Ecotopia

Date: 11/13/2012

This week’s show is entitled FLAME ANGELS after a novel of Oceania recently published by Robert Winter, aka “Snorkel Bob,” a marine photographer and activist seeking to preserve tropical fish and the coral reefs in Hawaii. We’ll also talking with Bob about NEPTUNE SPEAKS, a collection of his photographs with commentary about the threats to tropical fish and the coral reefs of the world.

Listen to the Program

Our Questions about FLAME ANGELS

–FLAME ANGELS is the story of Ravid Rockulz, scuba dive leader, underwater photographer, and an activist working to preserve reefs and fish fish in Hawaii, Tahiti, and elsewhere. We’re not going to make the error of assuming that you and Ravid are the same person, but there are some obvious similarities. Please tell us a little about Ravid Rockulz and how you conceived the character. Which parts of his character are autobiographical?

–What are “Flame Angels” and how do they become the title of the book? [“Free diving, he (Ravid) rises slowly . . . into the thickening mix with emperor and regal angels, blue damsels, turquoise chromis, all the little fins and his heart aflutter till–wait! Flame angels” p. 208]

–Snorkel Bob, we wonder if you’d be willing to read a segment to us? We especially appreciated the segment where Ravid is exploring underwater photography and meets up with a creature he had not anticipated. [p. 50 “A diver has only two hands, … p. 52 Here was substance, vision and purpose instead of a void.”]

–In FLAME ANGELS, Ravid Rockulz initially lives in Maui, Hawaii, but the book opens with him leaving for Tahiti, the island paradise of Gaugin and Marlon Brando. His descriptions of what’s happening in Maui are pretty scathing. Please explain.

–We learn that Ravid’s leaving Hawaii is precipitated by being dragged far out to sea, duct taped, and thrown overboard by the former boyfriend of his wife and his henchmen. What follows is a scene of deep terror as Ravid struggles to get back to shore. Sharks, especially, prey on his mind, if not his body, and sharks figure prominently in the novel, including Mano, a shark who eventually takes a good bite out of one of the villains of the novel. Please tell us more about the terror of the deep and what sharks represent, to Ravid, and to the reader

–We don’t want to give away too much, but we will explain that Ravid goes on to a kind of stardom and activist power that alerts the public to the dangers of extinction faced by tropical fish and coral reefs. Please tell us why this rise to the heights of PR figures so prominently in the novel. Is an appearance on Jay Leno or Oprah the only way activists can be heard?

FLAME ANGELS available from Iquana Press in both print and electronic forms. You can learn more at <robertwintner.iguanabooks.com/flame-angels/>. You can also order the book direct at snorkelbob.com

Our Questions About NEPTUNE SPEAKS

–Please tell us about your own evolution as a photographer. How did you learn to get such amazing photos?

–Who is Neptune for whom does he speak? [“Nepture speaks for wilderness values….Neptune loves fish in abundance but scoffs at ‘sustainability’ and ‘best management practices.” p. 7]

–The fish also speak in this book. What do they have to say? [e.g. “A devil scorpion fish…conveys reef community outrage that so much crime against nature should make the neighborhoods unsafe.” p. 173]

–Your comments and those of the fish are often lighthearted, but the message is serious. Why did you choose to include humor in the book?]

–In our previous interview, you talked about some good news–Maui County banning collection of reef fish. What else is happening in Hawaii and around the world on behalf of the fish?

–You also talk about poachers, and it’s obvious that legal supervision and enforcement on the reefs is difficult. What progress have you seen since we last talked?

–In the novel and in your other writings, you (and Ravid Rockulz) have said, “Mr. Gorbachev, smash these aquariums.” What are you recommending? [Does your concern include professional aquariums like the New York Aquarium and Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium?]

–Snorkel Bob, you are a prolific writer and you put your money where your mouth is with the Snorkel Bob Foundation. What is the foundation and what are its?

–As time permits, please tell us about some of your myriad other projects. [National Humane Society, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Earthjustice.]

–How can KZFR listeners become involved with and support your work? <http://www.snorkelbob.com/sb_foundation.htm>

 

No Comments »

18 September 2012

This Week on Ecotopia we’ll be taking a look at evolution, but evolution as it may be shaping human values. We’ll talk first with Steve McIntosh, author of a new book called Evolution’s Purpose, where he argues that such values as truth and beauty may well be part of our evolutionary path.

