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Food and Agriculture
New documentary on the roots of Mexican migration to the U.S. released by Food First
Caminos: The Immigrants Trail traces a group of U.S. and Canadian citizens retracing the immigrant trail from El Paso, Texas to Oaxaca, Mexico. This documentary, based on our summer 2007 trip led by Food First executive director, Eric Holt-Giménez, reveals some of the factors that drive these migrants to leave their families and risk their lives to seek work in the U.S. The entire funding for this documentary was provided by individual donors who responded enthusiastically to our telephone appeal last spring.
Food First Backgrounder Vol 14 #2--New Era for Agriculture?
On April 7, 2008, as the media headlines focused on falling grain reserves, soaring food prices, and food riots, representatives from 61 nations met in Johannesburg, South Africa to adopt a UN Report that proposed urgently needed solutions to the global food system's systemic problems.
Via Campesina opposes construction of border fence near El Paso/Cuidad Juarez
August 18, 2009
El Paso, Texas, USA
Dear compañeras/os,
On Friday, August 8 of this year, the mining and construction company
Kiweit, out of Omaha, Nebraska, began construction on the first
twelve miles of projected 60+ mile wall which will extend along the
border dividing El Paso and Cuidad Juarez.
La Via Campesina opposes the wall of shame, and denounces this
disturbing development as a direct offense on the people of the U.S.,
Mexico, and the Americas. We consider this a manifestation of an
Food First Backgrounder Vol 14, Number 1--From Food Rebellions to Food Sovereignty: Urgent call to fix a broken food system
Hunger in a World of Plenty
The skyrocketing cost of food has resurrected the specter of "food riots." The World Bank reports that global food prices rose 83% over the last three years and the FAO cites a 45% increase in their wold food price index during just the past nine months. The Economist's comparable index stands at its highest point since it was originally formulated in 1848. As of March 2008, average world wheat prices were 130% above their level a year earlier, soy prices were 87% higher, rice had climbed 74% and maize was up 31%.
South Central Farmers Demand Ethics Investigation of Local Officials
August 18, 2008--
Citing an apparent conflict of interest, the South Central Farmers are demanding that California's State Attorney General investigate the sale of the site of the South Central Farm by Los Angeles city officials to local developer Ralph Horowitz for a trucking center for women's clothing manufacturer and retailer Forever 21.
Friends of the Earth International Warns Against Land Grab Threat At U.N. Climate Talks In Ghana
Friends of the Earth International MEDIA ADVISORY
GREAT LAND GRAB THREAT AT U.N. CLIMATE TALKS IN GHANA
ACCRA (GHANA), 19 August 2008 -
Delegates attending the United Nations climate talks in Accra on 21th - 27th August will focus on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD) but environmental campaigners are warning against the inclusion of forests in carbon markets.
Friends of the Earth International warns that the inclusion of forests in carbon markets enables developed countries to avoid real carbon emissions reductions at home.
U.S. FAMILY FARMERS APPLAUD DEMISE OF DOHA NEGOTIATIONS
Washington D.C. (August 13, 2008) - The National Family Farm Coalition welcomed with elation the recent failure of the Doha Round negotiations at the World Trade Organization in Geneva. NFFC, an organization representing family farmers in the United States and a member of Via Campesina, an international coalition of family farmers, peasants, and farm workers, has been at the forefront since 1993 of protesting the disastrous inclusion of agriculture in the world trading system.
You Can Help to Protect Mayan Lawyer Following Attempt on His Life
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/Amilcar
On August 2 two masked men swerved in front of Amilcar Pop's car, forcing him to a violent stop. The men drew guns and beat on the windows of the Guatemalan lawyer's car shouting that they would kill him. Despite injuries from the accident, Pop was able to reverse his car and escape.
Hungry for Justice: How the World Food System Fails the Poor
Compilation of articles from Americas Policy Program including an article titled
Agri-food Industry's Deadly Cycle Feeds Immigration by Eric Holt-Gimenez
Inequalities in the world's food system have been aggravated by recent developments to create the much talked-about food crisis. But what is behind the headlines? This new series delves into agrofuels, trade policy, corporate concentration, climate change, and rising demand to help sort out the real causes of the crisis and what needs to be done about it.
To read these articles go to:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/5249
Hunger, Crisis, and Business: The perfect storm of food aid
At the June 1-4, 2008 FAO Food Security Summit in Rome, representatives of 181 countries reaffirmed their commitment to food security goals from previous summits held in 1996 and "Five Years Later." Delegates voiced concern about the lack of progress toward the UN Millennium Development Goals. That's the good news.
Read more in the attachment.
Honduran Peasant Leaders Receive Death Threats
Our colleague, Rafael Alegría, peasant leader of Honduras and member of the International Coordinating Committee of the Via Campesina is receiving threats from landholders and members of the national police after a bloody confrontation in the Struggle for the Land, between the Grupo Campesino Guadalupe CARNEY and the Osorto family, occurred on Sunday, August 3 of this year, in the community Silin, Trujillo, Colón, where 11 people died, and two were wounded.
Doha Collapse Won't Mean Suffering for The Poor
GENEVA, Aug 6 (IPS) - At the heart of the collapse of the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Round last week are the different opinions on liberalisation and its relation to development. Developed countries promote the idea that liberalisation will bring about development and thus that the failure of the Round constitutes a blow for the poor.
Immediately after the collapse of talks, ministers from the U.S., European Union (EU) and Australia made statements about the huge loss that the crash of the Doha Round would signify for the poor.
Se publicó el libro Campesino a Campesino: Voces de Latinoamérica Movimiento Campesino a Campesino para la Agricultura Sustentable
Este libro narra la historia del Movimiento que se desarrolla en el sur de México y en Centroamérica durante la guerra a lo largo de treinta años. Su autor, Eric Holt Giménez describe la situación económica, política y social que da forma al Movimiento. Abre el espacio para que los campesinos y campesinas cuenten sus historias de lucha y solidaridad, llenándonos de esperanza en la capacidad de los campesinos para proteger su tierra, su ambiente y la vida de sus familias.
Petrocaribe Tackles Food Crisis
TEGUCIGALPA, July 30.— In an effort to guarantee regional food security,
representatives of the 18 Petrocaribe member countries are meeting in
Honduras as of Wednesday for a ministerial level summit on agriculture.
A newly created Petrocaribe Food Fund will begin with some US $500 million, reported Prensa Latina.
The initiative came from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to help reactivate the agricultural sectors of the countries that benefit from the discount oil sold to them by Venezuela and seeks to increase the supply of basic grains and compensate for the high food prices.
WTO Doha Collapse because of Failure to Deliver Development
The collapse of the Doha talks illustrated a clear lack of political will on the part of the developed countries to deliver on development. From the start, the developed countries were hearing but not actually listening to the development concerns the majority in the WTO have been voicing. This continued through the past week until it became untenable to bridge the differences.
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Coordinator, Oakland Food Policy Council
Oakland, California
Full-time senior position
Background:
Food First, the City of Oakland and various community-based organizations (CBOs) are collaborating to build greater food security and a sustainable city food system by the establishment of an Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC) to advance public policies that favor locally-owned neighborhood food systems.
