A radical new Seed Law drafted by Venezuelan people, farmers and NGOs was signed into law in the closing days of 2015, write William Camacaro, Frederick B. Mills & Christina M. Schiavoni. Striking back against the corporate takeover of seeds and peddling of GMOs, the Seed Law bans transgenic seeds, protects the country's germplasm, and establishes the legal foundation for a participatory, agroecological food and farming system.
… 2016 News Farming GMOs Seeds Venezuela Food Law Politics watermelon-cut.jpg A radical new Seed Law drafted by Venezuelan people, farmers and NGOs was signed into law in the closing days of 2015, write William …
A legal challenge to a draconian Idaho law that outlaws free speech about animal abuses on factory farms has survived a 'motion to dismiss' in a federal court. The challenge, mounted by free speech, animal welfare, food and environment groups, claims the 'ag gag' law is unconstitutional.
… Success for challenge to Idaho 'ag-gag' law Oliver Tickell | 5th September 2014 News Farming Law Politics Corporations USA … video, which triggered Idaho's 'ag gag' law. A legal challenge to a draconian Idaho …
Palestinian children as young as 11 work on Israeli farms in the occupied West Bank, an HRW investigation reveals. While the EU buys produce worth $300m a year from the illegal 'settlements', undocumented child labourers are exposed to pesticides, paid well below the minimum wage, enjoy no employment rights, and toil long hours in hot fields and greenhouses.
… not to take breaks. Although international law, as well as Israeli and Palestinian law, sets 15 as the minimum age of employment, … communities, Israeli and Palestinian labor lawyers, development-agency staff and labor …
A leaked document reveals plans by the US's Grocery Manufacturers Association to sue the first state that passes a GMO labeling law. Vermont will be the decisive battle-ground, report Katherine Paul and Ronnie Cummins.
… US food industry: labelling laws are 'unconstitutional' Katherine Paul … the first state that passes a GMO labeling law. Vermont will be the decisive … ' of talking points about GMOs and labeling laws. The document is intended for use by food …
In the red corner, the increasingly successful citizens' campaign to label foods containing GMO ingredients. In the blue, a supine government and powerful GMO and grocery industry that will fight it all the way. Welcome to 2014 ...
… battles, including state GMO labeling laws and county bans on growing genetically … . The response: 'voluntary' and watered down laws And all signs point to efforts by … or watered-down mandatory GMO labeling laws that would take away states' rights to …
Climate policy could bite on fossil fuel resource values much faster than financial markets anticipate, writes Sam Fankhauser. It's time investors wised up to the hazards of investing in fossil fuels, when two thirds of them may have to remain unexploited.
… unexploited. The number of climate change laws on the statue books of the world’s … at risk So we may expect not just more laws but also more rigorous laws over the coming years. But what relation …
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. …
Nearly 100,000 people have pledged to risk arrest if the Obama administration approves the Keystone XL pipeline. Among them is Jeremy Brecher, who believes that the real criminals are governments who betray their fiduciary duty as trustees for the public good.
… | 2nd May 2014 Comment Fossil Fuels Oil Law Climate Change Commons kxl-arrest-cut.jpg … The state has arrested me for breaking the law. It has charged me with the crime of … a far more serious violation of the law of property. Our state and national …
The organizers of tomorrow's International Monsanto Tribunal describe it as a 'moral trial', while the company dismisses it as a 'mock trial' and 'stunt'. The truth, writes Pete Dolack, is that it's about much more than this one company. On trial is the entire neoliberal system of 'free market' finance and monopoly capitalism.
… October 2016 Comment Corporations Finance Law GMOs Food Farming crop-dusting-cut.jpg The … with arguments and legal grounds for further lawsuits in courts of law. The organizers also see the tribunal as …
Almost all UK laws that regulate fracking's impact on the environment emanate from EU directives and regulations, writes Zachary Davies Boren. Once out of the EU, the UK would be free to amend them, scrap them or simply ignore them. And given the UK's record of support for fracking and lobbying in Brussels for deregulation, that may be exactly what the Brexiteers have planned.
… pillaga-waste-water-cut.jpg Almost all UK laws that regulate fracking's impact on the … require only secondary legislation, say the lawyers. In some cases rules could simply be … enforced by UK regulators. Also based in EU law are rules forcing firms to carry out …
The impact of fracking on communities and ecosystems demands a complete rethink of the human relationship with nature, writes Shannon Biggs. Nature has rights - and this must be reflected in our laws.
… 2014 Comment Fracking Fossil Fuels Ecocide Law marcellus-shale.png The impact of fracking … rights - and this must be reflected in our laws. Human laws have not forgotten nature, but neither …
First corporations gained legal personhood, writes Don Fitz. Next they seized the right to force 'free trade' on unwilling populations. Now they are making sure that 'corporate rights' trump citizen rights - like the right to wholesome food and a healthy environment. That's where the 'Right to Farm' constitutional amendments come in ...
