If you are in the city, what do you see... pavement? concrete? tarmac? But what if you were standing in a field of grass, a warm wind blowing and a blue sky above, a place where no pesticides or fertilizers had been sprayed, what would you see if you could travel below the waving green blades into the dark kingdom below? A place of pillars of roots, of thousands of small animals busily working away, burrowing through the soil, eating the decaying matter and turning the soil into good tilth. A place so populous that "Each shovel of soil holds more living things than all the human beings ever born."
There would be tiny protozoa, nematodes, mites, and maybe you would see the occasional glimmer of light where an earthworm had pulled a leaf down from the surface and left a vertical tunnel. These tunnels let rainwater reach lower layers of soil and help to prevent water runoff and flooding.
Watch out for the long lengths of tubes connecting different plants and species which seem to come from the roots. What are they and why are they there?
These are some of the mycorrhizae that live alongside and partially inside the roots. It's quite a word, but just comes from the Greek, myco meaning fungus and rrhiza, meaning roots.
Have a look at the roots. Maybe you're wondering why they seem so much larger than you expected and are so ornately decorated. All the mycorrhizae wrapped around them increase the surface area of the roots and this means that the plant can absorb more nutrients. There will probably be some mycorrhizae and bacteria round the roots which protect them from disease and other threats.
How long has this been going on? Fossil evidence shows us that they were associated with the first land plants over 400 million years ago.
What are they doing there? Around 80% of plants use the incredible network of mycorrhizae and their multiple fine branches, or hyphae, to get food, especially minerals. The roots of the plants even have their own "go between" bacteria to introduce a new mycorrhiza to make sure that it's a good idea to let their defences down!
What do they get out of it? In sunlight, plants photosynthesize water and carbon dioxide to release oxygen and make carbohydrates. They use some of the carbon for energy, some to grow and they share some with the mycorrhizae. They also leak some sugar to attract microbes.
Mycorrhizae don't produce carbon; sunlight doesn't happen much underground and anyway they really don't like being in the sun. They rely on the plant for their carbon shots.
What else do these mini-fungi do? As well as feeding the plants the kind of smoothie ionic food they like, they can link up different species, like birch and larch for example, sharing carbon between them. They are also an information network!
But that's not all.
As the plant grows, the roots push out further... around you the earth is moving... and new hyphae are growing too. The mycorrhizae grow out around the new root tips. Their hyphae are probably waterproofed by those sticky globules that look like chewing gum on their surface and as the plant grows, the old hyphae slough off leaving "chewing gum string bags" littered around. Into these bags fall particles of soil, minerals and other debris. These are probably the most important sticky old bags in the world.
Why? The bags are made of glomalin, the chewing gum stuff, as well as strands of old root and hyphae. Depending on the composition of the soil they stick to, they can store carbon for up to a hundred years. In fact, deep down in the soil they can probably store it for thousands of years.
How much can they store? The Rodale Institute says:
“Simply put, we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions with a switch to widely available and inexpensive organic management practices, which we term "regenerative organic agriculture."
Experiments have
shown that the more carbon dioxide is in the air, the longer the hyphae
grow and the more glomalin is created. This means that more carbon is
stored. However, you don't just need increased CO2, for this. If the
soil is properly looked after, it will store more and more carbon.
If these mycorrhiza are so important, maybe it's a good idea to find out what makes them happy. We know some of the things they really don't like: They don't like the light, they don't like being disturbed and they specially don't like being squashed. They can also suffer very badly from pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers.... Let's face it... if the plants get all the phosphorus they need from fast food, why bother sharing their carbon with the mycorrhizae? These hardworking fungi become less numerous and may even be stopped from reproducing.
Another problem is that the plant only gets what's on offer from human beings, whereas the mycorrhizae can give them lots of different minerals that are in the soil and they have a quick response system to deal with pests and diseases. They also don't cause nitrogen to be leached out into the soil or to increase air pollution.
Does this matter? Yes. This rich kingdom which sustains us is mostly only about two to eight inches deep. It's fragile. Plato wrote that the fall of Greece was because the once fertile soil had become degraded. He didn't know why. Ancient kingdoms whose prosperity was on based on rich soil also fell because they didn't care for the soil; maybe they overworked or over irrigated land to produce more and more food and it became degraded. They probably didn't know why. We probably do.
