Food Security // Current

Japanese government animation explains global food security

Food security is a concept that works on micro and macro levels. But, it's something that individuals don't... more

bedeboop
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Vandana Shiva speaks of new visions for responding to climate change and food crisis

A food/climate manifesto presents new visions for responding to climate change. Turin, Italy -- I've just come out of the... more

JanforGore
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The politics of eating

As a class, lower income people have been well represented in some of the best-covered food stories of our day, particularly... more

HellaDelicious
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Raw Milk

Then there’s New York organic dairyman Jerry Snyder, who has chosen the path of most resistance. His quest is to carve out a... more

HellaDelicious
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California food banks hurting as children go hungry

Turning dozens of hungry children away from a free meals program wasn't how Vince Harper wanted to start the summer. ... more

JanforGore
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Is Africa being bullied into growing GM crops?

Africa must not let multinational corporations and international donors dictate its biotechnology agenda, says David Fig.

Africa is rapidly becoming a focal point for multinational crop and chemical corporations clearing the way for the extended uptake of their products and technologies. In particular, African governments are facing enormous pressure to endorse and adopt genetically modified (GM) crops.

Organisations like the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa — bankrolled by the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations — are partly to blame through their heavy investment in infrastructure aimed at supporting the development and distribution of GM crops and seeds.

But the African Union (AU) itself is now also encouraging the adoption of GM technology. Working in tandem with its development wing, the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the AU's High Level Panel on Modern Biotechnology is soon to release a Freedom to Innovate plan — the clearest expression yet of the trend to back this controversial and risky technology. And it does so uncritically, rather than taking a more rational precautionary position that would safeguard Africa's rich biodiversity and agriculture.

The AU is also engaged in efforts to revise the carefully crafted African Model Law on Biosafety, which outlines the biosafety provisions necessary for African environmental conditions.

The revisions emanate from those seeking to make the biosafety content less stringent, placing Africa under even more pressure to conform to the needs of the gene corporations.
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This is one facet of the current worldwide food crisis we are hearing about that I am wary of. There is no doubt that there is food insecurity and famine in our world. However, we have what we need to feed everyone on this planet (enough goes in the trash in this country alone everyday to do it) except for the fact that organizations like the World Bank and governments control the process behind getting that food to people and the accessability of funds.

This is why I believe calls that there is a crisis regarding food need to be something we continue to be vigilant of in regards to the World Bank which is in league with companies like Monsanto giving loans to developing countries now. Will one of the stipulations to this money for food aid be that they must allow Monsanto and other multi national biotech companies to grow their GM crops? Surely people do not believe that the World Bank loans money to these developing countries giving them full freedom regarding what they do with it.

This is what they did regarding loans for water infrastructure that stipulated they had to allow private companies to come in and build the infrastructure thus causing prices to skyrocket to the point where many could not afford the water and wound up getting sick from drinking polluted water. Do they deliberately wait until the conditions are at such a crisis stage in order to force people in these developing countries to take their stipulations to get the loans because they are too hungry and thirsty to refuse? Africa must not let multinational corporations and international donors dictate its biotechnology agenda, says David Fig. ... more