AIDemocracy.org | agriculture

Where climate change will hit the US: Are you in danger?

May 31, 2012 by emma 1 Comment

In the first blog in our series on climate change and agriculture, we’re going to start our discussion on these issues by looking at North America, and how this continent will be affected. North America produces huge amounts of corn, soy, and fruit, and if temperatures continue to rise, and weather becomes more unpredictable, it could have a dangerous effect on the future of farming in The United States, Mexico, and Canada. Admittedly, some of these effects could be positive for some farmers. Crops that are limited by the growing season, like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less, Hunger Tagged With: agriculture, Canada, Mexico, north america

Beyond food security, towards food sovereignty

October 4, 2011 by Rozina Kanchwala 1 Comment

‘Food sovereignty’ is a phrase coined only in 1996 that signifies the right of people to farm and eat foods that are healthy and culturally appropriate to them, using farming methods chosen by them. As simple and obvious as this seems, unfortunately it is not the situation for many small-scale farmers who are at the mercy of the large-scale agribusiness that dictates what they should grow and how. Mainstream neo-liberal policies of the past 60 years have systematically allowed land-grabbing and the slow elimination of small-scale farmers and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less, Hunger Tagged With: agriculture, food security, hunger

The 10 million faces of climate change: drought and hunger in East Africa

July 15, 2011 by Rachel Merker 2 Comments

With the Horn of Africa suffering the worst current food crisis in the world after one of the most severe droughts it’s seen in decades, the grave threat that climate change and all its unpredictability poses should be clearer than ever. So why aren’t we doing anything about it? Climate Change is a real and urgent global challenge, and its harmful effects are already visible across the world, from increased global temperatures, more frequent and extreme weather events, melting glaciers and rising sea level. These shifts, whose extent and timeline … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less, Hunger Tagged With: Africa, agriculture, climate change, conflict, food security, humanitarian aid, hunger, poverty

Six Organizing Principles for a Sustainable Future

July 28, 2010 by Sarah Frazer

An inspiring news article from Grassroots International: Six Organizing Principles for a Sustainable Future Lessons from Wendell Berry and Grassroots International Partners By Carol Schachet July 27th, 2010 Some of the most important lessons I know about grassroots organizing come from the poet Wendell Berry, who advises, “Invest in the millennium; plant Sequoias.” Growing trees, like organizing for social change, may not provide the short-term gratification. (A tomato plant will feed you this summer, and a bake sale might provide books for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger Tagged With: agriculture, Brazil, Gaza Strip, global development, Haiti, organizing, Palestine

Africans Face Competing Visions of Agricultural Development at a Critical Juncture

July 23, 2010 by Sarah Frazer

A follow up post to the one below, also from the Food First blog. A little long, but well worth it. Africans Face Competing Visions of Agricultural Development at Critical Juncture Posted May 20th, 2010 by rjonasse By Richard Jonasse, Food First A contest of competing visions over the future of Agriculture is playing out across Sub-Saharan Africa. Farmers' organizations are lining up against an aid regime that threatens to swamp smallholders with purported "solutions" to which these farmers have not assented and do not desire. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger Tagged With: agriculture, aid, food sovereignty, IMF, MDGs, transnational corporations, USAID, World Bank, WTO

Congress Discusses Ways to "Feed the Future"

July 23, 2010 by Sarah Frazer

Doing some research on food security today. Stumbled across a post from Food First, reflecting on the latest conversations around the President's strategy to "Feed the Future". On May 21st, I posted on "Feed the Future", after attending the Chicago Council on Global Affairs food symposium. The Chicago Council audience applauded the initiative, without much criticism. While that experience--listening to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and top government officials from Mali and Banladesh--was interesting, I had this hunch that certain parts … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger Tagged With: agribusiness, agriculture, food security, hunger

The Need for Agrarian & Food Policy Reform

June 25, 2010 by megansmith6

"We envision empowered communities everywhere working together democratically to advance a food system that ensures health, justice and dignity for all" - National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) GMO's, mass produced and overpriced food. Sounds delicious...right? This is the norm of what food has become for our generation. The mass production of agriculture has led to the commodification of our food, making it over priced in the grocery store as well as hurting local farmers. Not only do these expensive veggies hurt our wallets, but could also have a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger, Sex and Justice Tagged With: agribusiness, agriculture, democracy, food sovereignty

Adaption to Climate Change: Is This the Answer?

April 19, 2010 by Lisa Seyfried

Last week I had the opportunity to attend two events on adapting to climate change. I was initially excited to attend, as the speakers were excellent and I had done research on adaption to climate change in the past. My research had been on the necessity of adapting to the effects of climate change like building sturdier houses to withstand flooding, or making changes to water storage methods to prepare better for droughts. These events brought up a completely different aspect of adaption to climate change. Rather than discussing how people will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Hunger Tagged With: agribusiness, agriculture, climate, Climate Change, global development, global warming, Human Rights and Social Justice

Iraq: Can There Be Peace Without Jobs?

November 24, 2009 by Sarah Frazer

Post by Haley Dillan, originally posted on GlobalEnvision.org Security in Iraq is undoubtedly improving, but rising unemployment threatens to increase instability and worsen corruption, according to Iraq expert Frank Gunter. Gunter, who's done two tours in Iraq as an economics adviser, points out in a recent op-ed in the New York Times that 51 percent of the population — and an even greater percentage of young people — is either unemployed or underemployed. Almost half of the country’s labor force is paid by the government from its revenues … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger, Security Tagged With: agriculture, Iraq

Thoughts from Kenya: It is time for a workers bailout!

November 4, 2009 by Sarah Frazer

Cross-post from Labor Is Not a Commodity, by Steve O. Akoth, Labour Awareness and Resource Centre When reports appeared in the media two years ago detailing failure in mortgage repayments in the United States, the government of Kenya alongside many others in Africa, claimed that that was a US affair. The treasury bureaucrats and politicians were quick to reassure Kenyans that our economy was safe. In fact, new projections of 2% annual growth were given. But this was nothing more than the usual political talk show and regular political performance … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Hunger Tagged With: agriculture, China, Kenya