Then we’ll talk with Michael Shermer, author of  The Science of Good and Evil, who believes that conflicting evolutionary paths pitting flight-or-fight against a need for community can explain good and evil, peace and war.

Our Questions for Steve McIntosh
Listen to the Interview

Tonight’s “ecosystem” connects human values with evolution. How do our values develop and emerge? Are we “hard wired” to adopt some value systems over others? Are human values evolving in positive ways?

On the phone with us to discuss these questions is Steve McIntosh, author of Evolution’s Purpose: An Integral Interpretation of the Scientific Story of Our Origins. It has just been published by SelectBooks. [www.selectbooks.com] Steve has formal education in law and is founder and president of a consumer products company Now & Zen, and a leader in the integral philosophy movement. Welcome, Steve McIntosh.

–Please tell us about “integral philosophy.” What are its aims and basic tenets? What led you from law school and business school to being a writer and speaker on integral philosophy?

–The central argument of your book is that a theory of evolution must be more than just “science”; to be complete, it must be linked to human history and to our morals, values, and cultures. Please explain.

–Many philosophers have said that ours is a “value free” universe. Other people have argued that a transcendent power or divine being created and passed down the laws of human behavior and the laws of physics. And still others see evolution as having just one value: survival in a dog-eat-dog, winner-take-all universe. How does your integral interpretation respond to these claims?

–What are the values that we humans have evolved/are evolving/might evolve?

–Stephen Jay Gould (whom you cite multiple times in your book) has argued in The Mismeasure of Man that it is an error to perceive of evolution as making “progress,” especially if that trajectory places human beings at the apex of evolution. How does your view differ from Gould’s?

–You argue that evolution is leading us to value truth, beauty, and goodness. Why is there so much of the opposite in our world? Why are we failing to exercise some fundamental truths that have been given us by mother nature?

–What are your best hopes for the evolution of our values and behaviors? Are you optimistic that we can evolve toward a kinder, gentler, possibly smog free universe?

Our guest has been Steve McIntosh, author of Evolution’s Purpose: An Integral Interpretation of the Scientific Story of Our Origins, just published by SelectBooks. You can learn more about the book at www.selectbooks.com and more about Steve and the integral philosophy movement at www.stevemcintosh.com. .

Our Discussion with Michael Shermer
Listen to the Interview

This is Ecotopia on KZFR, and tonight we are examining connections between science and morality. Our guest on the phone is a writer, editor, skeptic, and scholar—Michael Shermer—whose book, The Science of Good and Evil, has given us food for thought for a number of years. Michael has written a number of books and articles about how morals, ethics, and choices emerge from human consciousness. He’s also a monthly columnist for Atlantic and founder and editor of The Skeptic magazine. Welcome Michael Shermer.

–In The Science of Good and Evil, you argue that morals and ethics are neither god given nor formed in a vacuum. You say there are genetic characteristics or traits that (help to) determine values. What are those characteristics? Is it in our nature to be moral, immoral, or amoral?

–You write of conflicting genetic tendencies: flight-or-fight versus the formation of communities. Please describe this, particularly the value of community. Is there an optimal size for communities? Can we have a global community? Is this tendency (toward community) an explanation of why the golden rule is so common to cultures and religions?

–You have done a great deal of study of neurology and how it affects perception and behavior. And you say that beliefs are formed “ for a variety of subjective, personal, emotional, and psychological reasons in the context of environments created by family, friends, colleagues, culture, and society at large.” How can we sort through those complex factors, plus genetics and the neural system, to figure out where our values come from?

–Your newest book is The Believing Brain From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. You say, “Beliefs come first, explanations for beliefs follow.” Are we at all in charge of our own values?

[You tell a story that recently in a restaurant you were tempted to order “a heavy stout beer, a buttery escargot appetizer, a marbled steak, cheesecake” and chose “ a light beer, salmon and a salad with vinaigrette dressing and split a mildly rich chocolate cake with my companion.” You also say that you had no choice in the matter. What’s up with that?!]

–Obviously, ours is a deeply, possibly fatally, troubled world. Why do we continually select war over peace, hierarchy over equality, consumption over sustainability?