Long term research has shown that with organic farming, where a plentiful supply of compost is given to the earth for the hard working population of microbes and small creatures, land flourishes and is more productive. It is also better protected against floods and drought, especially where diverse species are encouraged to grow. Furthermore, there is good evidence that growing food organically can feed the world.....the whole world.
So there we have it, regenerative organic agriculture can sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions and feed the world.
Yes it can, but there are a few snags to deal with...mostly of human origin.
Ancient kingdoms fell because of soil degradation, but we have the capacity to mess up monumentally on a global scale and there's no stopping some people...or is there?
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Defend_Ethiopian_peasants/?pv=105
Save Nallamala from Uranium Mining
https://ecoterra.info/index.php/en/1043-save-nallamala-from-uranium-mining
Sources and Resources
Titles: Helpful organisations. The case for organic farming. History. Sources of material in order.
Reference below:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00174
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5490-tanzania-fighting-for-seeds-and-soil Video: Please watch if you can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWKfg0d63SA Video: Please watch if you can.
http://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-special-rapporteur-right-food-ahrc3448
http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/scientists-discover-another-cause-bee-deaths-and-its-really-bad-news.html
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/monsantos-sealed-documents-reveal-truth-behind-roundups-toxicological-dangers
History:
http://scienceheathen.com/2015/01/05/desertification-effects-causes-examples-top-10-list/ http://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Soil-Life-and-Carbon-PDF.pdf
Some sources of material in approximate order:
http://saveourwoods.co.uk/articles/expert-articles/soils-biodiversity-by-dr-james-merryweather/
http://mycorrhizas.info/vam.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/sustainable-farming/benefits-of-earthworms-zm0z16amzbre
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/fossilised-remains-of-oldest-form-of-land-dwelling-life-ever-discovered-found-on-remote-scottish-a6908756.html
http://www.nofamass.org/sites/default/files/2015_White_Paper_web.pdf
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mycorrhizae_and_plant_communication.php
http://www.carbon-negative.us/docs/Glomalin-HiddenSoilCarbon.pdf
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/SAG-10
http://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/
http://www.sicirec.org/definitions/carbon-capture
http://rodaleinstitute.org/regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-climate-change/
http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A2835533
http://plato.acadiau.ca/isme/Symposium25/xavier.PDF
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259221729_The_impact_of_pesticide_on_arbuscular_mycorrhizal_and_nitrogen_fixing_symbioses_in_legumes
https://www.soilassociation.org/media/7202/glyphosate-and-soil-health-full-report.pdf
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/glyphosatePoisonsCrops.php
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272828938_Arbuscular_Mycorrhizae_and_Grassland_Ecosystems
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0027381
http://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Soil-Life-and-Carbon-PDF.pdf
http://scienceheathen.com/2015/01/05/desertification-effects-causes-examples-top-10-list/ https://www.grain.org/article/entries/735-earth-matters-tackling-the-climate-crisis-from-the-ground-up 2009 GRAIN.org article
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/organic-and-sustainable-farmers-can-feed-world
http://www.panna.org/food-democracy/feeding-world
http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/agroecology-report-from-the-roots-up-web-version.pdf
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21306&LangID=E
http://saveoursoils.com/soilution/the-issue.html
https://www.soilassociation.org/our-campaigns/save-our-soils/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/synthetic-nitrogen-fertilizer-zmgz16fmzkin?pageid=1#PageContent1/
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00174
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237993599_Nitrous_Oxide_Emission_from_Crop_Fields_and_Its_Role_in_Atmospheric_Radiative_Forcing
http://grist.org/article/2009-11-11-the-dark-side-of-nitrogen/
https://hubpages.com/politics/Artificial-Nitrogen-Dangers-Of-Mankind-Playing-God
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/nitratenitrite2ndadd.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7489769
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638204/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226489981_The_Blue_Baby_Syndrome
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5270-the-exxons-of-agriculture 2015 GRAIN Fertiliser report.
http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/return-to-the-radiation-zone-fukushima-clean-up-operation-mired-in-fear-and-misinformation-8810158.html
https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/02/22/fukushima-deep-trouble/
http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20151210/p2a/00m/0na/020000chttp://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20151210/p2a/00m/0na/020000c
(Eco-farming can double food production in 10 years.)
http://www.srtoxics.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Pesticides-and-right-to-food.pdf
If these mycorrhiza are so important, maybe it's a good idea to find out what makes them happy. We know some of the things they really don't like: They don't like the light, they don't like being disturbed and they specially don't like being squashed. They can also suffer very badly from pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers.... Let's face it... if the plants get all the phosphorus they need from fast food, why bother sharing their carbon with the mycorrhizae? These hardworking fungi become less numerous and may even be stopped from reproducing.
