Ecuador Paves Way for Terminator Technology?
By Karla Peña
The Food Sovereignty Organic Law in Ecuador was approved by the National Assembly with President Rafael Correa’s Partial Veto in March of this year.
Shocking New Report Reveals that In the U.S. More Than 3.5 Million (one in six) Children Under the Age of Five Are Food Insecure
Chicago, Illinois
May 6, 2009
One in six young children live on the brink of hunger in 26 states in the U.S., according to a new report issued today by Feeding America. The rate of food insecurity in young children is 33 percent higher than in U.S. adults, where one in eight live at risk of hunger.
U.S. Ethanol Production in Fewer Hands
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By Annie Shattuck
What was once an industry characterized by farmer co-ops and locally owned refineries, the U.S. ethanol industry is rapidly becoming more corporate. In the past two years, farmers' share of total ethanol production capacity has fallen from 34% to approximately 16%. The top four ethanol producers in the country now own 32.7% of the nation's total production capacity. Out of 20 new plants planned or under construction, none are locally or farmer owned.
Putting Food First in the Constitution of Ecuador
by Karla Pena
Unprecedented!
Ecuador established Food Sovereignty in their Constitution approved by a referendum vote of 64% of the population on September 28, 2008. The people of Ecuador have the right to "Good Living," a healthy environment ecologically harmonized to guarantee the right to food. The State will enforce the established rights to aid in recent food price increase and localize their food systems by supporting their small and medium farmers in sustainable development (Agroecology).
Is this new constitution a prototype that other countries can look to?
Green Gold: Why cellulosic ethanol is a threat to farmers and the planet
By Annie Shattuck
Cellulosic ethanol has everyone from John McCain to the Natural Resources Defense Council excited with the promise of greening the planet and the economy in one stroke. … The irony of cellulosics however, is the unprecedented threat they pose to small farmers, the environment and our global carbon balance: the very things they pretend to protect.
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Small farms as a planetary ecological asset: Five key reasons why we should support the revitalization of small farms in the Global South
by Miguel A. Altieri
President, Sociedad Cientifica LatinoAmericana de Agroecologia (SOCLA)
What's for dinner? Corn ethanol, feedlots and what you eat
by Annie Shattuck
April 10, 2008
The debate over renewable energy is raging. The U.S. Congress recently passed a renewable fuels mandate which will effectively create an artificial market for at least 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol per year. Numerous studies have criticized ethanol's environmental footprint. From negligible greenhouse gas savings to increased ground level ozone, and dependency on high-input agriculture–corn ethanol's critics have painted a picture of a costly band-aid for our energy crisis.
The environmental effects of ethanol production plants: citizen responses
In the wake of the current ethanol boom, many agro-fuel supporters have argued that their environmental benefits make them an environmentally viable alternative to imported oil. The proponents of agro-fuels often argue that increased usage of ethanol will reduce greenhouse gases and help fight global warming. However, a more detailed examination of agro-fuels reveals some disturbing environmental effects.