Newsletter Sustainable Earth Alliance

N° 5, January 2010

The newsletter informs the partners of  Sustainable Earth alliance on current initiatives, the projects in gestation and the various elements of Terre Citoyenne alliance calendar. It is carried out by Pierre Vuarin, Maëli Duval and Vladimir Ugarte in relation with the members of this alliance. If you want to unsubscribe, forward an email to Vladimir Ugarte.

 

• Food systems and sustainable chains

 

"Bio home": three-year information campaign  (2009-2012) conducted by Risteco (Italy) with support from the European Union and Italy. The goal is to provide a better understanding and promote organic products in Italy, France and Germany. The introduction of information sessions, training, promotion and participation in European trade fairs around the themes of the catering, the household consumption should help bring all the stakeholders in the sector around the message " Bio Farming is good for nature and good for you". For more information on the calendar of events organized in France and Italy on the theme of catering, contact the freephone number 00800221229009 or Risteco.

 

The project partners' "SOFTAGRI: new educational approaches on sustainable food production and consumption "which involved Risteco met in the Netherlands from 20 to 23 January 2010, for their fourth meeting organized by Stichting Streekeigen Producten Nederland (SPN) and Den Haneke. The program included the exhibition on bio farming at BioVak farm and the visit of several farms. For more information about the project contact Risteco.

 

ANEC (Asociación Nacional de Empresas Comercializadora de Productores del Campo) has organized a campaign: Sin Maíz no hay país (Without Corn there is no country) with the participation of peasant organizations, environmental, human rights Man, as well as scientists, artists, intellectuals, and citizens calling for:

a) a moratorium on transgenic maize seed
b) a moratorium on using food to produce biofuel
c) the integration of the right to food in the Constitution
d) approval of the Framework Law on Sovereignty and Food Security and Nutrition
e) action against the monopolies of the food. > For more information.

 

The experience sustainable catering in school in Latin America is online (Almedio Consultores achievement). The site presents twenty-two experiences on school feeding programs in local, regional and national levels in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador. Its main leaders are interviewed, to identify elements of sustainability of public policies in this area. The site also offers a compilation of key documents on the subject, linked to the local experience or the general theme. The site is the result of a survey conducted by teams Almedio for over a year. It was designed by Segmento, platform systematization of collective knowledge. Go to the site.

 

Carrefour, Elior and Gelazur have recently reaffirmed their willingness to continue their involvement in the project "Restore Hope Around Lake Victoria". The project is so important to them that the partners are currently working on a joint institutional communication on the subject. > Learn more.

 

Manon Lelièvre student of AgroParisTech will make a diagnosis of agricultural systems on the island of Ukerewe in connection with the "Restore Hope Around Lake Victoria", EMEDO (Tanzania) and the Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation (FPH).

 

International Label of sustainable fishing for artisanal fisheries: The project, due to the wishes of all members of the RFA will be a priority work for the period 2010-2011. It raises many hopes in the artisanal fisheries and several have already expressed their interest in the approach: Iceland, West Africa, Canada, Dominican Republic, Spain, France, etc.. Similarly, several United Nations offices have decided to pay particular attention to the project (FAO, UNESCO ...).

 

The launch of "World Banana Forum" on 7 and 8 December was a great success, with over 160 representatives of governments, civil society and business sector of 35 countries. The December 10 conference of the Inter-Governmental FAO banana and tropical fruit gave its support to this multi-stakeholder forum innovator. The five themes of ongoing work identified by participants are:
- The rights of labor and other issues related to work
- The distribution of value
- Sustainable production and environmental impacts
- Reducing the use of chemicals
- Certifications> To access the site.

 

Banana Link, despite its specific name, has been brought to work on the pineapple industry. Since January 2010 collaborate with the French NGO Peoples Solidaires, the German Banafair (actor in alternative trade) and the Czech Association for Fair Trade Pro Spolecnosti on a program of research, awareness and advocacy at the European Partnership with labor unions and with organizations of small producers in Latin America and Africa. Please contact> Vanessa Gautier Peoples Solidaires or Anna Cooper. > More information.

 

• Training of social leaders

Realization of two international seminars in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), under the dynamic creation of the International University Sustainable Earth (UTC), the project of the University Club of the 21st century, supported by the FPH:

• October 16 and 17, 2009 What university for the twenty-first century?, Seminar organized by the International University Project TriViet. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

• October 19 and 20, 2009, the development of higher education: lessons from experience, seminar organized by Hoa Sen University. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Almedio Consultores systematized both games and completed a booklet containing summaries of working sessions, strategic themes, and a series of interviews of key participants. Consult the full document in English systematization of the two conferences (pdf, eng).

See also: the Opinion of Carla Estrada about the two meetings Vietnamese. Carla Estrada is Projects Manager at Almedio Consultores.

 

Climate Change: Project CAFOLIS (Ecuador) to incorporate this theme into all areas of training, for citizens, social leaders but also public policy makers.

