Food & agriculture

How do agribusiness corporations impact decisions on our food system?

Soy Round Table fails on all fronts

30.05.2009

On May 28, the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) held its general assembly to vote on criteria for responsible soy. These had been heavily criticised by many environemental organisations and peasant movements. Within the RTRS, there was deep disagreement about whether and what biodiversity-criterion to adopt, a key element.

'Responsible Soy' in Paraguay: Grupo DAP

27.05.2009

This week, the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) meets to set new standards for "responsible soy". This new certification scheme could be accepted by the EU as adequate to guarantee that certified soy is suitable for use as an agrofuel in Europe.

Action at WWF against 'responsible soy'

19.05.2009

Action against WWF support for Monsanto GM toxic soy at headoffice WWF-Netherlands

Sign petition, halt GM 'responsible' soy

16.04.2009

GM Toxic soy is not 'responsible'!

Can genetically engineered soy - grown with large amounts of agri-chemicals - ever be called 'responsible'? You probably consider this to be impossible. The damage that Monsanto's Roundup Ready soy has done in countries such as Argentina and Paraguay is enormous. Despite that, by the end of May this very same soy will be labelled 'responsible' by the Round Table on Responsible Soy.

Round Table on "Sustainable Biofuels"

08.04.2009

19 March 2009, Brussels. As we have seen, EU agrofuel policy has spurred a number of initiatives supposedly aimed at bringing ‘sustainable’ agrofuels to the market over the past few years. These efforts have been used to try and justify the 10% agrofuel target.

Cornering the market in agrofuels: Brazil’s bid to dominate the EU

08.01.2009

Brazil, the world’s leading exporter of agrofuels (crops grown for fuel), is hosting an International Conference on Biofuels between 17-21 November 2008. With over 1000 representatives from national governments, international organisations, academia, business and civil society, the event represents Brazil’s greatest PR effort so far to promote its ethanol as a sustainable renewable energy source in the face of mounting international scepticism and a growing global food crisis.

Protesters at petrol stations state "Agrofuels are no solution for the climate and energy problem!"

23.09.2008

In Front of a Statoil petrol station (Nobelvägan near corner Lönngatan) the traffic was stopped and waiters and waitresses serving organic food talked to the drivers. They had to choose between fuelling their car, or access to food for themselves and other people. There was understanding and sympathy for the alternative, although nobody decided to leave the car at the spot. Luckily the police was occupied by their preparations for the big ESF demonstration. It took them 30 minutes to find out about the action.

Seminar on the Impacts of Agrofuel

03.09.2008

In June 2007, Global Forest Coalition, Corporate Europe Observatory and Friends of the Earth Europe organised four days of events on agrofuels, including debates in the European Parliament and the Dutch Parliament. Fifteen representatives from Southern organisations and movements were in Europe to testify on the impacts that EU agrofuel policy will have on their countries.This report is a record of their testimonies.

A Reality Check on Agrofuels

02.09.2008

This report sets out critical concerns regarding the current push to develop agrofuels in transport, specially in industrialised countries.

PRRI: are these public researchers?

18.06.2008

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) biosafety negotiations have been the target ofbiotech industry lobbyists and pro-biotech governments from the outset. But some have taken a more subtle approach to their lobbying, hiding their agenda beneath a veneer of public interest. Scrape beneath the surface however and their links to the biotech industry become clear. One such organisation is the Public Research and Regulation Initiative (PRRI) which appeared on the scene after the first biosafety negotiations under the CBD.

The Round Table on Ir-Responsible Soy

10.06.2008

This report, compiled by ASEED Europe, Base Investigataciones Sociales,Corporate Europe Observatory, Grupo de Reflexión Rural and the Rain Forest Action Network, looks at the impacts of soy production in Latin America ahead of the third Round Table on Responsible Soy conference, and warns that rather than promoting more sustainable production, the Round Table is legitimising the existing environmentally and socially destructive practices within the soy industry.

A view from Bonn

04.06.2008

Bonn, 19 May -- The biosafety negotiations in Bonn ended without a legally binding agreement on who could be held liable for compensation
for damage caused by GM crops. Negotiators reached an "accord" which will be negotiated further over the next two years. This time it was Japan blocking progress, with the silent approval of New Zealand, Peru,and probably others. This does not look good for Japan who is host for the next CBD.