"I earn R800,00 per month and with this money I have to feed, clothe and fend for my family of eight. We barely survive; I cannot even afford to buy school shoes for the children. I cannot take it any longer"- Gertie Beukes, Ashton farmworker. "We produce the food...
farmers
Whose strike to whose gain? | by Christian Selz
Alongside the prominent demand for R150 a day, striking farm workers in the Western Cape are demanding an end to labour brokering – an uphill battle that they are likely to lose given that some of their perceived leaders appear to trade in that very business. It is...
Neoliberal land & agricultural policies at heart of farm strikes | by Mazibuko K. Jara
The heroic and historic strike by thousands of farm workers in the Western Cape has struck at the heart of the ANC government's neoliberal policies on land reform and agricultural policy. The strike marks the beginnings of much-needed mass struggles to challenge white...
Sugar Coating Exploitation
by Shawn Hattingh Southern Africa has become well known for being one of the cheapest places to produce sugar. Consequently, million of tons are produced in the region every year. Two companies have come to dominate much of this lucrative industry: Illovo Sugar and...
How Goldman Sachs Created the Food Crisis | By Frederick Kaufman
Don't blame American appetites, rising oil prices, or genetically modified crops for rising food prices. Wall Street's at fault for the spiraling cost of food. Demand and supply certainly matter. But there's another reason why food across the world has become so...
Land grabs: how the law pushes people off their land | by Tomaso Ferrando
Subverting the classic vision of the private-public power relationships, some African countries are repeating the same motto that an East European newspaper used on the occasion of the visit of the German chancellor in 1999: 'We forgive the crusaders and await the...
Reclaiming Rights at Rio: CSO Consultation to the African Agenda in the Rio+20 Summit Context
We, representatives of organizations from more than 15 countries in Africa comprised of small farmers, youth groups, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, women, labour, environmentalists, faith-based organizations, local authorities and NGOs from African Civil Society met...
Climate justice deferred: Rural women speak out at COP 17 | by Crystal Orderson
Small-scale farmers had little hope that leaders negotiating on their behalf would change their plight. Dressed in her white T-shirt and wide-rimmed hat, Dominica Shumba didn’t expect her first visit to Durban to be so hot and humid, amidst thundering clouds. The...
Earth Grab: Geopiracy, The New Biomassters and Capturing Climate Genes | by Vandana Shiva
‘Where men seeking to grab power once looked to acquire territories and slaves, now the entire globe and its productive capacity’ is up for grabs, writes Vandana Shiva, in the foreword to Pambazuka Press’ latest title, ‘Earth Grab’. The book’s ‘three groundbreaking...






