By MADGE, June 5, 2009
Congress may pass the Global Food Security Act – Senate Bill 384. This would “boost spending on foreign agricultural development and nutrition programs from $750 million in 2010 to $2.5 billion by 2014. …the money can go to ‘biotechnological advances appropriate to local ecological conditions,’ including genetically modified seeds.’”
The major producer of GM seeds worldwide is Monsanto. Monsanto have also spent $2 million lobbying to have this bill passed.
Various groups appear to be promoting improved seed and sustainable agricultural for Africa. They also seem to be supporting the Global Food Security Bill from behind the scenes. These groups are the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Together they have established the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
Could these groups’ real agenda be to force GM seeds on Africa? MADGE has followed a trail of grants and links that are worrying. The US Senate Foreign Relations committee had a hearing on world hunger to debate this bill. There appear to be links between supporters of the bill and the Gates Foundation:
- Panelists at the hearing, Dan Glickman and Catherine Bertini, have produced a report on agriculture which supports the passing of the Global Food Security Act.
- This report was funded by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs In September 2008 the Chicago Council received a grant of nearly $1 million from the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation to “examine how the United States can better contribute to global poverty alleviation and food security through an international effort to help raise the productivity of small farmers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.”
- Another panellist at the hearing was David Beckmann. He endorsed the report presented by Glickman and Bertini. Beckmann is the President of Bread for the world“a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.” In October 2008 Bread for the World received a grant of nearly half a million dollars from the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation.
- Oxfam America is now asking its members to support the Global Food Security Act. In August 2008 Oxfam America received a grant from the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation of $2 million. “To help over 225,000 people affected by the drought and food crisis in Ethiopia.”
- Two important posts at the Gates Foundation are filled by ex-Monsanto employees.
Read the full post at MADGE
Excellent post! Great work.
A well researched and well documented reports. Congratulations! A huge amount of money is involved in the food scarcity and security game. The players are many, with different names and philosophies but the purpose is the same. Spread those seed varieties and farming methods which are failed in regions where (Un)green revolution were implemented by none other that funding groups like Rockefeller Foundation. These farming practices failed the environment and farmers of those regions. In India hundred of thousand farmers committed suicide due to indebtedness and crop failures. The Monsanto’s entry in other countries as well destroyed the food security and symbiotic relationship between farmers, land and the consumers.
Now its Africa’s turn.
Well done. Thank you for the updates.
Politics is dirty! Corporations scare me to death! Obviously, there are other agendas in mind than feeding a starved continent.
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