Another problem is that the plant only gets what's on offer from human beings, whereas the mycorrhizae can give them lots of different minerals that are in the soil and they have a quick response system to deal with pests and diseases. They also don't cause nitrogen to be leached out into the soil or to increase air pollution.
Does this matter? Yes. This rich kingdom which sustains us is mostly only about two to eight inches deep. It's fragile. Plato wrote that the fall of Greece was because the once fertile soil had become degraded. He didn't know why. Ancient kingdoms whose prosperity was on based on rich soil also fell because they didn't care for the soil; maybe they overworked or over irrigated land to produce more and more food and it became degraded. They probably didn't know why. We probably do.
Long term research has shown that with organic farming, where a plentiful supply of compost is given to the earth for the hard working population of microbes and small creatures, land flourishes and is more productive. It is also better protected against floods and drought, especially where diverse species are encouraged to grow. Furthermore, there is good evidence that growing food organically can feed the world.....the whole world.
So there we have it, regenerative organic agriculture can sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions and feed the world.
Yes it can, but there are a few snags to deal with...mostly of human origin.
Ancient kingdoms fell because of soil degradation, but we have the capacity to mess up monumentally on a global scale and there's no stopping some people...or is there?
Petitions.
For Ethiopia: Defend the oppressed people in Ethiopiahttps://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Defend_Ethiopian_peasants/?pv=105
Save Nallamala from Uranium Mining
https://ecoterra.info/index.php/en/1043-save-nallamala-from-uranium-mining
Sources and Resources
Titles: Helpful organisations. The case for organic farming. History. Sources of material in order.
Helpful organisations:
Grain.org https://www.grain.org/
HIVOS https://www.hivos.org/focal-area/open-source-seed-systems
IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.) http://www.ifoam.bio/en
IFOAM EU http://www.ifoam-eu.org/
Navdanya (Indian based movement) http://www.navdanya.org/home
OCA,The Organic Consumers Association (USA but international reach). https://www.organicconsumers.org/
Open Source Seed Initiative OSSI (USA but international reach) http://osseeds.org/
Open Source Seeds (Germany based) http://www.opensourceseeds.org/en
Regeneration International http://regenerationinternational.org/
Save Our Soils www.saveoursoils.com
Seed matters (USA) http://seedmatters.org/
Seed savers exchange http://www.seedsavers.org/
Soil Association (UK) https://www.soilassociation.org/
SAT (Tanzania) http://kilimo.org/WordPress/
The Carbon Underground https://thecarbonunderground.org/
The Oakland Institute https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/
The Rodale Institute http://rodaleinstitute.org/
The case for organic farming:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-60-years-of-farming-left-if-soil-degradation-continues/
http://rodaleinstitute.org/reversing-climate-change-achievable-by-farming-organically/
http://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/
http://e360.yale.edu/features/soil_as_carbon_storehouse_new_weapon_in_climate_fight
http://saveoursoils.com/en/soilution/the-issue.html
http://rodaleinstitute.org/regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-climate-change/
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/organic-and-sustainable-farmers-can-feed-world
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/6-reasons-organics-can-fe_b_1399380.html https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/organic-can-feed-the-world/249348/
http://www.panna.org/food-democracy/feeding-world
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/735-earth-matters-tackling-the-climate-crisis-from-the-ground-up
Three UN items below:
http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/press_releases/20110308_agroecology-report-pr_en.pdf
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56311#.WW0hD7pFwcT
http://www.uspirg.org/news/usp/new-un-report-we-can-feed-world-without-using-pesticides
https://www.soilassociation.org/our-campaigns/save-our-soils/
https://www.soilassociation.org/media/4672/7-ways-to-save-our-soils-2016.pdf
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4929-hungry-for-land-small-farmers-feed-the-world-with-less-than-a-quarter-of-all-farmland