–What is your degree of optimism that humanity will, in the long run make sustainable choices or choose “good” over “evil”?

–Where can listeners learn more about your work? http://www.michaelshermer.com/ http://www.skeptic.com/

Our guest has been Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, columnist for Atlantic, and author of a number of books, including Why Darwin Matters, Why People Believe Weird Things, and his newest, The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. Thank you for being with us on Ecotopia.

No Comments »

September 11, 2012

This program features our interview with Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times. We also talk with Kelly Munson about Paul Loeb’s upcoming visit to Butte College and to Chico.

Paul Loeb will be speaking at the Peace and Justice Center on Friday, September 28, and will be the keynote speaker at the Butte College Leadership and Civic Engagement Conference on Saturday, September 29.

Listen to the Paul Loeb Interview

Questions for Paul Loeb

Paul Loeb is author of Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times. Paul has been working on citizen engagement since the Vietnam War and is currently leading a campus engagement project that, in 2008, engaged over 500 campuses in 14 states, enrolling 3 million undergraduates. Paul is coming to Chico later this month, speaking at the Peace & Justice Center Friday evening, September 28, and keynoting the Butte College Leadership and Civic Engagement Conference on Saturday the 29th. .

Part I: Engagement in Challenging Times

–You’ve spent over thirty-five years as an activist and helping others make their activism effective. What first led you to be engaged in these ways? How did your philosophy evolve over the years?

–In the introduction to your book, you express concern about low levels of citizen involvement, “We’ve all but forgotten that public participation is the very soul of democratic citizenship,…” How do you measure this lack of participation . . . voter turnout? engagement in community activities? neighborhood involvement? Are we less engaged that at some other time in US and/or world history? the Greek democracy? the war of independence or Civil War? Vietnam era?

–What has led to this level of disengagement? Why do people feel apathetic or hopeless? Has our country (and the world) grown too large for people to feel engaged? Has the military/industrial/economic juggernaut rendered us powerless? “the culture of distraction”?

–We’ve just been through two political conventions with pre-ordained outcomes. No surprises. How can the average citizen even begin to feel engaged in the process . . . that his or her vote will make a difference?

–You’re a storyteller (“The Call of Stories”), and your book contains dozens of narratives of people who have made a difference in their communities. Could you please share a story or two with us to illustrate the level and kind of engagement you have in mind?

–A question we often ask on this program: What will it take to bring about change on a scale great enough to make a difference? government mandates and new laws? being driven to the brink? social/environmental collapse? citizen engagement? can engage effectively in creating change.

Part II: Engagement in Challenging Times

In the first part of the program, we discussed the difficulties facing citizen activists in these challenging times. In this segment, let’s help our listeners (and ourselves) learn a little more about how to do it.

–Right now, you’re working on the Campus Engagement Project to encourage college students to be involved in the coming elections. Please tell us how that’s going. How many people are involved? What are your goals? What are your strategies for overcoming student voter apathy?

http://www.compact.org/initiatives/campus-vote-home/

–You believe strongly in the power of the individual to make a difference. Could we review some of the steps? For example, you say, “You Don’t Have to be a Saint,” and you urge people to take “One Step at a Time.”

–How do existing local organizations fit into the pattern? (Chico has a great many small activist organizations on the environment, civil rights, social justice, and so on. But there is also sometimes lack of communication among them, differences of purposes, and competition for dwindling funds.) Could you offer suggestions about engaging with community organizations? How does the activist “Widen the Circle”?

–Burnout. How do citizens cope with that?

–You write: “Cynicism or hope? That’s the real question, the choice all of us face, as individuals, families, neighborhoods, communities, nations, and members of a species whose continued survival is by no means guaranteed” (345). What is your personal level of hope and optimism?”

–What projects are coming up in your personal journey?

–Where might our listeners go for more information?
(Website: http://www.paulloeb.org/      www.soulofacitizen.org)

Questions for Kelly Munson

With us in the studio now is Kelly Munson. She’s the advisor to the Associated Students and student activities at Butte College. Welcome Kelly.

