Investment in Monocultures violates Human Rights and aggravates Climate Change
Heidelberg, 09.12.2009 - On December 10, the report "Red Sugar, Green Deserts. Latin American report on monocultures and violations of the Human Rights to adequate food and housing, to water, to land and to territory" is launched in Copenhagen by the organizations FIAN (FoodFirst Information & Action Network), HIC-AL (Habitat International Coalition Latin America Regional Office) and Solidarity Sweden-Latin America (Latinamerikagrupperna). The report, consisting of articles from 26 different writers and cases from 10 Latin American countries, shows that the agroindustrial model based on monocultures has grave impacts on the human rights. Monocultures also cause destruction of biodiversity and the ecosystem, deforestration and increased greenhouse gases, aggravating climate change.
The report includes numerous testimonies of these violations and complex of problems, as well as offers an in-depth analysis of the topic. It consists of the contributions from a range of social movements, nongovernmental organisations, academics, and journalists, each of whom, from his or her own perspective, experience, area of expertise, and capacity, offer their reflections, many of them published here for the first time. Among the writers can be mentioned the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Ms. Raquel Rolnik; Inge Armbrecht, who participated in the process of International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD); Miguel Altieri, University of California at Berkely and Cristian Courtis, Expert on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
“Numerous publications and studies have been made in recent years on monocultures, agrofuels, and the problems and conflicts associated with them, but little has been written about monocultures from the perspective of human rights, which is why we found this report necessary,” says Maria Silvia Emanueli, HIC-AL.
The industrial agricultural model gained force in particular since the 1950s thanks to considerable State support, and currently enjoys massive backing from private investors. In recent decades, however, criticism of this agricultural system has increased as the negative effects have become evident.
“In the context of the food, energy, and climate change crises, it is increasingly urgent to call attention to the grave problems caused by the current development model, especially reflected in agriculture,” says Sofia Monsalve, FIAN International.
Current global agricultural and trade policy, which promotes monoculture-based agriculture, has been designed essentially by the governments of the United States and the European Union. The corporate interests of these countries are strongly reflected in these policies, with devastating impacts in the global South.
“It is our hope that this Report may serve as an important tool for the dissemination of information and shaping of policy in Europe,” says Fransicso Contreras, Solidarity Sweden-Latin America.