Agrofuels during the CBD in Bonn
An overview of the action against agrofuels on sunday, agrofuel related background information, actionplans, workshops, statements, press releases and links to active organisations.
Action report:
Bonn, Sunday May 18 - Around 60 people have been protesting in Bonn against the large scale production of agrofuels. At two petrol stations car drivers had to make a choice: 'petrol' to the right, 'food' to the left. Banners were stating "agrofuels, no solution for oil addiction."
Nowadays the media are frequently reporting about the negative impacts of the use of crops for energy production. But so far the honest conclusion that we have to change our lifestyle and overconsumption of resources and energy is ignored by the same media and policy makers. In global capitalism a small minority exploits 80 per cent of the global resources.
Most drivers had some sympathy for the action but wanted to fill up petrol anyway this time. They had to for example to go to a football match. What can you do?
The worker in the Shell station was furious about the counter information in front of her petrol station and called the police. After some discussions the action was allowed, although drivers had to be given more possibilities to go around the 'gate of choice'.
At the BFT station everything stayed very relaxed.
Amongst the activists were many people from Via Campesina, the international network of small farmers. For them and the millions they represent, the large scale introduction of agrofuels is a direct danger for their livelihood and life. You can read more arguments against the overconsumption of energy and agrofuels in the text of the brochure that has been distributed to the passers-by.
After two hours the group started to move again for a short demonstration ending on a field with a picnic with healthy and local food, as it is still possible.
Main critics
Social and ecological effects of the large scale introduction of agrofuel (just three out of many arguments)
1) Agrofuel is competing with food production; It is part of the 'Food crisis' the newspapers are writing out every day. The price of rice has been doubles in a few months while grain became 130% more expensive in 2007. Also for example maize and soy became more expensive. This is disastrous for the millions of poor in the world, also because all multinationals misuse the opportunity to increase their profits.
2) Large scale production of agrofuels is not at all be done in a sustainable way. It is done as monoculture with a high use of harmful pesticides and artificial fertilisers. The often the soil gets exhausted and becomes vulnerable for erosion. The production of energy crops is misused for the introduction of GMO's because of a smaller resistance as with food production.
3) Small farmers loose their land and livelihood while the mainly big landowners and multinational corporations are involved in the production. On 200 hectares with diverse agriculture about 40 families were able to make a living. The same areal of soy provides a job for one person. The expelling of people that is necessary for this change is done with a lot of intimidation and violence.
Agrofuel is no solution for the climate and energy problems.
Often climate change is used as an argument to introduce agrofuels as a replacement of fossil fuels. But the reduction of CO2 is very limited and sometimes even negative due to energy use in the production and the deforestation that goes together with the growing demand for agriculture land.
The World Bank, the IMF and many governments forced the agricultural sector to liberalise. The result is that food became a commodity to speculate with. The profits of food companies and investors were sky rocketing in the past years. This will be the same for the production and trade of agrofuels. It will be the rich people in the 'West' that can pay those prices to eat, drive and fly, while world wide the poor will not be able to pay their food.
To see pictures about the action visit:
http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7206.shtml
Agrofuels during the CBD in Bonn
From the 12 until the 30 of may the 9th UN summit of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is taking place in Bonn. The participants will talk about the accessibility of biological diversity, crops and genetic resources, about natural reserves and the rights of indigenous people. But biological diversity has also a lot to do with the agriculture. Huge areas of nature are turned into new arable land. Large monocrops replaces smallholders all over the world and the introduction of genetic manipulated organisms is continuing despite of a broad resistance from both consumers and farmers. Large scale production of agrofuels is an clear example of this unsustainable agriculture and it's introduction is the opposite of protecting biological diversity.
For this reason there is a lot of attention to this theme during the CBD.
News:
* Press release Rettet das Regenwald on agrofuel deal Germany Brazil: “Stoppt Gabriels geplantes Agrarenergieabkommen mit Brasilien”. http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7003.shtml
With as next development: Umweltministerin Silva tritt direkt vor Merkels Besuch zurück: http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7115.shtml
* Joint NGO press release: Sustainability Criteria and Certification of Biomass – greenwashing destruction in pursuit of profit.(18 March 2008). http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/files/a15-pr-1.pdf
Background information
(general)
* Grains Agrofuel resource page, including a link to their Seedlinks special, http://www.grain.org/agrofuels/
* Biosprit macht Hunger (thematic newsletter from INKOTA) ( http://www.inkota.de/aktuelles/inkota_zeitungsbeileger_ansicht.pdf
* "Agrofuels: Out of the frying pan into the fire". Cases about soy, oil palm and sugarcane. http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=426&Itemid=107
* "Myths of the Agro-fuels Transition", Food First. http://www.foodfirst.org/node/1711
* "The Geopolitics of Agrofuels", Position Paper of the Global South on Food Sovereignty, Energy Sovereignty and the transition towards a post-oil society. http://www.wrm.org.uy/subjects/biofuels/Quito_Manifest.html
* "Agrofuel from the soy desert" (on inefficiency, pressure on land, conflict with food and meat production). http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=208&Itemid=107
(corporate lobby)
* Industry Pushes For 25% Agrofuel Target. http://www.corporateeurope.org/sra.html
* Paving the way for agrofuels. EU policy, sustainability criteria and climate calculations. http://lasojamata.org/en/taxonomy/term/57
(agricultural model)
Refugees of the Agro-export model (brochure). http://lasojamata.org/en/node/93
Overview of statements:
* Ulenkrug / Aktionsnetzwerk globale Landwirtschaft (in german)
http://www.aseed.net/pdfs/ThesenAGROFUEL-aktionsnetzwerk.pdf
* (brazilian) Small farmers & peasants: For food and energy sovereignty, http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/1260
* Quito declaration from local communities (Equador) http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/quito_declaration.pdf. This resulted in the longer manifest / position paper "The Geopolitics of Agrofuels" that is mentioned above.