1. Please tell us about the Butte College Student Leadership & Civic Engagement Conference taking place on Saturday, September 29th, 2012.
2. Who is the conference intended for? Who should attend?
3. What time will Paul Loeb be speaking?
4. What else will be happening at the conference?
5. How can people register?
6. And tell us again when and where the events will be held

.http://calendar.butte.edu/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=1147&information_id=2460&type=&syndicate=syndicate

Play list for Ecotopia #206

1. Talkin’ Bout a Revolution 3:49 Playing for Change Playing for Change

2. The Times They Are a Changin’ (Live) 3:10 Peter, Paul And Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

3. Change is Gonna Come 6:07 Playing for Change Playing for Change

4. Weave Me the Sunshine 4:28 Peter, Paul And Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

5. Vote For Hope 4:49 M.C. Yogi Vote For Hope Hip Hop

 

No Comments »

September 4, 2012

[get website of the films for the festival up on the computer: http://www.buttecreek.org/nodes/news_events/events/film_festival_2012.htm}

This week we’re talking about the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Chico and the organization that sponsors the festival, The Friends of Butte Creek. Joining us by phone will be the Executive Director of the Friends of Butte Creek, Allen Harthorn.  And in the studio, we’ll be talking with Pamela Posey, the program director of the organization, and Liz Gardner, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival coordinator.

Our Questions for Allen

On the phone is Allen Harthorn, and in the studio are Liz Gardner, and Pamela Posey. Allen is Executive Director of Friends of Butte Creek, Pamela is Program Director and Liz is the Festival Coordinator for the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. They are here to talk about the Sixth Annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival, which will be held here in Chico on Friday, September 21 at the Sierra Nevada Big Room. The doors open at 5:00 and films start at 6:00. A Farmers’ Market Buffet Dinner will be served.  Tickets are available at Pure Skin and Chico Natural Foods Coop in Chico and online now. 

1. First of all, can you tell us what Friends of Butte Creek is? What is your mission, and what are some ways in which you enact your mission?

2. For those who don’t know much about our watershed, can you tell us why Butte Creek is important? And can you also just give us a little visual about where it comes from and where it goes, how it’s part of the larger system, and how it’s being used?

3. What is the DeSabla Centerville project? What’s happening there? What are your concerns? Where does the hydroelectric project stand right now?

4. Why should we care about salmon? What’s their status generally?

5. What are some other events and activities the Friends of Butte Creek sponsor and promote? (education, film festivals, salmon festivals, etc.)

6. Tell us about some of the resources that are available on your website that might help us understand our water system better? Are there other resources you could recommend to us for understanding the water and its uses in our area and beyond?

Our Questions about the Wild and Scenic Film Festival

This is Ecotopia on KZFR, and we’re talking about the Friends of Butte Creek’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival with Allen Harthorn, Executive Director, Pamela Posey, Program Director, and Liz Gardner, Festival Coordinator for the Wild and Scenic Film Festival Thanks to all of you for joining us.

1. This is the Sixth Annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival, which will be held here in Chico on Friday, September 21 at the Sierra Nevada Big Room. Can you tell us a little about how the film festival began?

2. And let’s make sure we get the details of the event in. When and where? And where can people get tickets? And you can get tickets just for the films or for dinner plus the films? What else can people expect at the event?

3. Let’s talk a big about the films. How many films will be showing?

4. The Chico film festival is a part of a larger series. How does the process of getting the films for the local festival work? How are films selected?

5. Can you tell us a little about the films? Do you have a favorite?

6. And again, can you give us the details of time and place and where people can get tickets?

Steve:

You’re listening to Ecotopia on KZFR 90.1 Chico, and we’ve been talking with Allen Harthorn, Executive Director of Friends of Butte Creek, Pamela Posey, Program Director, Liz Gardner, Festival Coordinator. Thanks so much for joining us, and good luck with the festival.

