With GM crops largely shut out of Europe and many countries reluctant to embrace the technology, Western agro-biotech conglomerates are desperate to seek out and expand into untapped (foreign) markets to maintain profitability. India presents potential rich pickings. And this is the bottom line: GM is not about ‘helping farmers’ or ‘feeding the masses’ (myths that have been deconstructed time and again). It is about hard-nose interests endeavouring to displace existing systems of production and capturing and exploiting markets by any means possible – not least fakery and deception.
Archiv: farmers
Brazil’s govt to propose oil exploration on indigenous land: media
However, many indigenous leaders have been vocal in their opposition to the government’s plans. Prominent tribal chiefs, including Raoni Metuktire, have toured Europe to defend their territories from deforestation and development.
Colombia: Farmer Leader Shot to Death in Front of His Family
The National Association of Farmer Users (ANUC) activist Reinaldo Carrillo was killed at dawn on Wednesday by hitmen who entered his house and shot him in front of his family in Pitalito town, Department of Huila, Colombia.
Philippines Approves GM Golden Rice. The Destabilization of Agriculture
The Green Revolution launched in the 1960s pushed new, potentially high-yielding forms of rice on Asian farmers as a way to increase food production. As a result, white rice has come to dominate the once-diverse Asian diets — with dramatic health consequences.”
Saffron production hits record high in Afghanistan
„Saffron farmers would receive some 27 million U.S. dollars in revenues from this year’s harvest,“ the statement noted.
A father’s grief and the Made in USA bomb dropped in Yemen
The total extent of export licences to the kingdom is not known, and neither is it known when the bomb that killed Raja was sold. The SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, the world’s most extensive record, yielded no results: it contains just a fraction of true sales, as pre-digital record-keeping was poor and states cite national security concerns to avoid disclosing records.
Thousands of Indigenous Farmers Head Towards Ecuador’s Capital
As it could be seen through images broadcasted live, army personnel on Saturday morning tried to occupy farmer facilities in Nizag, an indigenous community located in Sibambe.
Given the impossibility of evicting hundreds of Chimborazo demonstrators, the Ecuadorean troops remained wandering among the people concentrated there. No incidents were reported.
Brazilian soy farmers concerned with new Bayer biotech herbicide, Dicamba
Brazilian farmers are wary of the imminent introduction of a new genetically modified soy seed technology because of the risks associated with dicamba, a herbicide the biotech product is designed to tolerate. Widely used in the United States, dicamba has been described as a volatile product that drifts off easily and may compromise non-tolerant soybeans.
Brände im Amazonasgebiet
Deutschland und die EU begünstigen die Abholzung und Brandrodungen im Amazonasgebiet mit ihren umfangreichen Agrarimporten aus Brasilien seit Jahren. Schon lange werden Proteste dagegen laut, zumal im Auftrag von Brasiliens Agrarunternehmen immer wieder auch Morde an Kleinbauern begangen werden. Deutschland sei daran „durch seine Importe von Produkten des brasilianischen Agro-Business mitschuldig“, kritisierten beispielsweise Vertreter indigener Gemeinschaften vor rund drei Jahren. Das unlängst geschlossene EU-Freihandelsabkommen mit dem Mercosur wird Brasiliens Agrarexporte weiter steigern und neue Anbauflächen erforderlich machen;
Peru: Army Deployed to Port Amid Protest Against Mining Project
Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra authorized Sunday for the army to join the national police forces to “protect” the key mining port of Matarani, a day before an expected new round of protests against Southern Copper’s ‘Tia Maria’ open-pit mining project.
Peru: Farmers Launch Indefinite Strike Against Major Open-Pit Mining Project
Peruvian farmers from the Tambo Valley in the central region of Arequipa began an indefinite strike Monday to protest the government’s approval to initiate construction of a major open-pit mining project known as ‘Tia Maria’, granted to United States mining corporation, Southern Copper.
Outrage as Philippines probes farmer ‚massacre‘
Philippine authorities said Monday they have launched a probe into the mass slaying of nine farmers gunned down after taking over part of a sugar plantation to grow food for themselves
France: Farmers launch blockade of oil refinery in Grandpuits
Farmers launched a four-day blockade at the Grandpuits oil refinery on Sunday, to protest against the import of palm oil for use in fuel at the expense of locally-produced biofuels.
UPDATE 3-French farmers block refineries, fuel depots over palm oil imports
French farmers have blocked access to oil depots and at least three refineries using tonnes of onions, wood and rubble as part of a three-day protest over plans to allow Total to use imported palm oil at a biofuel plant.