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A Report on the State of Corporate Concentration in Agriculture Industry
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/217-hunger/52479-a-report-on-the-state-of-corporate-concentration-in-agriculture-

ETC Group publishes its 111th Communiqué today. The 40-page report – “Putting the Cartel before the Horse…Who Will Control Agricultural Inputs?” – provides market data on the world’s major corporate players involved in food and agriculture and analysis of key sectors in the corporate food chain. The report concludes that cartel arrangements are commonplace and the oligopoly paradigm is dominating the entire food system.

#agrobusiness #alimentation

UN’s Unions Appalled at UN Use of Mercenaries
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/258-regulation-and-oversight-of-pmscs/52485-un-unions-appalled-at-un-use-of-mercenaries-a-un-staff-coordinat

UN Unions are today calling on United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki‐moon to urgently review its use of mercenaries to carry out security and peacekeeping work ahead of the 2013 General Assembly. UN Unions believe this practice is damaging the UN and putting staff at increasing risk, and taking place against the worrying backdrop of an attack on staff employment rights by UN management.

A report published this week by the United Nations’ own Working Group on the use of mercenaries reveals that the UN is increasingly outsourcing contracts for armed guards, convoy security, security advice, risk assessment and transport services.

The Working Group’s report, supported by the Global Policy Forum’s report on the use of Private Military and Security Companies by the United Nations, highlights the lack of credible guidelines to regulate mercenaries and describes how the UN has no way of checking whether mercenaries have previously committed human rights abuses.

#ONU #mercenaires #sécurité_privée

Alternatives to Food Import Dependency
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/217-hunger/52460-alternatives-to-food-import-dependency.html

The number of proposals, strategies and initiatives how to improve food security and agricultural production have become vast and hard to follow up. Suspiciously, one aspect is missing in these debates, or if it comes up, it is rejected outright by most proponents: Could import restrictions help to stimulate agricultural production and benefit small-scale farming families? What are the preconditions for a rational and „smart“ implementation of import regulation to achieve these objectives?

While it is obvious that the availability of cheap food for several decades and the liberalized trade regime did a lot of harm to agriculture and trade in the importing countries, especially in the poorest countries, thinking about at least a partial and targeted reversal of this approach and the trade liberalisation dogma is a taboo in official trade and development circles.

But a number of countries have already begun to put some kind of import regulation back into practice after several experiences where this had positive impacts on local production and supply, incomes and poverty reduction. Therefore there are many good reasons to have a closer look at this trade instrument, its advantages and risks, especially when looking for alternative solutions to support local peasant agriculture and food security.

#alimentation #commerce #mondialisation #agriculture et #agrobusiness

Land Grabbing Is A European Problem Too

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/221-transnational-corporations/52451-land-grabbing-is-a-european-problem-too.html

Land Grabbing Is A European Problem Too

landgrabbingTransnational Institute, the European Coordination Via Campesina and the Hands off the Land network have published a joint report on the scale of lang grabbing within Europe. Contrary to conventional wisdom, they argue that land grabbing is not only prevalent in Africa and Latin America, but is happening increasingly in Europe, and in particularly rapid fashion in Eastern Europe. The losers have been smallholder farmers, who have been replaced by investors both foreign and domestic. Therefore, the report calls for a transnational political struggle in order to combat this process.

#landgrabbing #accaparement_des_terres #agriculture

German Drone Campaign critizes UN plans to use UAV

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/261-pmscs-a-the-un/52450-german-drone-campaign-critizes-un-plans-to-use-uav.html

In a press release, the German NGO “Information Centre on Militarization” (IMI) criticizes the decision of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) ot begin deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in UN missions. IMI is a member organization of the German Drone Campaign “against the deployment of UAV technology used for military, surveillance and oppressive purposes”.

http://www.globalpolicy.org/images/GPF_Europe/Images/Document_Images/drohnen071.png

#drones #un

Tax Injustice Exacerbating Hunger in Developing Countries
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/217-hunger/52396-tax-injustice-exacerbating-hunger-in-developing-countries.html

In a recent report, the British NGO Christian Aid points to the grave problems arising in developing countries when multinational corporations (MNCs) avoid taxes. The ensuing tax losses exacerbate the already difficult situation of the hungry in developing countries as state revenues are diminished. In the report “Who Pays the Price? Hunger: the Hidden Cost of Tax Injustice” Christian Aid digs into the problems caused by tax evasion. The paper provides statistical research on MNCs’ activities in three case study countries, exemplifies tax havens’ role by the case of Switzerland and provides recommendations for policy making. In two additional papers the issues are reflected further.