Playlist for Ecotopia #205

1. Wilderness 3:20 Ann Marie Sheridan Intuition

2. Cool, Cool River 3:56 Paul Simon Rhythm Of The Saints

3. Shared Light 2:30 Abakus That Much Closer to the Sun

4. Yes, The River Knows 2:36 The Doors Waiting For The Sun

5. Weave Me the Sunshine 4:28 Peter, Paul And Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

6. Supernova 4:42 Liquid Blue Supernova

7. Sacrament of Wilderness 4:16 Nightwish Oceanborn

8. 06 – Marching Through the Wilderness 4:20 David Byrne Live from Austin TX

9. Take Me to the River 3:33 Annie Lennox Medusa

10. The River 2:26 Brian Eno & David Byrne Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

11. River 5:32 Natalie Merchant Tigerlily Alternative

 

No Comments »

August 28, 2012

Our topic this week is The Landgrabbers, the international buy up and lease out of millions of acres of land by financiers, agribusiness, and even mobsters. My guest will be Fred Pearce, author of a book by that title. He’s a science writer based in London, and I prerecorded an interview with him about landgrabbing and its effects on fundamental issues of world hunger and social and political equality

Here is some background on landgrabbing from the worldwatch insitute http://www.worldwatch.org/node/11326:

In 2007, a combination of rising energy costs, population growth, and the increasing use of crops for biofuel production triggered a sharp spike in food prices around the world. In developing countries, the cost of importing food rose by 25 percent, resulting in riots, export bans, and black markets as the average family was forced to spend between 50 and 75 percent of its household income on food expenses. But the implications for some communities were even broader.

As food prices soared and countries felt increasing pressure, compelling governments to buy or lease large swaths of land for agricultural purposes, a practice known as “land grabbing.” The term land grabbing is problematic due to vast differences in land sales and leases, land grabbing has come to encompass the increasingly prevalent, and often criticized, act of large-scale national or transnational land exchanges.

Land grabbing occurs primarily in developing countries from South America, to Indonesia, to Africa. The Malian government, for example, has “signed over 470,000 hectares to foreign companies, from Libya, China, the UK, Saudi Arabia and other countries in recent years, virtually all of it in the Niger Basin.” Though the government has signed over 470,000 hectares, experts estimate that Mali only has the water resources to irrigate 250,000 hectares.

One of the main controversies about land grabbing is whether it ultimately helps to improve global food security and energy production, or whether it simply reflects economic greed and results in displacement and job loss in local populations.

In the context of energy production, the drive for biofuels has caused large firms to buy up land from poor villagers in Africa, often with devastating consequences. More than 30 biofuel projects have been initiated and subsequently abandoned across the continent, leaving the villagers, who were promised jobs and village improvements, unemployed and landless. There are reports of incomplete and missing land payments, dangerous working environments, and a general lack of transparency.

On a broad scale, land grabbing can be seen as a shift in security: countries that are food or energy insecure are able to buy or lease large swaths of productive land in order to grow and harvest land at a cheaper cost. Meanwhile, the local populations that sell or rent the land often lose their livelihoods and security. Additionally, many land grabs are not sales but rather leases that will eventually expire, leaving local populations with degraded soils, exploited aquifers, and diminished income.

Certainly, food-insecure nations will need find novel ways to provide enough food for their populations; however, small-scale rural farmers must be protected from powerful buyers, such as governments, and be given more power in the negotiation process to mitigate the negative consequences of land grabs.

Although reliable information on land grabs is scarce, estimates suggest that in the past several years, more than 80 million hectares have been sold or leased in large-scale deals. To protect vulnerable local populations, a stable regulatory framework needs to be implemented and land deals should be done with greater transparency.

Although regulation is lacking at the global level, the challenges associated with land grabs are gaining visibility. The United Nations recently adopted international guidelines with the goal of “improving secure access to land, fisheries and forests and protecting the rights of millions of often very poor people.” The guidelines call for transparency, consultations with local populations, protection of indigenous land rights, and fair and prompt compensation.

The adoption of these voluntary guidelines is an important first step. To effectively protect local populations, implementation and accountability must quickly follow.

(First posted on Worldwatch Institute’s blog: http://blogs.worldwatch.org/sustainableprosperity/ and Written by Alison Singer; Edited by Antonia Sohns).

Listen to the Interview with Fred Pearce

My Questions for Fred

This is Ecotopia on KZFR and my guest for this show, speaking to us from London, is Fred Pearce. He is currently the environment consultant of New Scientist magazine and a regular contributor to the British newspapers Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, and Times Higher Education. He has also written for several US publications including Audubon, Foreign Policy, Popular Science, Seed, and Time. Fred Pearce has written a number of books on environmental and development issues, including the book we’ll discuss today, The Land Grabbers (published by Beacon Press here in the U.S.)

