Tag: Agriculture

  • Women’s Cooperative Transforms Village Life

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    In the village of Fapaha in the north of Ivory Coast, women have formed a cooperative to grow vegetables and sell their produce on the market, allowing them to raise money for their families without relying on handouts.

  • Respecting Indigenous Knowledge

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    I’ve long been interested in the culture of villages, particularly as it pertains to my Croatian background.  Although our “peasants” have often been caricatured as close-minded and backward, they are the keepers of our heritage, its arts, crafts and traditions. Their farming practices, honed over centuries, have helped to preserve a wide range of native…

  • Support better conditions for farm workers with fair trade

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    Daniela
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    Our current industrial farm culture not only degrades the environment, the soil and the water, but subjects workers to an array of hazards such as respiratory infections, sprains, bruises, severe head trauma, fractures, electrocution and repetitive motion injury. Paul Rice, Founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA emphasizes the need for Fair Trade Certification in the…

  • Agroecology Popular in Latin World

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    I came across several good articles on agroecology this week.  First, Lois Ross at Rabble.ca feels we have a lot to learn from Cuba’s agroecological revolution.  After the collapse of the Soviet Union Cuba’s export market for sugar fell.  “It did not have the currency to import petroleum or petroleum-based fertilizers to continue cultivation of monocultures…

  • Native Peoples Use Traditional Knowledge to Adapt To Climate Change

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    Rosalyn Lapier talks about how Native peoples are using traditional knowledge to adapt to climate change: For those who do not spend time outdoors it may be difficult to fully appreciate the change that is occurring. But for those who live off the land, such as farmers, ranchers, and those with subsistence lifestyles, climate change…

  • FAO Announces International Symposium on Agroecology

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    The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will host an International Symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition on September 18 and 19, 2014. The symposium, at FAO headquarters in Rome, will explore recent scientific research and knowledge around agroecological practices, promote open dialogue, and showcase existing experiences and programs on agroecology. Food Tank is excited to be participating…

  • UN Praises Role of Cooperatives in Sustainable Development

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      United Nations officials are highlighting the role cooperative enterprises can play in economic development, social justice and environmental protection. In his message for International Day of Cooperatives, marked annually on 5 July, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that this year’s Day falls at a “critical time” with the UN working to reach the 2015 deadline for the…

  • Indian Bio-Diversity Board to Open up 110 Seed Banks in States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

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    News like this gives me great hope that we are wising up and moving away from mono-cultures and industrial farming. HYDERABAD: To preserve indigenous seed varieties and also promote organic farming, the state bio-diversity board will soon open over 110 seed banks across the two states. With the requisite budgets sanctioned for this pilot project,…

  • Chinese Populace Rejects GM Foods

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    The resistance to genetically modified foods by the populace is consistent in almost every country where they are “literally” trying to ram it down people’s throats.  Here’s an article about the uncertain fate of GM food imports into China posted in Want China Times: In November of 2013, China rejected imports of 600,000 tonnes of US-grown corn…

  • Organics Under Attack

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    The OCA has a long history of defending the integrity of organic standards. Last September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), under pressure from corporate interests represented by the Organic Trade Association, made our job harder. They also made it more important than ever for consumers to do their homework, even when buying USDA certified organic products.…