Publications

News Release - 21st April 2010 - For Immediate Release

 Hands Off Mother Earth!

Civil Society Groups announce new global campaign against geoengineering tests – urge public to join in.

www.handsoffmotherearth.org

Cochabamba Bolivia  - On the eve of UN Mother Earth Day, over sixty national and international organizations today threw their weight behind a common statement launching a global campaign to prevent real world deployment of geoengineering experiments.

Geoengineering refers to large-scale intentional tinkering with the climate and earth systems to counteract global warming. The ‘Hands Off Mother Earth’ campaign (or H.O.M.E. campaign) regards such geoengineering schemes as dangerous and unjust. It is urging individuals and organizations to speak out in opposing them.

“With rich... Leer más

*Silvia RibeiroSin discusión, igual que con la ley Monsanto de "bioinseguridad", la Cámara de Senadores de México aprobó el 27 y 28 de abril pasado dos leyes que instrumentan la privatización de los recursos genéticos de México y la concesión de patentes sobre conocimientos indígenas.----- Sin discusión, igual que con la ley Monsanto de "bioinseguridad", la Cámara de Senadores de México aprobó el 27 y 28 de abril pasado dos leyes que instrumentan la privatización de los recursos genéticos de México y la concesión de patentes sobre conocimientos indígenas. No es sorprendente, a la luz del brutal "blindaje legal" para asegurar la privatización de recursos estratégicos que el Congreso ha venido aprobando -con la participación de todos los partidos-, con la Ley Nacional de Aguas, la ley Monsanto, la ley de Minería y otras pendientes, complementadas con normas oficiales y programas gubernamentales como el Procede y Pagos por Servicios... Leer más

Svalbard's Doomsday Vault: The Global Seed Vault Raises Political/Conservation Debate The swarm of media attention focusing on today's opening of the Global Seed Vault in Norway's high Arctic may overshadow an even bigger news story. Yesterday, 26 February, the Norwegian government pledged to give 0.1% of money spent on commercial seed sales to support Farmers' Rights, and challenged other governments to do the same. The critical message is that even the most secure gene bank storage is not the ultimate solution. Governments must provide support to farmers to improve local conservation and breeding, and help them obtain access to far away seed accessions. Global food security depends upon a coherent in situ (on-farm) and ex situ (gene bank) strategy. The need to support farmers' on-farm conservation and breeding work is urgent. On the occasion of the opening of the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, ETC Group releases a new Communique, "Svalbard's Doomsday Vault: The... Leer más

Technology transfer is one of the four key topics being discussed under negotiations on Long-Term Cooperative Actions in Copenhagen (the others are mitigation, adaptation and financing). The inter-governmental negotiating text that is under discussion contemplates various measures for accelerating the diffusion of technologies. It will most likely create an ʻAction Planʼ as well as a ʻTechnology Bodyʼ and various technical panels or innovation centres that will prove influential in the coming years in deciding which technologies get financial and political backing. We need to make sure the right technologies get the support they need and the wrong ones are discarded. That wonʼt happen without a comprehensive social and environmental assessment process. We, civil society groups and social movements from around the world, understand the urgent need for real and lasting solutions to climate change. We recognise the deadly consequences that we all face... Leer más

Au début d’octobre 2009, le Groupe de Cordoue – un petit regroupement d’experts indépendants en questions relatives à l’alimentation et à l’agriculture (dont font partie celui qui a été le premier rapporteur spécial des Nations Unies sur le droit à l’alimentation ainsi que le titulaire actuel du poste) qui se réunit depuis deux ans – a publié une brève analyse (deux pages) portant sur la situation de la gouvernance à l’échelle mondiale en matière d’alimentation et d’agriculture et sur la nécessité de placer le droit à l’alimentation et les intérêts des paysans producteurs au centre du débat sur l’alimentation et le climat. Le rapport du Groupe a été largement distribué aux membres du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale des Nations Unies, qui s’est réuni à la mi-octobre, et il exerce depuis une influence sur les délibérations entourant le Sommet mondial de l’alimentation de novembre et la Conférence de Copenhague sur... Leer más

Who Will Feed Us?

2009’s most important intergovernmental meeting on the climate and food crises has already happened. In October,  as climate negotiators were fighting in Bangkok and as the UN food agencies were jousting over a restructured  response to the food crisis and plans for the World Food Summit, the Food and Agriculture Organizations’s (FAO) Commission on Genetic Resources met quietly in Rome to review the preparedness of the international community  to adapt and develop crops, livestock, aquatic and microbial genetic resources used in food and agriculture to  address climate change. The meeting also considered the political and corporate constraints that could prevent a  major strategic shift to achieve our food security. The Rome Food Summit in November and the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December should pay attention. At stake is the answer to the most important question not being asked in... Leer más

A principios de octubre del 2009, el Grupo de Córdoba –un pequeño grupo de expertos independientes sobre alimentación y agricultura (incluyendo a dos Relatores Especiales de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho a la Alimentación, el primero y el actual) que se ha venido reuniendo durante los dos últimos años– publicó un breve análisis sobre el estado de la gobernanza global en alimentación y agricultura, y sobre la necesidad de colocar el Derecho a la Alimentación y los intereses de los campesinos y productores de pequeña escala en el centro de los debates sobre alimentación y cambio climático. El informe del Grupo se distribuyó ampliamente en la sesión del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial de Naciones Unidas que se reunió a mediados de octubre, y está influyendo tanto en las deliberaciones en torno a la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Alimentación que se realizará en noviembre 2009, como en la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas sobre Cambio Climático en... Leer más

At the beginning of October 2009, the Córdoba Group -- a small gathering of independent food and agrocultural specialists (including the first and current UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food) that have been meeting over the past two years -- published a brief (two-page) analysis of the state of global governance around food and agriculture and of the need to place the Right to Food and the interests of peasant producers at the center of the food and climate debate.  The Group’s report was widely distributed  at the UN Committee on World Food Security that met in mid-October and is influencing deliberations around both the World Food Summit in November and the December Conference in Copenhagen on Climate Change.  The Report, "Call from Córdoba", follows.

-ETC Group

The Cordoba Group is formed by senior experts on hunger, agriculture, agrobiodiversity and human rights, convened in his/her personal capacities by the Chair of Hunger and Poverty... Leer más