Segment I: The Problem and Major Issues

–Your title is “The Land Grabbers: The New Fight Over Who Owns the Earth.” As we look at the world map in school, most of us thought it had been pretty well divided up, except or occasional border adjustments and world wars. What made you start to think that land masses might be changing ownership? When did the idea for this book click into place?

–You spent about a year flying around the globe observing and interviewing people you call “the grabbers” and “the grabbed.”

–Who are some of the people who are doing the grabbing? [Notes: Soros, macro-terrorists, gun runners, Branson, a commander of British land forces in Guinea, Patagonia (vii).]

–What are they grabbing? Why? Do they want to just be farmers or open a shop in an exotic location? How much money is changing hands? What kind of control changes hands?

–You remark that some of the grabbers come in for humanitarian reasons, say to rescue the environment, preserve parks, and introduce new agriculural techniques as a way to create sustainable communities. Are there many of these kids of altruists? Does their altruism sometimes do damage?

–I wonder if we could talk about one or two of the countries/chapters in your book.

• One chapter that especially interested me was Liberia, “created two centuries ago as a homeland for freed American slaves.” Some saw Liberia as “an African Garden of Eden.” What happened? [Notes: Civil War, League of Nations, United Nations, Firestone, Cocal Cola, beer, timber industry, education, employment] What was/is Libya’s “resource curse”?] Will Libyans ever get their land back?

• Another amazing chapter in your book takes place not in Africa but in the good old USA: Chicago, Illinois. What did you see at the Chicago Board of Trade and what did it tell you? [Notes: corn, grain and other futures.] Does free competitive trading keep down the price of food? What was the relationship between the Chicago Board of Trade (and other markets) on the global price of food and hunger in 2007 and 2008? Where do outfits like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley fit it—what are they doing in the food market?

–Before we take a break, Fred Pearce, are there other examples/chapters you especially encourage people to think about in The Land Grabbers

Segment II: Possible Solutions

This is Ecotopia on KZFR, and My guest is Fred Pearce, a journalist based in England, who has written widely on environmental issues. His new book is called The Land Grabbers: The New Fight Over Who Owns The Earth, published by Beacon Press. As we discussed in the first segment, and and we see from reading your book, you do not offer a great deal of positive news. The partial message that I came away with is that, once again, the global economy and megabusiness have found a way to make vast fortunes without a lot of regard for the people whose land they take.

However, we do know as well that there a number of governmental and NGO agencies around the world working on issues like hunger, health, and education.

–In your travels around the world, did you see any positive centers where the landgrabbing ethic has been blunted, if not reversed?

…local farming? sustainable farming?

…community markets?

…resistance to chemical farming and GMOS?

—-Is there any good news from international agencies like Oxfam or the UN Millennium Project?

–Who are some of the advocates for small sustainable farming, a new “green revolution”? Who are the people and powers working on that?

–As you look to the future, Fred Pearce, what do you see happening? good news? bad news? Other than reading your powerful book, how can listeners learn more about the land grabbers? http://authorsplace.co.uk/fred-pearce/

Additional Background: The UN Committee on World Security

Tonight we’ve been talking about the phenomenon of “landgrabbing,” it it is encouraging to know that the United Nations has identified landgrabbing as a huge issue and is taking some steps to control it. Unfortunately, like so many U.N. actions, this action, by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is a voluntary set of global guidelines aimed at helping governments safeguard the rights of people to own or access land, forests and fisheries.

Passed in May 11 in Rome the guidelines–and here I will quotes the press release–”are based on an inclusive consultation process started by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN in 2009 and then finalized through … intergovernmental negotiations that included participation of government officials, civil society organizations, private sector representatives, international organizations and academics….

“The aim of the guidelines: to promote food security and sustainable development by improving secure access to land, fisheries and forests and protecting the rights of millions of often very poor people.”

The basic agreements call for:

“· Recognition and protection of legitimate tenure rights, even under informal systems

· Best practices for registration and transfer of tenure rights

· Making sure that tenure administrative systems are accessible and affordable

· Managing expropriations and restitution of land to people who were forcibly evicted in the past

· Rights of indigenous communities

· Ensuring that investment in agricultural lands occurs responsibly and transparently

· Mechanisms for resolving disputes over tenure rights

· Dealing with the expansion of cities into rural areas”

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, General José Graziano da Silva, said, ”Giving poor and vulnerable people secure and equitable rights to access land and other natural resources is a key condition in the fight against hunger and poverty. It is a historic breakthrough that countries have agreed on these first-ever global land tenure guidelines. We now have a shared vision. It’s a starting point that will help improve the often dire situation of the hungry and poor.”