Also under this project, CAFOLIS is currently working on creating a new section on their website on climate change. You can find the results of research on the ecological footprint (production of Greenhouse gases, GHG), on agricultural production systems in small and large scale in the three regions of Ecuador (Sierra , Coast and Amazon). Furthermore, the CAFOLIS will develop training modules on actions to be implemented to reduce the ecological footprint in urban and rural.  Website CAFOLIS.

 

• Farmer organizations and fishermen

CNCPRT (Chad): The President of CNCPRT (Kolyang Palebele) visited the group of women producers of spirulina in Lake Chad in December 2009. These women work in a production of spirulina. They have received support from FAO and the European Union to improve the quality of spirulina product

 

Study visit and training of fish processors women in Senegal in Guinea Bissau organized by WADAF of 18 to 22 January 2010. WADAF website.

 

RFA (Responsible Fishing Alliance) has new members. Mauritania 2000: NGO that promotes women in the fisheries sector in Mauritania. Contact: Ms. Nedwa Nech. CME OP - Fishers Etaples: Organization of artisanal fishermen in France. Contact: Mr. Vincent Touloumon

> To learn more about these organizations.

 

• Natural Resource Management

A thematic meeting on mechanisms REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) and the carbon markets by Alain Karsenty, November 25, 2009. Organized by AGTER. > More

 

Following the discussions of Nant (Earth Citizen Alliance) meeting and working with different partners of the Alliance in January 2010, the WMPA (World Mountain People Association) has been engaged in discussion and development a "charter of natural resources carried by local communities (especially mountains).

 

• Security and food sovereignty crisis and the global food system

 

AGTER (France) organized a thematic meeting, Wednesday, January 13 on "What agriculture to feed the world? A contribution of international expertise IAASTD. More.

 

AGTER continues its documentation work on the phenomenon of mass ownership of land in the world and prepare a working document to assist the positioning of France on this issue under the French Technical Committee on the Land with the Interdepartmental Group on Food Security.

 

New editorial on the Sustainable Earth site of Sergi Escribano (Agronomist, International Consultant, Member of the NGO CERAI). The need of the Sustainable Earth Alliance, a network dedicated to citizenship and the rural world of the twenty-first century. Never in human history had been so much hunger. In 2010, an estimated 1020 million people suffer from hunger, which means one in six, and 16.67% of the world population. Unfortunately, it is proved that this trend should increase in the short term, both in number of persons in proportion to the total population. Read the editorial.

 

• New allies of the Earth Alliance Citizen

 

IPAR - Foresight Initiative for Agricultural and Rural (Senegal)

The IPAR is a space for reflection, dialogue and proposals for agricultural and rural policies and concerted in Senegal in the West Africa. La creation of this organization was prompted by specialists in agricultural and rural that already support farmers' organizations and are interested in creating permanent spaces for reflection and strategic foresight.

 

Association Culturemedia

Culturemedia Association was founded in Paris in 1996 at the initiative of a group of academics, journalists, translators and interpreters Franco-Chinese. It is an association law 1901 to non-profit members, founders or members, are involved in intercultural mediation, the editing, Intervention Conference and translation services.

 

European University of Tirana (Albania)

European University of Tirana was founded by a group of academics, teachers (Albanian and foreign), journalists and managers with experience in public higher education and private sectors. The establishment of this university was committed to meet both market demand than a desire to build a quality model that can provide alternative education and modern compared to traditional models that do not meet market requirements .

 

• Agenda

 

February 1st, 2010: Valencia (Spain): conference on new policies of Food Sovereignty in Ecuador organized by the CERAI, CAFOLIS. More.

 

March 4 and 5, 2010:  Sao Paulo (Brazil), First Forum of the Alliance of Parliamentarians against hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

April 13 and 14, 2010: Seminar "Una citta che mangia" in Rome organized by Risteco Slowfood.

 

May 30 to June 3, 2010: international workshop at Beg Meil (Britain) on sustainable management of coastal areas.

 

June 4, 2010: Meeting Plankton of the World organized with Oceanopolis to create a inernational mobilization on the issue Plankton.

 

July 2010: Ethical Sugar is planning a meeting in Brazil on the retraining of workers in the face of mechanization and the strengthening of family farming. The objective of this meeting should lead to a sectoral agreement among stakeholders: companies, unions and training agencies. It should take place at the Obervatorio Sucroalcooleiro University of Sao Paulo in the city of Ribeirao Preto.

 

September 8-10, 2010: International meeting on family farming: a way to cope with major national and global problems. This meeting will be organized in the framework of the commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of ANEC, Mexico.

 

September 25  to October 02, 2010: in Oloron-Sainte-Marie (Pyrenees-Atlantiques, France): From the Himalayas, the Caucasus, the Andes, the Alps, the Pyrenees, the mountaineers of the world will gather from September 25 to October 2, 2010 in Oloron-Sainte-Marie in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques, at the 3rd World Encounter of Mountain People organized by the World Mountain People Association, WMPA. Learn more.