* Native people: "Native People Warn U.N. of Biofuels Disaster"
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42196
* NGO's "Call for an immediate moratorium on EU incentives for agrofuels, EU imports of agrofuels and EU agroenergy monocultures", http://www.econexus.info/agrofuel_moratorium_call.html
critical voices from unexpected directions:
* UN: "Zeigler's successor De Schutter calls for targets to be dropped."
http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/05/02/america/OUKWD-UK-FOOD-UN-RIGHTS.php
* UN Secretary-General calls on world leaders to attend Food vs Fuel summit; new UN Food head calls biofuels a 'scandal'. http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7120.shtml
Agrofuel actions from the past few months:
* Gent April 17: Activists block Cargill
http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=552&Itemid=211
* Berlin April 17: Agrofuels create hunger!
http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=515&Itemid=33
* London April 15: Protest against Brown on biofuels
http://www.campaigncc.org/biofuels.shtml
* Brussel March 13: Blockade at World Biofuels Market
http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=535&Itemid=211
More links:
Biofuelwatch: http://www.biofuelwatch.org
A SEED: http://www.aseed.net/soy
INKOTA: http://www.inkota.de
La Soja Mata: http://lasojamata.org
Bonn, Sunday May 18 - Around 60 people have been protesting in Bonn against the large scale production of agrofuels. At two petrol stations car drivers had to make a choice: 'petrol' to the right, 'food' to the left. Banners were stating "agrofuels, no solution for oil addiction."
Nowadays the media are frequently reporting about the negative impacts of the use of crops for energy production. But so far the honest conclusion that we have to change our lifestyle and overconsumption of resources and energy is ignored by the same media and policy makers. In global capitalism a small minority exploits 80 per cent of the global resources.
Most drivers had some sympathy for the action but wanted to fill up petrol anyway this time. They had to for example to go to a football match. What can you do?
The worker in the Shell station was furious about the counter information in front of her petrol station and called the police. After some discussions the action was allowed, although drivers had to be given more possibilities to go around the 'gate of choice'.
At the BFT station everything stayed very relaxed.
Amongst the activists were many people from Via Campesina, the international network of small farmers. For them and the millions they represent, the large scale introduction of agrofuels is a direct danger for their livelihood and life. You can read more arguments against the overconsumption of energy and agrofuels in the text of the brochure that has been distributed to the passers-by.
After two hours the group started to move again for a short demonstration ending on a field with a picnic with healthy and local food, as it is still possible.
Main critics
Social and ecological effects of the large scale introduction of agrofuel (just three out of many arguments)
1) Agrofuel is competing with food production; It is part of the 'Food crisis' the newspapers are writing out every day. The price of rice has been doubles in a few months while grain became 130% more expensive in 2007. Also for example maize and soy became more expensive. This is disastrous for the millions of poor in the world, also because all multinationals misuse the opportunity to increase their profits.
2) Large scale production of agrofuels is not at all be done in a sustainable way. It is done as monoculture with a high use of harmful pesticides and artificial fertilisers. The often the soil gets exhausted and becomes vulnerable for erosion. The production of energy crops is misused for the introduction of GMO's because of a smaller resistance as with food production.
3) Small farmers loose their land and livelihood while the mainly big landowners and multinational corporations are involved in the production. On 200 hectares with diverse agriculture about 40 families were able to make a living. The same areal of soy provides a job for one person. The expelling of people that is necessary for this change is done with a lot of intimidation and violence.
Agrofuel is no solution for the climate and energy problems.
Often climate change is used as an argument to introduce agrofuels as a replacement of fossil fuels. But the reduction of CO2 is very limited and sometimes even negative due to energy use in the production and the deforestation that goes together with the growing demand for agriculture land.