http://12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2014/solutions/organic-industrial-agriculture
http://ecofarmingdaily.com/organic-agriculture-can-feed-world/
http://www.panna.org/food-democracy/feeding-world
http://www.soilsforlife.org.au/index.html (Australia)
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/04/13/food-farming-and-climate-change-its-bigger-everything-else
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/679-saying-no-to-chemical-farming-in-india
http://www.navdanya.org/site/2017-03-29-08-02-10/industrial-vs-living-agriculture
http://www.theecologist.org/Interviews/2985620/agroecology_leading_the_fight_against_indias_green_revolution.html
https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-its-time-to-stop-punishing-our-soils-with-fertilizers-and-chemicals
http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/synthetic-nitrogen-fertilizer-zmgz16fmzkin?pageid=1#PageContent1
Grain.org https://www.grain.org/
HIVOS https://www.hivos.org/focal-area/open-source-seed-systems
IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.) http://www.ifoam.bio/en
IFOAM EU http://www.ifoam-eu.org/
Navdanya (Indian based movement) http://www.navdanya.org/home
OCA,The Organic Consumers Association (USA but international reach). https://www.organicconsumers.org/
Open Source Seed Initiative OSSI (USA but international reach) http://osseeds.org/
Open Source Seeds (Germany based) http://www.opensourceseeds.org/en
Regeneration International http://regenerationinternational.org/
Save Our Soils www.saveoursoils.com
Seed matters (USA) http://seedmatters.org/
Seed savers exchange http://www.seedsavers.org/
Soil Association (UK) https://www.soilassociation.org/
SAT (Tanzania) http://kilimo.org/WordPress/
The Carbon Underground https://thecarbonunderground.org/
The Oakland Institute https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/
The Rodale Institute http://rodaleinstitute.org/
The case for organic farming:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-60-years-of-farming-left-if-soil-degradation-continues/
http://rodaleinstitute.org/reversing-climate-change-achievable-by-farming-organically/
http://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/
http://e360.yale.edu/features/soil_as_carbon_storehouse_new_weapon_in_climate_fight
http://saveoursoils.com/en/soilution/the-issue.html
http://rodaleinstitute.org/regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-climate-change/
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/organic-and-sustainable-farmers-can-feed-world
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/6-reasons-organics-can-fe_b_1399380.html https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/organic-can-feed-the-world/249348/
http://www.panna.org/food-democracy/feeding-world
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/735-earth-matters-tackling-the-climate-crisis-from-the-ground-up
Three UN items below:
http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/press_releases/20110308_agroecology-report-pr_en.pdf
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56311#.WW0hD7pFwcT
http://www.uspirg.org/news/usp/new-un-report-we-can-feed-world-without-using-pesticides
https://www.soilassociation.org/our-campaigns/save-our-soils/
https://www.soilassociation.org/media/4672/7-ways-to-save-our-soils-2016.pdf
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4929-hungry-for-land-small-farmers-feed-the-world-with-less-than-a-quarter-of-all-farmland
http://12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2014/solutions/organic-industrial-agriculture
http://ecofarmingdaily.com/organic-agriculture-can-feed-world/
http://www.panna.org/food-democracy/feeding-world
http://www.soilsforlife.org.au/index.html (Australia)
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/04/13/food-farming-and-climate-change-its-bigger-everything-else
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/679-saying-no-to-chemical-farming-in-india
http://www.navdanya.org/site/2017-03-29-08-02-10/industrial-vs-living-agriculture
http://www.theecologist.org/Interviews/2985620/agroecology_leading_the_fight_against_indias_green_revolution.html
https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-its-time-to-stop-punishing-our-soils-with-fertilizers-and-chemicals
http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/synthetic-nitrogen-fertilizer-zmgz16fmzkin?pageid=1#PageContent1
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00174
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5490-tanzania-fighting-for-seeds-and-soil Video: Please watch if you can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWKfg0d63SA Video: Please watch if you can.
