Not-so-golden rice: Agro-imperialism in a time of COVID-19 (Part 1)

Sunday, 16 August 2020 - 11:00am to 11:30am
The picture is a campaign promotional graphic headed with some text saying “Stop Golden Rice! Network; Stop Golden Rice! No to GMOs! Defend Farmers Rights!” There is a logo depicting a single gold rice grain with a label on it saying “Golden Rice”) and a bar code, encircled with a prohibition sign. There are also 2 Indigenous farmers each holding a treshing basket and a clump of freshly harvested rice. One basket has text saying “No to Golden Rice” and the other has text saying “No to GMOs”.

Not-so-golden rice: Agro-imperialism in a time of COVID-19 (Part 1)

The Gates Foundation funded project ‘Golden Rice’ is an unnecessary and unwanted GMO technology driven by big agriculture corporations purely for profit. It endangers agrobiodiversity, self-determination and community health in the global south. Agroecologists & small-medium/peasant farmer networks have been campaigning against the propagation and commercialisation of Golden Rice since the mid-2000s via protest and direct action resistance.

But in the looming COVID-19 recession—as the UN predicts the worst global food crisis in more than 50 years—corporate agri-imperialists are shamelessly taking advantage by amping up Golden Rice hype as a “solution” to the worsening hunger and malnutrition associated with the pandemic.

This is Episode 1 of a three part series featuring concerned activists from the Stop Golden Rice Network speaking at an urgent online forum to commemorate the International Day of Action Against Golden Rice.

Speakers:

Kartini Samon GRAIN (Indonesia) provides overview & background info on the corporate agenda behind the "philanthropic" facade that is the primarily Gates Foundation funded Golden Rice project.

Cris Panerio MASIPAG (Philippines) intros the nitty gritty on the issues with the Golden Rice GMO.


Earth Matters #1257 was produced by Nicky Stott 

LISTEN to Not-so-golden rice Part 2 here

LISTEN to Not-so-golden rice Part 3—Final here

A banner that's painted in the aboriginal flag colours. The banner says Always Was Always Will Be
Sunday 11:00am to 11:30am
Local and global environmental issues from grassroots, activist perspectives with a strong social justice focus. Distributed nationally on the Community Radio Network.

Presenter

Phil Evans, Bec Horridge, Eiddwen Jeffery, Judith Peppard & Jacob Gamble

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