 

"Alimentons les Regions" (Let's feed the regions) For the right to a healthy and balanced diet for all, for an agro-ecological land policy, for the youth employment. At the initiative of Minga, Nature & Progrès, Frères des Hommes. the call is an extension of the open letter to candidates in May 2009 to the European elections "Alimentons Europe" (Let's feed Europe)... Read more

 

• Bibliography - webography

 

Speech by Jacques Perrin, François Sarano, Jean-Marie Pelt and Pierre Mollo in the show of Denis Cheissoux: CO2 mon amour on France Inter, January 23, 2010. To listen.

 

Second Pierre Mollo intervention in the issue "head square" of January 25, 2010. Go.

 

A series of videos made by CAFOLIS following the visit of the former director of the FPH, Pierre Calame, Ecuador:

At the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar:

Watch: Reinventing Democracy 1 of 3
Watch: Reinventing Democracy 2 of 3
Watch: Reinventing Democracy 3 of 3

At the National Assembly of Ecuador:

New Constitutions: What is a constitution? - Part 1
Pierre Calame at the National Assembly in Ecuador - Part 2
New constitutions, plurinationality 1 of 2
New constitutions, plurinationality 2 of 2

 

Account on the visit of Matthew Calame, director of the FPH Ecuador December 8, 2009. To access.

 

The participation of Michel Merlet in two broadcasts of "The Peoples Place Madeleine Mukamabano" on France Culture on 20 and December 27, 2009. To listen.

 

Project: Development of a record on public services by CAFOLIS containing French texts translated into Spanish that address issues of public services, access, management alternatives, the impact of the economic model and the importance, the implementation and fulfillment of principles in this sector to ensure an efficient and accessible service in a European perspective and also Latin American. The text also contains various legal terms and elements of French and Ecuadorian law to clarify the mode of management of public services.

 

Project: Development of a folder on rural territorial development CAFOLIS whose goal is to provide elements of understanding of concepts, analysis, strategies, challenges and experiences in the countries of Latin America, Africa and Europe. It will address topics such as local development and poverty incidence in these processes, citizen participation, the importance of financial investment in the rural sector and the need for greater public participation in agricultural development and research.

 

Michel Merlet article in the Journal of Property Studies in December 2009. "The phenomena of large-scale ownership of agricultural land in the South and East. Questioning the nature of property rights can help make the difference between investment and predation."

 

The publication of the Bulletin "WADAF Info" number 18 in January 2010.

 

A Social Report on India in the sugar sector, the study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Nanterre La Defense - EHESS, Prof.. Dr. Frederick Landy, the union of India "Sarva Sangh Shramik Trade Union" and the French Institute of Pondicherry (Tamil Nadu). > Learn more.

 

 

Study on impact of pesticides associated with sugarcane. This study was conducted for Ethical Sugar jointly with CIRAD (International Center for Research in Agronomy and Development) Dr François Régis Goebel and the University of Sussex, Dr. Markku Lehtonen. It analyzes several cases of adverse impacts in Nicaragua, Brazil and Fiji on one hand and highlights the "best practices" that companies must follow the other. The study is available (in English) on the website of the NGO.

 

The minutes of a seminar on "social rights and environmental stewardship in the Brazilian sugar sector" (Ethical Sugar) will be published in Brazil in mid - March to be distributed to stakeholders in the sector. A summary is already available in: FR: EN: PT

 

Published in > L'Harmattan of 3 books by Gene Sharp in French (from dictatorship to democracy, anti-coup force without violence). These books were already published in many languages (over 30 for the first), they were not even French. This is now done through the initiative of the School of Peace in Grenoble and the support of the University of Grenoble. preface by Federico Mayor, former Director General of Unesco. These booklets are to promote among people who suffer from serious governance problems. They are available in all bookstores. > More

 

Publication for the second consecutive year in 100 000 copies of a monthly supplement "La Jornada del Campo by ANEC". It is a joint initiative of farmers' organizations and scholars with the newspaper La Jornada managed by Armando Bartra and Editorial Committee.

 

 

Point of view of Albert Lichuan on China and the social organizations against the state. Read the article. Chen Lichuan, journalist, columnist of the journal Transcultural Dialogue (China), Director of the Association Culturemedia (France), director of the Institute for Research and Debate on Governance (IRG-France). Get the file in pdf (en).
You can watch the video on the training of social leaders in China, here.

 

Ongoing: an initial study on indicators of "living wage" in the banana plantations of Latin America with additional support from the Foundation for Human Rights at Work.

 

A future publication of a book on bananas: "The Saga of bananas: Towards sustainable and equitable pathways" in the February editions of ECLM.

 

If you want to participate in the Suatainable Earth site, have a little note to provide, a document pool, a viewpoint to express, send your contribution to Vladimir Ugarte