#faim #fiscalité #pauvreté #évasion_fiscale

Water Crisis Hitting Food, Energy – And Everything Else
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/217-hunger/52367-water-crisis-hitting-food-energy--and-everything-else.html

How much water does it take to turn on a light? It took 10,000 litres to make your jeans. Another three big bathtubs of water was needed for your two-eggs-toast-coffee breakfast this morning.

We are surrounded by an unseen world of water: furniture, houses, cars, roads, buildings – practically everything we use and make needs water.

“There is no way to generate energy without water,” said Zafar Adeel, co-chair of the UN-Water Task Force on Water Security and director of the Institute for Water, Environment and Health in Canada.

Even solar panels need regular washing to perform well. Wind energy might be an exception, Adeel told IPS from a water conference in Beijing being held during World Water Week.

There is growing recognition that peak oil is nowhere near as important as peak water because there is no substitute for water. The growing shortage of water — 1.2 to 1.7 billion people face scarcity — has alarmed many. Water has been identified as an “urgent security issue”, by a group that last year included both former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the InterAction Council, an association of 37 former heads of state and government.

#eau

The Battle to Keep Water Out of the Internal Market - a Test Case for Democracy in Europe
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/215-global-public-goods/52369-the-battle-to-keep-water-out-of-the-internal-market-a-test-case-

The European Commission has in recent weeks gone on a PR offensive in response to growing criticism of its pro-privatisation agenda for the water sector. The criticism centres around the water privatisation conditions attached to the Troika’s rescue packages for Greece and Portugal, and the proposed EU concessions directive, which could lead to increased privatisation pressure on public water municipalities across Europe.

The concessions directive, which has the stated object of opening markets and eliminating “discrepancies among national regimes”, would end the exemption that has so far existed for drinking water supply and for the first time bring it under the rules of the EU’s single market. Previous attempts to bring water under single market rules failed due to resistance from civil society and MEPs opposed to water becoming a commodity, but this time the European Parliament has been less vigilant. The directive would not directly force municipalities to privatise, but could lead to ’privatisation through the back door’.

#eau #privatisation #Europe

Preventing an Arctic Cold War

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/dark-side-of-natural-resources/oil-and-natural-gas-in-conflict/52344-preventing-an-arctic-cold-war.html?itemid=id#40284

While the Arctic Ocean used to be covered in ice year round, most of the ocean is now open during the summer months due to global warming. This unexpected transformation has heightened countries’ stakes over oil, gas, hydrocarbon deposits, and fishing rights in the region. Companies such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell are preparing to exploit the oil reserves which have been formally negotiated between states. However, there has been little effort to develop legal mechanisms in the areas of commercial harvesting and water ownership, which could spark conflict in the future. The last few years have seen a military buildup in the area, despite any formal explanations for the deployment of military personnel. The Artic Council, comprised of eight Artic nations, has identified interests that are common to all members. Yet this forum has failed to undertake the creation of new laws to govern the region, or to reflect on how to maintain the peace should disputes arise. If peace and demilitarization are too sensitive a topic to be discussed in the forum at present, then there is little hope that cooperation will be achieved once conflicts arise.

#arctique

The G8 and Land Grabs in Africa

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/world-hunger/land-ownership-and-hunger/52346-the-g8-and-land-grabs-in-africa.html?itemid=id#1292

The G8, several African governments and transnational corporations such as Cargill came together in 2012 to form the “New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition”. Cooperation framework, an agreement that forms part of the New Alliance, binds the African governments involved to reform land laws to facilitate foreign investment. As part of the agreement, foreign companies promise to invest heavily in agricultural expansion and development. At the beginning of this year, the government of Cote D’ivoire leased the grain trader Louis Dreyfus 100,000-200,000 hectares of land for rice production. These steps are the G8’s response to the global food crisis. However, these dealings force thousands of local communities and farmers off their land; undermine local food markets and lead to the destruction of livelihoods and the deepening of food insecurity. There are no policy obligations in the New Alliance to ensure the protection of peasants’ and farmers’ human rights or land rights. Instead, the group suggests voluntary guidelines for governments to monitor private investment. The UK presidency of the G8 meeting in June 2013 is citing food security as its top priority and will encourage transparency in foreign land deals. However, the guidelines will not be made compulsory and corporations will only be required to reveal basic information surrounding land acquisitions.