http://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-special-rapporteur-right-food-ahrc3448
http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/scientists-discover-another-cause-bee-deaths-and-its-really-bad-news.html
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/monsantos-sealed-documents-reveal-truth-behind-roundups-toxicological-dangers
History:
http://scienceheathen.com/2015/01/05/desertification-effects-causes-examples-top-10-list/ http://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Soil-Life-and-Carbon-PDF.pdf
Some sources of material in approximate order:
http://saveourwoods.co.uk/articles/expert-articles/soils-biodiversity-by-dr-james-merryweather/
http://mycorrhizas.info/vam.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/sustainable-farming/benefits-of-earthworms-zm0z16amzbre
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/fossilised-remains-of-oldest-form-of-land-dwelling-life-ever-discovered-found-on-remote-scottish-a6908756.html
http://www.nofamass.org/sites/default/files/2015_White_Paper_web.pdf
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mycorrhizae_and_plant_communication.php
http://www.carbon-negative.us/docs/Glomalin-HiddenSoilCarbon.pdf
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/SAG-10
http://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/
http://www.sicirec.org/definitions/carbon-capture
http://rodaleinstitute.org/regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-climate-change/
http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A2835533
http://plato.acadiau.ca/isme/Symposium25/xavier.PDF
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259221729_The_impact_of_pesticide_on_arbuscular_mycorrhizal_and_nitrogen_fixing_symbioses_in_legumes
https://www.soilassociation.org/media/7202/glyphosate-and-soil-health-full-report.pdf
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/glyphosatePoisonsCrops.php
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272828938_Arbuscular_Mycorrhizae_and_Grassland_Ecosystems
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0027381
http://mycorrhizae.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Soil-Life-and-Carbon-PDF.pdf
http://scienceheathen.com/2015/01/05/desertification-effects-causes-examples-top-10-list/ https://www.grain.org/article/entries/735-earth-matters-tackling-the-climate-crisis-from-the-ground-up 2009 GRAIN.org article
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/organic-and-sustainable-farmers-can-feed-world
http://www.panna.org/food-democracy/feeding-world
http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/agroecology-report-from-the-roots-up-web-version.pdf
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21306&LangID=E
http://saveoursoils.com/soilution/the-issue.html
https://www.soilassociation.org/our-campaigns/save-our-soils/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/synthetic-nitrogen-fertilizer-zmgz16fmzkin?pageid=1#PageContent1/
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.5b00174
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237993599_Nitrous_Oxide_Emission_from_Crop_Fields_and_Its_Role_in_Atmospheric_Radiative_Forcing
http://grist.org/article/2009-11-11-the-dark-side-of-nitrogen/
https://hubpages.com/politics/Artificial-Nitrogen-Dangers-Of-Mankind-Playing-God
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/nitratenitrite2ndadd.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7489769
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1638204/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226489981_The_Blue_Baby_Syndrome
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5270-the-exxons-of-agriculture 2015 GRAIN Fertiliser report.
http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/return-to-the-radiation-zone-fukushima-clean-up-operation-mired-in-fear-and-misinformation-8810158.html
https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/02/22/fukushima-deep-trouble/
http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20151210/p2a/00m/0na/020000chttp://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20151210/p2a/00m/0na/020000c
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/11/world/asia/struggling-with-japans-nuclear-waste-six-years-after-disaster.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/news/blog/is-chinas-new-plan-to-tackle-soil-pollution-t/blog/56643/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/22/black-smelly-citizens-clean-chinas-polluted-rivers
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/news/blog/why-were-mapping-chinas-hazardous-chemicals-f/blog/57555/
https://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/almost-28-000-rivers-disappear-in-china-8009
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/chinas_dirty_pollution_secret_the_boom_poisoned_its_soil_and_crops/2782/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/12/world/asia/china-underground-water-pollution.html?_r=0
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/8892-Changzhou-pollution-scandal-highlights-holes-in-China-s-environmental-enforcement
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/the_warriors_of_qiugang_a_chinese_village_fights_back/2358/
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1R70M9vbPN104K-YqFlUnK1xUDoY&hl=en_US&ll=30.187076758346265%2C112.28646500000013&z=4
http://www.environmentmagazine.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/March-April%202010/made-in-china-full.html
http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/the-environmental-problem-china-can-no-longer-overlook/
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5736-cambodia-communities-in-protracted-struggle-against-chinese-sugar-companies-land-grab
https://www.channel4.com/news/china-ukraine-farmland-food-security-investment-overseas
