Global Justice Merseyside

We believe a fairer world is possible

Food Speculation

Corporations v Tanzanian Farmers: Dan Iles Talk at The Casa 6.30pm- Wednesday 27th April

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We want to invite you to a very important talk and discussion at

The Casa Club, 29 Hope St, Liverpool,  L1 9BQ(0151) 709 2148    on what is happening with this new Africa Alliance and how we can show solidarity with the small farmers who are affected.

Dan has just recently returned from a fact finding visit to Tanzania to gather important research on how the Tanzanian  farmers are fighting back successfully against the Big Corporations that are trying to grab control of land, seeds and soil.

On the other side passionate small-scale farmers are strengthening their networks and deepening pre-existing knowledge in an attempt to keep control of their resources.

Also, a  gentle reminder to please note the early start: 6.30pm sharpish as our guest speaker has to get a train before 9.00pm due to a prior early commitment next day – but, of course we can continue discussion ’til 9.00.dan Illes Tanzania talk

Ban Monsanto’s toxic chemical weed killer known as Roundup

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Please tell Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Liz Truss to listen to people, not big business, and vote against the relicensing of glyphosate.

Follow this link:
http://action.globaljustice.org.uk/ea-action

and tell Liz Truss that we want to ban this relicensing of this toxic substance from Monsanto called Roundup at the earliest possible date.

The EU is soon to renew the license for glyphosate, a chemical weed killer – best known as Monsanto’s Roundup – that the World Health Organisation has found to probably cause cancer. Yet the chemical is now so widespread that traces are found in one out of every three loaves of bread consumed in the UK.

Relicensing a product that puts our health at risk, but makes millions in profits for Monsanto, is another example of the corporate control of our food system which many of us are resisting across the world.

Food campaign

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Join us in fighting for justice for the poor by ensuring big agribusiness corporations do not grab their land and seeds and make them their own through greed and by their international trade deals.

http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/campaigns/food

The above link is where you will get all the information you need to support our campaign to stop Big Business and the New Alliance for Food and Nutrition grabbing both land and seeds from African farmers

The Development Committee in the European parliament is reviewing the New Alliance through an ‘own-initiative report’ process. The final report with its recommendations will be sent to the European Commission and the Commission will have to formally respond.

In March 2016 there will be a vote on the contents of the report and crucially we want to ensure that the report recommends that the EU withdraw its support from the New Alliance.

Email your Euro MP to call for the EU to withdraw its support from the New Alliance.

Corporations V Farmers. The battle for food sovereignty in Tanzania

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Dan Illes with a group to Tanzanian farmers on his recent Fact Finding visit to Tanzania
Dan will speak at our event on 27th April in Liverpool

dan Illes Tanzania talk

On 27th April we have a great opportunity to hear Dan Illes on  how the farmers in Tanzania are fighting  back against the new agribusiness corporations  stitchup and land grab of their assets and live hoods.

The central venue for this important meeting is yet to be decided.

Here’s what Dan will be talking about on the evening:

Tanzania is a country at forefront of the global battle for control over our food. On one side corporations are lining up to seize control over the country’s land, seeds and soil. On the other side passionate small-scale farmers are strengthening their networks and deepening pre-existing knowledge in an attempt to keep control of their resources.

For this reason, Dan Illes from  Global Justice Now spent 10 days traveling around the country with the job of collecting stories and finding out how we can offer our solidarity to the growing food sovereignty movement. In this talk Dan will guide you through the main players in struggle over Tanzania’s food system and discuss the wider context in Africa and around the world

 

 

Our next meeting is 20th May 2014 at 2.00pm . New members are very welcome!

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We had a very enjoyable and informative meeting with our Preston WDM Group in the very posh  Preston Town Hall in April.   Many thanks to Janet and other local members  for their  great  and welcome hospitality too!

Maya gave a good introduction to the Stop the corporate takeover of Africa’s Food campaign and we can’t wait to get hold of the  Resources for this action with  the Edible Rice Map of Africa to put on our cake Stunt. It sounds exciting and will be too when we get to a venue near you soon.

This is what the WDM says about how the UK Government is connected with this new wave of carve up of Africa:

Attracted by high growth rates and untapped markets, big companies like Monsanto, Unilever and Nestlé are setting their sights on Africa. To help them there are a number of initiatives, championed by governments like the UK, that claim to support agricultural production in Africa.

However, the real beneficiaries of these schemes are the companies themselves who are set to increase their control over Africa’s land, seeds and markets at the expense of small-scale farmers who feed most of the continent.For corporate giants like Unilever and Monsanto, this means vast profit.

But for small-scale farmers, who feed most of the population, it means losing control of their livelihoods and the resources needed to grow food.

Over 100 African farmers groups have called this a ‘new wave of colonialism.’ Send a message to Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development, urging the government to stop funding this corporate takeover.

 

– See more at: http://www.wdm.org.uk/food/about-the-campaign#sthash.Dnp5OB4E.dpuf

Have a look at WDM’s spoof video on the matter.  Our WDM  staff  have got a good take on what it’s all about.

 

 

 

 

 

WDM pressure on EU legislators has paid off!

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Limits to curb speculation on food prices agreed
UK blocks proposals for tougher regulation

EU negotiators last night agreed to introduce regulation to prevent speculation by banks and hedge funds driving up food prices and exacerbating the global hunger crisis. The new controls will place a limit on the number of food contracts that banks and other finance companies can hold, and will force traders to open their activity to greater public scrutiny.

Anti-poverty campaign group the World Development Movement has hailed the decision as an historic step forward, but said that the UK government’s opposition to tough controls has resulted in serious loopholes in the regulation. In particular, limits will be set at national rather than EU level, which campaigners say risks a regulatory ‘race to the bottom’ as countries could compete to set  weaker limits.

The group is urging the European regulator ESMA to ensure that the new rules are implemented effectively, and not watered down further by industry lobbying.

Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley together made an estimated £2.2 billion from speculating on food including wheat, maize and soy between 2010 and 2012. Speculation increases price volatility and has been a major factor in the sharp spikes in global food prices of the last six years.

Nick Dearden, director of the World Development Movement, said today:

Public outrage over food speculation has been huge and the fact that the EU has listened to that anger is a victory for public pressure. But the UK’s role in watering down the regulation has been a disgrace. The Treasury has put the profits of banks like Goldman Sachs above the basic human need for food, with the result that the new rules could be too weak to be effective. Yesterday’s agreement is a good step forward, but now we need to make sure the limits are set at a level that properly tackles excessive speculation.

The new rules on food speculation are part of a major piece of European financial reform, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). Once it has been officially approved by MEPs and EU finance ministers, it must be incorporated into national legislation in each of the 28 EU member states.