#faim #alimentation

World Poverty is Shrinking Rapidly, New Index reveals

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/poverty-and-development/general-analysis-on-poverty-and-development/52358-world-poverty-is-shrinking-rapidly-new-index-reveals.html?itemid

The conventional method of measuring poverty based on income levels offers a poor analysis of the state of global poverty. The previous formula of people living on less than $1.25 per day is now replaced by a more comprehensive Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in the latest UN report. It allows for poverty to be measured through a set of 10 indicators, namely nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling and attendance, cooking fuel, water, sanitation, electricity, assets and a covered floor; all essential for alleviating poverty. A new study by the University of Oxfords’ poverty and human development initiative uses this index to calculate poverty projections and finds that acute poverty in impoverished countries will likely be eliminated within the next 20 years. It is attributed in part to the work of aid agency investments in healthcare, education, housing, infrastructure access etc. Although there is concern that development progress is inconsistent globally, the MPI offers a more robust approach to monitoring progress. Critics of the MPI, however, point that it is convenient to change the index to obtain a more satisfactory result.

#poverty #development

European Commission Bankrolls Anti-Immigrant Policies

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/nations-a-states/citizenship-and-nationality/52351-european-commission-bankrolls-anti-immigrant-policies.html?itemi

Observers are concerned that funding from the European Commission is being used to finance policies and procedures that violate the rights of migrants and asylum-seekers in Greece, many of whom are fleeing the violence in Syria. Migrants have allegedly been subjected to arbitrary detainment, mistreatment while in the custody of Greek authorities, and unsuitable detention conditions. Some European political figures note that Europe appear reluctant to aid Greece with its devastating social and economic crisis, but are actively financing anti-immigrant measures. They argue that this arrangement of priorities is incompatible with the EU’s stated commitment to human rights.

#migrations #asile #europe

UN Investigator: US Drone Strikes Violate Pakistan Sovereignty

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/international-justice/general-articles-on-international-justice/52352-un-investigator-us-drone-strikes-violate-pakistan-sovereignty.ht

The UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-terrorism and Human Rights, Ben Emmerson, has released a statement declaring US drone strikes in Pakistan a violation of Pakistani sovereignty, and a contravention of international law. Emmerson has also claimed that the drone strikes are radicalizing certain segments of the population and may, therefore, be causing the very problem these counter-terrorist operations purport to eliminate. The statement is not expected to directly affect US policies regarding drone strikes.

#drone

Gaza Fishermen Protest as Israel Breaks Pledge to Stop Attacks

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-of-countries-on-the-security-council-agenda/israel-palestine-and-the-occupied-territories/52343-gaza-fishermen-protest-as-israel-breaks-pledge-to-stop-attacks.h

As part of a recent series of protests, Palestinian fishermen organized a flotilla of fifty boats to campaign against Israel’s navy attacks on seafarers, and to demand the return of over 30 recently seized fishing boats. A 2010 report by the UN’s Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that, every five years, Palestinians lose out on $26.5 million in income from the confiscation of boats. In November 2012, Israel committed to a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian groups to “stop all hostilities in the Gaza Strip land, sea and air…”, however, Israeli attacks on Palestinian fishermen are still rife. They have kept more boats since the ceasefire began in 2012 than between 1994 and 2005. Driving fishermen to abandon their livelihood is contributing to the impoverishment of Gaza’s residents.

#Quinoa: To Buy or Not To Buy…Is This The Right Question?
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/world-hunger/hunger-and-the-globalized-system-of-trade-and-food-production-/52295-quinoa-to-buy-or-not-to-buyis-this-the-right-question-.html?item

The UN has designated 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa and has high hopes for its role in the fight against world hunger. The crop is becoming increasingly popular, with health enthusiasts heralding it as a “super-food”; however, the question surrounding this popularity’s impact on quinoa growers in the Andes is also topical, and contentious. Critics claim that the mounting demand for the super-grain increases its price and makes it inaccessible to poor Bolivians who rely heavily on it for nutrients. Others, including the UN, argue that the farmers are benefiting economically from the high demand for the crop. In either case, the responsibility is placed on the consumer: to boycott its sale or to increase it. This article argues that it is not consumer habits that are affecting the lives of the farmers; it is rather the system behind production that really calls for change. Cheap US wheat products saturate the Bolivian market, undermining the local food market and making it difficult for local farmers to compete. Furthermore, the farming of the crop is having harmful effects on the land and ecosystems as the government pushes for the mechanization of the production system.

