Blog: 2012
21/12/2012
I first met Debal about three years ago. A friend of mine, Debjeet Sarangi who runs a small organic agricultural organization in the eastern state of Orissa had told me about this maverick scientist working against the corporate and institutional grain, dedicating his life to scientifically prove that nature already had the answers and what we were being sold has little to do with sustainability and everything to do with control. Debal, I was told, was one of four scientists working on what is known as the 'Food Web Theory'.
04/12/2012
Depending on your field of work, your interests, and perhaps your age, you may or may not have heard of Dr Melaku Worede. His work and legacy may not be quite as high-profile as that of African change-makers such as the late Professor Wangari Maathai, but his impact is of huge significance.
21/11/2012
Guest bloggers Matt Chennells and Tom Perkins provide a vivid description of Mupo Day, an event held in Venda, Limpopo Province last month, organised by community group Dzomo la Mupo. The day was a celebration of Venda culture and tradition in all of its richness. It marked an important culmination in a process of applying to gain legal recognition for the Sacred Natural Sites (known as Zwifho) of the clans of the area. Photographs of the event can be viewed here.
18/09/2012
Milion Belay, Director of our partner MELCA Ethiopia, reflects on the impact that coffee will have on critical forests in Ethiopia. "I just had a coffee in one of the coffee houses, in a little container, in Masha, Sheka. Containers houses are famous here in Ethiopia both for their mobility and sturdiness. Just over a three year ago there were only two containers selling coffee. Now you can count over two dozen. The prediction from Keria is that the number will continue to rise.
13/08/2012
As communities, governments and corporations acknowledge the unavoidable reality that our planet is facing devastating ecosystem loss, a debate is emerging about the best way to value and incentivise the protection of Nature. One argument put forward by governments, corporations and even some environmentalists, is that "We need to put a price on nature to appreciate its value." The thinking is that once Nature is monetised, market forces will ensure that if it valuable enough, it will be protected.
13/06/2012
"Global agriculture has changed more in our lifetime than in the previous 10,000 years. But as with all change, conflicts of interest have arisen. Nowhere is this conflict more poignant than in the story of seed." A new film from the African Biodiversity Network (ABN) and the Gaia Foundation, narrated by actor Jeremy Irons, is set to explode pervasive myths about agriculture, development and Africa's ability to feed herself.
06/06/2012
On Tuesday 12th June Seeds of Freedom will be released online internationally. The 30-minute film will be available to watch and download at www.seedsoffreedom.info. On Monday 28th May the film was previewed at a private London event with guests including Dame Vivienne Westwood, Zac Goldsmith MP and Jonathan Porrit, Director or Forum for the Future.
19/04/2012
Gaia's Earth Law Support Officer, Carine Nadal, shares her experience of the Ecocide sentencing which took place on 31st March 2012.
Have you heard the news that 2 directors of mining companies were sentenced for their crime of Ecocide in the Tar Sands, Canada?! This will become reality if the United Nations endorse Polly Higgins' proposal for recognition of a crime of Ecocide - the extensive destruction of ecosystems -as the 5th international crime against peace.
12/04/2012
The issue of land grabbing has itself grabbed headlines recently. Biofuels, so-called agricultural investors, and commodity speculators buying up land have all been criticised for driving a wave of land grabbing and ecosystem destruction in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The resulting rise in food prices, and the reduced access to land, livelihood and home, means that the world's poorest are hardest hit.