The World Bank, the IMF and many governments forced the agricultural sector to liberalise. The result is that food became a commodity to speculate with. The profits of food companies and investors were sky rocketing in the past years. This will be the same for the production and trade of agrofuels. It will be the rich people in the 'West' that can pay those prices to eat, drive and fly, while world wide the poor will not be able to pay their food.
To see pictures about the action visit:
http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7206.shtml Agrofuels during the CBD in Bonn
From the 12 until the 30 of may the 9th UN summit of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is taking place in Bonn. The participants will talk about the accessibility of biological diversity, crops and genetic resources, about natural reserves and the rights of indigenous people. But biological diversity has also a lot to do with the agriculture. Huge areas of nature are turned into new arable land. Large monocrops replaces smallholders all over the world and the introduction of genetic manipulated organisms is continuing despite of a broad resistance from both consumers and farmers. Large scale production of agrofuels is an clear example of this unsustainable agriculture and it's introduction is the opposite of protecting biological diversity.
For this reason there is a lot of attention to this theme during the CBD.
News:
* Press release Rettet das Regenwald on agrofuel deal Germany Brazil: “Stoppt Gabriels geplantes Agrarenergieabkommen mit Brasilien”.
http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7003.shtml With as next development: Umweltministerin Silva tritt direkt vor Merkels Besuch zurück:
http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7115.shtml * Joint NGO press release: Sustainability Criteria and Certification of Biomass – greenwashing destruction in pursuit of profit.(18 March 2008).
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/files/a15-pr-1.pdf Background information
(general)
* Grains Agrofuel resource page, including a link to their Seedlinks special,
http://www.grain.org/agrofuels/ * Biosprit macht Hunger (thematic newsletter from INKOTA) (
http://www.inkota.de/aktuelles/inkota_zeitungsbeileger_ansicht.pdf * "Agrofuels: Out of the frying pan into the fire". Cases about soy, oil palm and sugarcane.
http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=426&Itemid=107 * "Myths of the Agro-fuels Transition", Food First.
http://www.foodfirst.org/node/1711 * "The Geopolitics of Agrofuels", Position Paper of the Global South on Food Sovereignty, Energy Sovereignty and the transition towards a post-oil society.
http://www.wrm.org.uy/subjects/biofuels/Quito_Manifest.html * "Agrofuel from the soy desert" (on inefficiency, pressure on land, conflict with food and meat production).
http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=208&Itemid=107 (corporate lobby)
* Industry Pushes For 25% Agrofuel Target.
http://www.corporateeurope.org/sra.html * Paving the way for agrofuels. EU policy, sustainability criteria and climate calculations.
http://lasojamata.org/en/taxonomy/term/57 (agricultural model)
Refugees of the Agro-export model (brochure).
http://lasojamata.org/en/node/93 Overview of statements:
* Ulenkrug / Aktionsnetzwerk globale Landwirtschaft (in german)
http://www.aseed.net/pdfs/ThesenAGROFUEL-aktionsnetzwerk.pdf * (brazilian) Small farmers & peasants: For food and energy sovereignty,
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/1260 * Quito declaration from local communities (Equador)
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/quito_declaration.pdf. This resulted in the longer manifest / position paper "The Geopolitics of Agrofuels" that is mentioned above. * Native people: "Native People Warn U.N. of Biofuels Disaster"
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42196 * NGO's "Call for an immediate moratorium on EU incentives for agrofuels, EU imports of agrofuels and EU agroenergy monocultures",
http://www.econexus.info/agrofuel_moratorium_call.html critical voices from unexpected directions:
* UN: "Zeigler's successor De Schutter calls for targets to be dropped."
http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/05/02/america/OUKWD-UK-FOOD-UN-RIGHTS.php * UN Secretary-General calls on world leaders to attend Food vs Fuel summit; new UN Food head calls biofuels a 'scandal'.
http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2008/05/7120.shtml Agrofuel actions from the past few months:
* Gent April 17: Activists block Cargill
http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=552&Itemid=211 * Berlin April 17: Agrofuels create hunger!
http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=515&Itemid=33 * London April 15: Protest against Brown on biofuels
http://www.campaigncc.org/biofuels.shtml * Brussel March 13: Blockade at World Biofuels Market
http://www.aseed.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=535&Itemid=211 More links:
Biofuelwatch:
http://www.biofuelwatch.org A SEED:
http://www.aseed.net/soy INKOTA:
http://www.inkota.de La Soja Mata:
http://lasojamata.org
Indymedia ist eine Veröffentlichungsplattform, auf der jede und jeder selbstverfasste Berichte publizieren kann. Eine Überprüfung der Inhalte und eine redaktionelle Bearbeitung der Beiträge finden nicht statt. Bei Anregungen und Fragen zu diesem Artikel wenden sie sich bitte direkt an die Verfasserin oder den Verfasser.
(Moderationskriterien von Indymedia Deutschland)
(Moderationskriterien von Indymedia Deutschland)
Ergänzungen