#agriculture #paysannerie #agrobusiness

Mali’s Model Democracy Myth

▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-of-countries-on-the-security-council-agenda/mali/52270-malis-model-democracy-myth.html?itemid=id#51996

Mali’s Model Democracy Myth

France’s long-term plan for Mali is remarkably short-sighted. The recent French military intervention in Mali focuses on “restoring democracy,” without any consideration for the political and economic problems that caused the government’s collapse. The cumbersome colonial era-borders, erected by the French, dividing north and south Mali were significant in causing the conflict. Furthermore, French is the second official language, and the majority is not fluent. Almost 70% of Malians are illiterate, which seriously inhibits the state’s democratic capacity. Mali’s economy is also insecure. Apart from gold mining, all production companies are foreign owned. This further inhibits the government’s ability to run the country because if several companies pull out, the state will lose the majority of its financing. It is hard to imagine a “recovery” for Mali without any attention to the major problems, which led to the destabilization of the country to begin with, such as inequality, illiteracy, and an instable economy.

#mali

On plante, ils arrachent (au bulldozer), on replante

We Grow, They Bulldoze, We Re-Plant
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-of-countries-on-the-security-council-agenda/israel-palestine-and-the-occupied-territories/land-and-settlement-issues/52264-we-grow-they-bulldoze-we-re-plant.html?itemid=id#38340

We Grow, They Bulldoze, We Re-Plant
( Security Council and Israel/Palestine )

Palestinians are calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. The boycott action follows a growing number of initiatives from the Gaza Strip that asks Palestinian supporters to replace aid donations with boycott action. The boycott action is two-fold. It calls for the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 242, which requests the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip. It simultaneously raises awareness of how Israeli settlements benefit from the oppression of Palestinian farmers. Israeli authorities prohibit Palestinians from accessing the 300 metres flanking the Gaza-Israel border. In reality, the Israeli army regularly attacks Palestinians up to two kilometres from the border in some areas, rendering more than 35 percent of Gaza’s farmland off-limits. As part of this campaign, Palestinians are planting trees in these border regions, despite knowing that sooner or later, they will be destroyed by Israeli forces.

#palestine #israël #occupation

Burma ‘Latest Flashpoint’ in Global Land Grabbing Epidemic
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/217-hunger/52258-burma-latest-flashpoint-in-global-land-grabbing-epidemic.html

International firms are turning to Burma to acquire land and invest in its vast natural resources, displacing large numbers of people and increasing national poverty. The rise in foreign investment comes as the Burmese government has announced its policy to allow foreign companies to obtain 100% shares in oil and gas projects along with plans to liberalize mining laws in the country. Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and the Munden Project have recently released reports that express concern over the rapid deforestation of the country and warn of the economic detriments to both investors and local communities.

#terres #ressources_naturelles #birmanie #déforestation #pauvreté

Landowners Or Laborers: What Choice Will Developing Countries Make?
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/217-hunger/52259-landowners-or-laborers-what-choice-will-developing-countries-mak

Rights and Resources Initiatives (RRI) has recently published a report entitled “Landowners or Laborers: What Choice Will Developing Countries Make?” The report looks at how economic and political pressures have led countries in the global south to hand over local land to foreign investors. It examines how citizen land rights and issues surrounding land- grabbing were dealt with in 2012.

#rapport #terres #agriculture

http://www.globalpolicy.org/images/report.jpg

Menstruation Taboo Puts 300 mln Women in India at Risk - Experts
▻http://www.globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/the-millenium-development-goals/52263-menstruation-taboo-puts-300-mln-women-in-india-at-risk-experts.h

More than 300 million women and girls in India do not have access to safe menstrual hygiene products, endangering their health, curtailing their education and putting their livelihoods at risk, say experts at the Geneva-based Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).

At least 23 percent of girls in India leave school when they start menstruating and the rest miss an average of five days during each monthly menstrual period between the ages of 12 and 18, according to WSSCC, a partnership run by government, non-governmental organisation (NGO) members and a United Nations-hosted secretariat.

“From a taboo standpoint they are ostracized – it’s an awkward situation to be in if you are having your monthly period and you simply do not want to be seen by others because they may perceive you as either dirty or unhygienic in some way,” said Chris Williams, executive director of WSSCC.

“It touches on human rights and equity. It touches on issues of preventative health and positive health outcomes,” he told AlertNet.

Many women and girls in India are forced to use such materials as old rags, husks, dried leaves, grass, ash, sand or newspapers every month because they lack access to essential sanitary products, according to WSSCC, which works to achieve sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene worldwide.

#menstruation #femmes #Inde #hygiène #éducation #santé