Basics
Casino of Hunger: How Wall Street Speculators Contributed to the Global Food Crisis
2009-11-02
Fact Sheet: During 2008, rising food prices — accelerated by an unprecedented run-up of prices on the commodities futures markets — created a food crisis that increased global hunger, sparked civil unrest and hurt farmers in America and worldwide. The global food crisis is an overlooked symptom of the broader global economic crisis. The food crisis shares many characteristics of the financial meltdown — it was exacerbated by the deregulation of the commodity markets (including agriculture) that encouraged a tidal wave of Wall Street speculation — leading to further increases in already rising food and energy prices.
Cargill Fact Sheet
2009-09-16
Today, the global food system is in the hands of alarmingly few corporations that can run roughshod over consumer health, the environment, and human rights. Cargill is one of these companies. While its name may not be on the package, Cargill produces many processed food ingredients consumers see in the fine print on food labels like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oils, citric acid, lecithin and xanthan gum. Cargill is probably the largest grain trader in the world, with hundreds of grain terminals worldwide, as well as a fleet of cargo ships that can connect their global network of storage facilities. It’s a top beef, pork, and turkey processor, and cattle feedlot operator. Its European meat operations are the largest poultry supplier for McDonald’s, supplying them with sandwich patties and Chicken McNuggets. Cargill also lobbies in Brussels on the EU’s the Common Agricultural Policy. Cargill has been a leading architect of an agricultural system in which it is both buyer and seller, and it has made a tidy profit doing it.
Global Land Grab Undermines Food Security in the Developing World
2009-08-06
Over the past five years, a little-noticed wave of investors has been snapping up fields and forests in some of the poorest developing countries. Governments, sovereign wealth funds and companies from rapidly industrializing or oil-rich developing nations have purchased or leased millions of acres of land in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The trend is likely to continue. In June 2009, representatives from 200 financial and agribusiness firms gathered in New York to discuss agricultural investments in the developing world. These investments in some of the most productive agricultural land threaten to further undermine food security and sustainable rural economic development in the developing world.
Colombia’s Movement for Water Democracy and Constitutional Reform
2009-07-07
Water activists in Colombia are pushing a popular initiative to add explicit protection for the human right to water to the nation’s constitution. The initiative follows similar reform efforts that succeeded in Uruguay in 2004, Ecuador in 2008 and Bolivia in 2009. These constitutional reforms demonstrate the close parallels between the movement for access to safe and sufficient water and the movement for democracy that is sweeping the Americas. After three years of popular mobilization to build support, the Colombian reform measure is now up for debate before the nation’s congress.
Biotech Diplomacy: How US Embassies Are Pushing GMOs Throughout Europe
2009-05-08
When you think of an embassy, you might think of diplomats dining with world leaders and consulate staffers assisting travelers who have lost their passports. Lately, however, ambassadors representing the United States have been carrying out a less traditional sort of mission in the European Union: promoting the interests of biotechnology companies and the genetically modified products they are attempting to sell around the world.
Nanotechnology in Europe: Small Particles, Big Risks
2008-09-26
Nanotechnology is a new field of science in which particles smaller than 100 billionths of a meter can be manufactured by controlling matter on the molecular scale. Made from carbon, silver, zinc, gold and other elements, these minuscule bundles and rods are used in electronics, medical equipment and consumer products such as toothpaste, lotions and sunscreen.
Colombia Trade Deal Threatens U.S. Flower Growers
2008-05-14
U.S. Flower Growers at Further Risk from Colombia Free Trade Agreement, May 2008
Bechtel Profits from Dirty Water in Guayaquil, Ecuador
2007-03-06
Corporations like Bechtel are in the business of privatizing water –– taking control of the local water utility from local authorities. Around the world, privatization has led to large rate hikes, and unreliable water delivery for consumers. In developing countries the poorest communities often have no water services at all.
Fact Sheets
- Casino of Hunger: How Wall Street Speculators Contributed to the Global Food Crisis
- Cargill Fact Sheet
- Global Land Grab Undermines Food Security in the Developing World
- Colombia’s Movement for Water Democracy and Constitutional Reform
- Biotech Diplomacy: How US Embassies Are Pushing GMOs Throughout Europe
Reports
- Changing the Flow: Water Movements in Latin America — In case after case around the world, water has bee ...
- Lake Naivasha — Since the 1980s, industrial horticulture and flori ...
- Carne bovina brasiliana — A prima vista, la carne bovina proveniente dal Bra ...
- Boeuf brésilien — Le boeuf provenant du Brésil peut avoir bon goût ...
- Billiges Rindfleisch aus Brasilien — Aus Brasilien importiertes Rindfleisch mag viellei ...