Publications

¿Avanza la FAO hacia un compromiso real con los campesinos?

TUNEZ, 5 de junio de 2009— Después de cuatro días de difíciles negociaciones entre 121 gobiernos en la reunión del Tratado de la FAO sobre Recursos Fitogenéticos para la Alimentación y la Agricultura que tuvo lugar en Túnez, representantes de la sociedad civil derrotaron el intento de Canadá por bloquear las negociaciones que favorecen a los agricultores. A media noche del jueves, Brasil leyó ante una cansada plenaria una resolución sobre los derechos de los agricultores que cambió por alivio y entusiasmo la tensión prevaleciente entre los delegados.

Después de las negociaciones en los corredores, donde Europa, América Latina y África enfrontaron los esfuerzos de Canadá por descarrilar el mandato a... Read more

À qui appartient la nature?

Pouvoir des grandes sociétés et ultime frontière de la marchandisation du vivant

Problèmes, obsessions et occasions : une préface

TIl y a trente ans, l’humanité avait un problème; la science avait une obsession; et l’industrie tenait une occasion. Notre problème était l’injustice. Les rangs des affamés ne cessaient de grossir et les rangs des agriculteurs, de s’affaiblir. De son côté, la science était obsédée par la biotechnologie – la possibilité de modifier génétiquement les cultures et le bétail (et l’être humain) pour les doter de traits qui allaient régler tous nos problèmes. L’industrie agroalimentaire tenait l’occasion de prélever l’énorme valeur ajoutée tout au long de la... Read more

ETC Group 3 March 2008                             www.etcgroup.org Special Report on Human Genomics Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing and the Myth of Personalized Medicine: Spit Kits, SNP Chips and Human Genomics The topic of this report is the burgeoning Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) genetic testing industry, which is promising consumers a guidebook for maintaining health as well as a gene-based horoscope predicting future illness. Issue & Impact: “Personalized medicine” is based on the belief that we can – or, one day soon will be able to – detect, prevent and treat disease according to an individual’s genetic profile. “Gene-informed,”[1] individualized medicine is being touted as a boon to health and longevity around the world, though its efficacy and usefulness have yet to be demonstrated.... Read more

News Release Coalition Against Biopiracy 7 March 2008 www.captainhookawards.org Ahoy, Mates! The Coalition Against Biopiracy today calls for nominations for the Fifth Captain Hook Awards

*** Please Circulate to Your Networks throughout the Seven Seas *** What's the most scandalous case of biopiracy[1] in your country? Who's ripping off indigenous knowledge in your community? Which privateer is most egregiously pillaging the global commons for profit? Who's monopolizing your genes or patenting your plants?

Nominate your least favorite pirate for a 2008 Captain Hook Award. All outrageous achievements in biopiracy deserve recognition!

Nominate your most admired biopiracy-resistor for a 2008 Cog Award. All those who have fought off biopirates, defeated predatory patents or otherwise foiled the nefarious plots of fiendish privateers deserve recognition. (Cog Awards are so-named because cogs were ships designed to... Read more

Reporte preparado para el Centro del Sur
Noviembre de 2005

En este reporte, preparado para el Centro del Sur, examina los impactos potenciales de la nanotecnología en dos sectores: agricultura y minería, en los países dependientes de productos básicos. Estudios de caso sobre caucho, textiles, platino y cobre brindan oportunos ejemplos de cómo las economías y los trabajadores en el Sur global podrían ser afectados por los productos nuevos de la nanotecnología. Es un hecho que las nanotecnologías podrían ocasionar tremendos desórdenes socioeconómicos para los cuales la sociedad no está preparada. Concluye con varias recomendaciones políticas para los países en desarrollo dependientes de materias primas.

L'aboutissement recent de la negociation du GATT et la signature de la Convention sur la diversite biologique ont place les droits de propriete intellectuelle au premier plan des relations Nord-Sud.Les decisions prises en la matiere, notamment en ce qui a trait aux ressources du regne vegetal, ont d'importantes implications pour la securite alimentaire, l'agriculture, le developpement rural et l'environnement de tous les pays, au Nord comme au Sud. Pour ces derniers en particulier, l'incidence de la propriete intellectuelle sur les agriculteurs, les societes rurales et la biodiversite revetira une extreme importance.* Les brevets accordes pour le coton obtenu grace aux techniques du genie genetique pourrait hypothequer l'avenir d'une culture estimee � 20� milliards de dollars et qui est essentielle pour de nombreuses economies nationales du Sud.* Les organisations d'agriculteurs des pays andins croient que les brevets accordes pour deux varietes de coton colore ne reconnaissent... Read more

ETC Group (formerly RAFI) invites you to a workshop on

Next: Converging Technologies / Atomtechnology (nanotech, biotech, and beyond).

Pat Mooney & Silvia Ribeiro

Friday Jan. 24 14:30 - 18:00 (English / Portuguese) Sunday Jan. 26 14:30 - 18:00 (English / Spanish) Room: TBA/look at the signs at the PUC

While peoples' movements, civil society organizations and communities throughout the world are still trying to grasp the implications of genetic engineering for their lives, a series of new and powerful technologies are rapidly emerging. These include human genomics, neuroscience, robotics, computer and information technologies and, most significantly, nanotechnology, which ETC Group have called "Atomtechnology" .

To contribute to our understanding of the context in which these technologies are developing, and their implications on communities and marginalised groups, we invite you to share the research that ETC Group has done... Read more

On the 10th anniversary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ETC group concludes that the CBD has failed to establish meaningful regulations to stop biopiracy. Biopiracy refers to the appropriation of the knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions seeking exclusive monopoly control (usually patents or plant breeders' rights) over these resources and knowledge. On 11 April 2002 the Coalition Against Biopiracy presented its highly un-coveted Captain Hook Awards - for infamous and outstanding achievements in biopiracy - at the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP6) in The Hague, April 8-19. This issue of ETC Communiqué provides background information on the award winners, and additional nominees.