He also said that “While the guidelines acknowledge that responsible investments by the public and private sectors are essential for improving food security, they also recommend that safeguards be put in place to protect tenure rights of local people from risks that could arise from large-scale land acquisitions, and also to protect human rights, livelihoods, food security and the environment.”

Importantly, Graziano de Salva points out that “Investment models exist that do not result in the large-scale acquisition of land, and these alternative models should be promoted. Investments should also promote policy objectives such as boosting local food security and promoting food security, poverty eradication and job creation, and providimg benefits to the country and its people, including the poor and most vulnerable.”

However, and here seems to be a central weakness, the press release continued:

“It is now up to the countries who endorsed the guidelines to put them into practice on the ground, according to Olaniran. Graziano de Salva said,’These changes won’t happen overnight. But we also know. as a result of the extensive consultations by FAO and the CFS-led negotiation process, that there is a lot of buy-in and support for the guidelines. The CFS endorsement lends them legitimacy and strength, and all the countries involved are ready to take them on board.'”

Speaking on behalf of civil society organizations involved in the guidelines process, Ángel Strapazzón, of Movimiento Campesino Indígena-Vía Campesina Argentina said: “We commend the process that was adopted for developing the guidelines, which provided the opportunity for civil society and representatives of small-scale food producers to participate at all stages, to draw attention to the real life issues and make concrete proposals.”

“We welcome the Guidelines, but with awareness that they fall short in some areas that are key to the livelihoods of small-scale food producers. Despite this, we call on governments and intergovernmental agencies to implement them and urgently improve governance of tenure for food security,” he added.

Luc Maene, Chairman of the International Agri-Food Network, representing the private sector, said: “Land tenure is fundamental to food security, and it is fitting that the newly-reformed Committee on Food Security leads this process. The guidelines set out important key elements to make land tenure function. In many places, land tenure systems are effectively non-existent. To us in the private sector and to our farmer partners, it is important that there should be effective local administration of land registries without corruption. Fair, transparent rules benefit everyone, ensuring women get equal access to land and furthering responsible investment throughout the agri-food chain.”

FAO’s Graziano da Silva added that the Organization stands ready to provide support and assistance to countries in adapting and implementing the guidelines.

As done in the past in the case of other, similar agreements — for example the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries — FAO will now develop a series of technical handbooks designed to help countries adapt the guidelines to their local contexts and put them into play. The Organization will also provide targeted technical assistance to governments towards that same end.

For its part, the CFS will next take a focused look at the issue of responsible agricultural investments in general. The body is currently planning a yearlong consultative process, to start in October, that could culminate in set of recommended principles for responsible investment in agriculture later in 2013.

Made up of governments, UN agencies, civil society organizations, agricultural research centres, financial institutions, private sector groups and philanthropic foundations, CFS is the leading global platform for discussions on food security issues and serves as a mechanism for consensus-building at the international level and policy promotion at the national level.
Playlist

1. This Land (Score) 2:55 Hans Zimmer The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Soundtrack

2.Halala South Africa 5:20 Ladysmith Black Mambazo Long Walk To Freedom World 11 3/31/2010 12:27 PM

3. Freedom World 5:00 18 1 3/9/2012 10:43 AM

4. We Are the Ones 2:53 Sweet Honey in the Rock 1 8/28/2012 7:56 AM

5. This Land Is Your Land 2:27 Peter, Paul & Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary Singer/Songwriter 1 8/28/2012 7:59 AM

6.Home 4:06 Mike Wofchuck Flight World 2 8/28/2012 8:03 AM

7. This Land Is Your Land 4:31 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Naturally R&B/Soul

8 Judgement Day 3:16 The Devil Makes Three LongJohns, Boots And A Belt Rock 6 3/31/2010 12:22 PM

R9iver Jordan 4:49 Soweto Gospel Choir African Spirit Easy Listening 9 7/4/2010 11:26 AM

 

No Comments »