom Penh
… making it her legal property under Cambodian law. Nevertheless, she claims that she lost … tool of repression say campaigners - the law. In 2009, Phnom Penh Sugar was awarded … are silenced—using Cambodia’s partisan law courts. A standoff quietly simmered until …
Despite increased poaching threats, a difficult political situation, drought and climate change, Goldman Prize Winner Raoul du Toit has pioneered a new approach in community stakeholding to save the black rhino
… into an area they are then tracked down by a law enforcement team, but our trackers are … money, and there are no tourists. What about law enforcement? We are getting strong cooperation from some law enforcement arms in Zimbabwe. There are …
£600 million of UK aid money is going to help companies like Unilever and Monsanto take over African land and agriculture, writes Miriam Ross. The corporate power-grab will be disastrous for the small-scale farmers who feed at least 70% of Africa's people.
… Côte d'Ivoire, Mozambique, Nigeria, Benin, Malawi and Senegal. The great African land-grab … had to agree to make major changes to their laws - all intended to make life easier for … New Alliance, and have pushed for new seed laws that will give farmers little choice but …
Chinese citizens are responsible for much of the wildlife crime taking place in Namibia, inflicting immense damage to the country's environment, and undermining community based conservation, writes the Namibian Chamber of Environment in this Open Letter to China's Ambassador Xin Shunkang. China must act to stop its citizens' criminal activities, and invest in making good the damage caused.
… wildlife, conservation, and animal welfare laws and values. Namibians are proud of their … and their nationals to abide by Namibia's laws, and to embrace Namibia's cultures, … nationals have abused Namibia's environmental laws, and this is causing growing resentment …
In Ken Silverstein's 'The Secret World of Oil', Louis Proyect investigates the uber-wealthy middlemen of oil, inhabiting a pampered universe of moral squalor and depravity - one in which Tony Blair found himself completely at home.
… Even when their activities remain within the law, their assault on ethics and decency would … enjoyed by oil tycoons no doubt within the law, it is really the business side of things …
The Gates Foundation is spending half a billion dollars a year to 'feed the world', most of it aimed at Africa. But as GRAIN discovers, it is imposing a model of high-tech, high-input 'green revolution' farming, complete with GMOs, agro-chemicals and a pro-business neoliberal agenda, all in in alliance with corporate agriculture.
… on highly controversial issues like seed laws and GMOs. GRAIN looked through the … support to 'agro-dealers' (see box on Malawi ). An important component of its work, … the Village Land Act as well as "reviewing laws governing land titling at the district …
Community leader shares how the Indigenous Tharakan people are pursuing decolonisation and building resilience to COVID-19 and climate change.
… in neighbouring areas until we found them. Laws Over the past five to six years of … have been desecrated against our traditional laws. Smog Now we are making our plans to revive these places and the customary laws our people have used to protect them for …
You can ‘structurally adjust’ an economy in a matter of years, but it takes longer to destroy a culture. Heiner Thiessen reports from Senegal on the impact of imposing a Western cash economy on a traditional African barter society
… majority of the population the traditional laws of Islam require a different pattern of … or mother might well demand from their son-in-law the teacher’s salary generated by their … that way. And sinning against the laws of that family network may well turn you …