… Fitz | 22nd August 2014 Activism Corporations Law USA Farming mo-hog-farm-cut.jpg First … legislature or voters from passing future laws for environmental protection, animal … former slaves "equal protection under the law." As Jane Anne Morris documents in …
President Obama will shortly be on his way to India. In this Open Letter, Vandana Shiva invites him to join in securing the essential human freedoms to seeds and food - and to set aside any plans to pressure India into changing its laws to allow the corporate domination of life.
… Food Farming Seeds India USA Human Rights Law varanasi_green_chickpeas-cut.jpg President … any plans to pressure India into changing its laws to allow the corporate domination of … of WTO. Corporate influence on Patent Law began with the drafting of the Trade …
Following a disgraceful EU stitch-up, the European Parliament today passed a law permitting EU-wide GMO crop cultivation. With regulation and safeguards devolved to member states, and only limited 'opt-out' rights, it is a recipe for chaos that GM corporations will ruthlessly exploit.
… 2015 News GMOs EU Food Farming Seeds Politics Law Regulation pioneer_maize_pr39f58-cut.jpg … the European Parliament today passed a law permitting EU-wide GMO crop cultivation. … The European Parliament has just passed a law allowing the cultivation of GMO crops by …
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, …
Indonesia appears to brought rainforest logging under control - but it's all a huge illusion, according to a new EIA report. Traditional logging has been replaced by the mass clearance of rainforest for oil palm plantations, creating massive supplies of hugely profitable but often illegal timber. And lurking beneath the surface is a pervasive network of criminality and corruption.
… January 2015 News Forests Indonesia Farming Law Regulation pt kahayan_okt2014-cut.jpg … "The track record of Indonesia in terms of law enforcement is not good" , Heru Prasetyo, … stream of timber. Although the rule of law has increasingly been brought to bear on …
Thanks to damage to coastal wetlands by the oil & gas industry, Louisiana is losing two acres to the sea an hour, writes Julie Dermansky. The companies are legally obliged to repair their damage - but they haven't and the cost has reached $50 billion. The answer? A Bill backed by the state governor to make them immune from lawsuits.
… 2014 News USA Oil Fossil Fuels Oceans Law Politics la-wellhead-paul-goyette-cut.jpg … the state governor to make them immune from lawsuits. The scars of Hurricane Katrina in … and Jefferson Parish have waged multiple lawsuits against oil and gas companies …
Spain's Coto Doñana shows the value of EU conservation law, writes Laurence Rose, as the UK tries to get rid of the Birds and Habitats Directives. Both have proved essential to the protection and restoration of one of Europe's greatest wetlands.
… Thanks to EU laws and money, Coto Doñana rises from … Activism Spain Birds Water Pollution Farming Law EU Conservation Mining cd-storks-cut.jpg … Doñana shows the value of EU conservation law, writes Laurence Rose, as the UK tries to …
The Keystone XL pipeline was dealt a blow in a Nebraska court this week when a key enabling law was ruled 'unconstitutional' - bringing the controversial project to a standstill in the state.
… | 21st February 2014 News Oil Fossil Fuels Law USA nebraska-kxl.png The Keystone XL … Nebraska court this week when a key enabling law was ruled 'unconstitutional' - bringing … state. A court has struck down the Nebraska law that allowed the Keystone XL pipeline to …
A month after warning the government of legal action over its decision to allow farmers to use bee-killing pesticides banned under EU law, Friends of the Earth has filed a High Court legal challenge to have the 'derogations' declared unlawful.
… Oliver Tickell | 24th August 2015 News Law Farming Natural World Toxics UK EU … to use bee-killing pesticides banned under EU law, Friends of the Earth has filed a High … to have the 'derogations' declared unlawful. Friends of the Earth has applied for a …
Never mind Brazil's COP21 promises to cut its carbon emissions, writes Jan Rocha. New laws passing through Congress will encourage deforestation by removing safeguards and opening up indigenous territories to mega-projects. Serious drought is already contributing to a big increase in forest fires.
… Brazil: as forest fires rage, new laws will open gates of hell Jan Rocha | 14th January 2016 News Brazil Forests Law Politics Farming Indigenous Peoples … its carbon emissions, writes Jan Rocha. New laws passing through Congress will encourage …
Hawaii has got everything, writes Christopher Pala, and not just for holidaymakers. It's also the perfect place for biotech companies to develop GMO corn varieties and spray them with toxic agrochemicals. People are getting sprayed too - and doctors report high rates of birth defects. But grassroots efforts to restrict the use of pesticides have twice been over-ruled by state courts.
… | 4th November 2015 News GMOs Corporations Law USA Toxics Farming hawaii-demo-2-cut.jpg … "Monsanto complies with all federal and state laws that govern responsible pesticide use." … Whether or not the companies respect these laws, which forbid allowing pesticides sprayed …
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 …