Common Agricultural Policy after 2013

The European Commission is conducting a review and public debate on reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2013. Findings point towards a less centralized agricultural model.

• EU urged to promote 'territorial vision' of farming  
• The Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 Public Debate: Summary Report 

Food Reserves: Stabilizing Markets, Investing in Farmers and Achieving Food Security

IATP co-hosted a civil society meeting in Brussels on food reserves as a tool to respond to global hunger on June 1–2. Read our blog posts “Deepening the debate in Europe” and “Reports from Africa and Asia.&rdquo Also, see powerpoint presentations from the meeting as well this sign-on letter presented at a UN meeting on the global food crisis in Dublin.

July 21 Wall Street reform bill to limit excessive speculation in ag

The Wall Street reform bill signed by President Obama will severely restrict excessive speculation on agriculture commodity futures markets that has harmed U.S. farmers and countries battling hunger.

• New rules to curb Wall Street's influence over food and farming  Press release | Jul 21  | PDF

The new climate debt

A new proposal by the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) for “green sectoral bonds” would transform global climate finance from a public fiduciary duty, primarily funded by developed countries, to a new source of developing-country debt to private creditors—and a new source of profits for IETA members.

• The New Climate Debt: Carbon Trading Wrapped in a Green Bond Proposal   Fact sheet | Jun 8  | PDF

New Book on Land Grabs

The Woodrow Wilson International Center has published a new book on land grabs: the practice of transnational corporations and governments buying up farmland in developing countries. IATP's Alexandra Spieldoch and Sophia Murphy contribute a chapter on the implications of land grabs for food security and poverty reduction.

• The full book: Land Grab? The Race for the World's Farmland 
• IATP's article: Agricultural Land Aquisitions: Implications for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation  Commentary | Jan 1  | PDF

Senate vote on historic financial reform critical for agriculture

The Senate’s approval of a historic financial reform bill was a first step toward preventing the excessive financial speculation that has wreaked havoc in agricultural commodity futures contracts over the last several years.

• Senate vote on historic financial reform critical for agriculture  Press release | May 21  | PDF
• CFTC should impose tough limits on Wall Street speculators  Press release | Mar 4

Market Deregulation and Food Prices

The Spring 2010 issue of Food Ethics Magazine examines how our global finance system has undermined food security. IATP's Steve Suppan reports on how commodity market deregulation in the U.S. affects food prices.

• Commodity Market Deregulation and Food Prices  Commentary | Mar 1  | PDF
• Food Ethics Magazine Spring 2010 

The Story of Bottled Water

A new video tells The Story of Bottled Water and the harm the industry causes to communities and the environment around the world. IATP's water expert Shiney Varghese blogs about her experiences with access to water in India on World Water Day.

• The Story of Bottled Water 
• IATP's Shiney Varghese on World Water Day  Blog | Mar 22
• Five action steps on bottled water  Blog | Mar 22

Colonialism is not dead

The Gates Foundation—along with giants of biotech—is planning to export biotech seeds to Africa. If the history of colonialism and subsequent development practice has taught us anything, it is that all interventions must strengthen resilience, encourage diversity and be locally appropriate. The biotech seed proposal for Africa fails on all three counts.

• Colonialism is not dead  Commentary | Mar 22  | PDF

Global Food Challenge

IATP and others have co-authored a book entitled "The Global Food Challenge: Towards a Human Rights Approach to Trade and Investment Policies." The essays address global hunger, trade and the human right to food:

• Cover, Executive Summary and Introduction  PDF
• A. Fundamentals  PDF
• B. Case Studies on Trade, Investment and the Right to Food  PDF
• C. New Challenges and Threats  PDF
• D. Human Rights Based Alternatives and Tools  PDF
• Abbreviations, Author Information and Publication Imprint  PDF