Food’s Failed Estates

For 25 years, ETC (etcetera) have been advocates on global issues such as the conservation of agricultural biodiversity and food security and on the impact of new technologies on the rural poor. ETC (the Rural Advancement Foundation International and then, in 2001, ETC Group) was the first civil society organization (nationally or internationally) to draw attention to the socioeconomic and scientific issues related to the conservation and use of plant genetic resources, intellectual property and biotechnology. ETC Group’s international reputation has been built not merely on its effective research, but also on its unique ability to transform research into public policy and institutional change. Their latest communique is on Food’s Failed Estates.

Because governments have failed to govern, the leading multilateral institutions involved in food and agriculture are in deep trouble. Unless governments and international secretariats cooperate, these institutions will be irreparably damaged and the power vacuum OECD states have created over recent decades will continue to be filled by multinational agribusiness and the new philanthro-capitalists. Read More