Quick Reads

86% of the world's biomass is located in the global South.

Soumis par ETC Staff le

While from space the planet may look green and rich with biomass, the dirty little secret of the biomass economy is that – just like fossilized carbon reserves (oil, coal, natural gas) – the living carbon reserves are not equally distributed. Worldwide, land-based vegetation stores an estimated 500 billion tonnes of carbon. However 86% of that (430 billion tonnes) is stored in the tropics and sub-tropics, while boreal and temperate eco-regions store only 34 billion tonnes and 33 billion tonnes, respectively.

ETC Group advocates for a global ban on Terminator and other 'gene-switching' technologies that impact food sovereignty. ETC Group proposes specific recommendations for monitoring, analyzing and independently regulating New Enclosures.

Endorse the Campaign to Ban Terminator

Soumis par ETC Staff le

We invite all civil society organizations and social movements - organizations, communities, and gatherings of Indigenous peoples, farmers, peasants, churches, and all others - to endorse the campaign by signing on to the following statement. (Your group’s name will be used in a list of groups that state opposition to Terminator)

Sign the letter.

Related Issues: 
Semences « Terminator » et nouveaux enclos
Semences et diversité génétique

Support 'The Principles for the Oversight of Synthetic Biology'

Soumis par ETC Staff le

The Principles for the Oversight of Synthetic Biology is the first global declaration from civil society to outline principles that must be adopted to protect public health and our environment from the risks posed by synthetic biology. The report also addresses the field’s numerous economic, social and ethical challenges. The writing of these principles was a collaborative effort and has been endorsed by 111 organizations from around the world.

Related Issues: 
La bioéconomie
Génomique et biotechnologie
Biologie synthétique

New Report: The Greed Revolution

Soumis par ETC Staff le

Big Agribusiness Influence Threatens to Override Public Interest

A new 30-page report that documents the growing influence of agribusiness on the multilateral food system and the lack of transparency in research funding has been released today by the international civil society organization ETC Group. The Greed Revolution: Mega Foundations, Agribusiness Muscle In On Public Goods, presents three case studies – one involving the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and two involving CGIAR Centers (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) -- which point to a dangerous trend that will worsen rather than solve the problem of global hunger. The report details, amongst others, the involvement of Nestlé, Heineken, Monsanto, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Syngenta Foundation.

World’s Top 10 Chemical Companies

Soumis par ETC Staff le

Biofeedstocks for Industrial Chemical Production

The world’s 50 largest chemical corporations control a global market valued at $697 billion in 2009. The top 10 chemical firms account for about 40% of the market. “Petrochemicals,” by definition, are derived from petroleum and other fossil fuels. With soaring costs, unpredictable supplies and more challenging extractions, the industry is already making a transition from petrochemicals to biomass feedstocks. (In 2010, the world’s top 50 chemical corporations rebounded with combined sales of approximately $850 billion, an increase of 25.3% over 2009.)

Pages