https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/china-buys-up-agricultural-land-in-central-france/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/21/rich-countries-are-buying-up-farmland-from-poorer-ones-around-the-world/?utm_term=.e050e54daa7c
https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/dangerous-ground/
http://www.lifegate.com/people/news/land-grabbing-cambodia-richard-rodgers
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5622-grow-ing-disaster-the-fortune-500-goes-farming
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5570-a-high-price-mounting-debt-means-tragedy-for-tens-of-thousands-of-farmers-in-vietnam
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4575-land-grabbing-and-food-sovereignty-in-west-and-central-africa
https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/kathambi-kinoti/land-grabs-threat-to-african-women’s-livelihoods
https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/mariama-tarawallie/women-in-sierra-leone-resisting-dispossession
http://www.zukunftsstiftung-entwicklung.de/media/Bilder_ZSE/UEber_Uns_Dateien/Grundlagentexte/Land_grab_article.pdf (in English)
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/landRush.php
https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/view/27121-brazil-home-of-amazon-rolls-back-environmental-protection
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5760-canadian-pension-funds-grab-farmland-in-brazil
https://www.tni.org/en/publication/the-global-land-grab#whatisnew
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/land-grabbing-and-forced-evictions-by-koh-kongs-sugar-industry-cambodia
http://licadhocanada.com/about-cambodia/land-evictions-in-cambodia/
https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/world-bank-sides-agribusinesses-against-farmers-indigenous-communities
http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-the-millionaires-and-billionaires-buying-land-in-africa-2011-6?op=1&IR=T/#uce-rastetter-and-his-various-companies-are-accused-of-breaking-promises-to-hire-locals-1
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5714-green-oil-palm-plantations-are-a-scam-the-case-of-olam
https://www.globalpolicy.org/world-hunger/land-ownership-and-hunger.html
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4576-slideshow-who-s-behind-the-land-grabs
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5575-pension-funds-fuel-land-grabs-in-brazil
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5760-canadian-pension-funds-grab-farmland-in-brazil
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5493-land-grabs-expand-the-frontier-of-industrial-agriculture-says-grain
https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/land-rights-issue
https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/view/27089-world-bank-fuels-land-grabs-in-africa-through-shadowy-financial-sector-investments
http://www.survivalinternational.org/about/swidden
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5693-large-scale-investments-and-climate-conservation-initiatives-destroy-forests-and-people-s-territories
http://www.developmentperspectives.ie/virtual-water-how-much-do-you-use/
https://qz.com/275489/in-ethiopia-foreign-investment-is-a-fancy-word-for-stealing-land/
https://www.gfbv.de/en/information/campaigns/flowers-of-love-flowers-of-sorrow/
http://www.inclusivedevelopment.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Outsourcing-Developmnet-Introduction.pdf
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4516-squeezing-africa-dry-behind-every-land-grab-is-a-water-grab
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5633-tanzanian-farmers-are-facing-heavy-prison-sentences-if-they-continue-their-traditional-seed-exchange
http://www.navdanya.org/campaigns/584-bija-swaraj-is-our-birthright (seed sovereignty)
http://www.navdanya.org/site/living-seed/seed-freedom
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5748-a-grain-of-truth-rcep-and-the-corporate-hijack-of-indian-agriculture
http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/new-alliance-food-security-and-nutrition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWKfg0d63SA From Ghana: Whoever controls seeds controls the food system. Video: Please watch if you can.
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5490-tanzania-fighting-for-seeds-and-soil Video: Please watch if you can.
http://wrm.org.uy/articles-from-the-wrm-bulletin/section1/trade-deals-threaten-peasant-farmers-stewardship-of-seed-biodiversity/
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5722-20-years-of-gm-soy-in-the-southern-cone-of-latin-america-20-reasons-for-a-definitive-ban
http://www.theecologist.org/magazine/features/2988317/farming_with_the_grain_john_letts_and_his_evolutionary_made_for_organic_heritage_seeds.html
http://www.theecologist.org/magazine/features/2988317
http://www.theecologist.org/Interviews/2985620/agroecology_leading_the_fight_against_indias_green_revolution.html
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4929-hungry-for-land-small-farmers-feed-the-world-with-less-than-a-quarter-of-all-farmland
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5633-tanzanian-farmers-are-facing-heavy-prison-sentences-if-they-continue-their-traditional-seed-exchange Also about the work of SAT
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5333-we-are-the-solution-african-women-organise-for-land-and-seed-sovereignty
http://moofafrica.com/about/
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/farmers-are-saving-bangladesh-s-endangered-soil/
http://www.globalagriculture.org/report-topics/agroecology.html
http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/press_releases/20110308_agroecology-report-pr_en.pdfhttp://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/news/blog/is-chinas-new-plan-to-tackle-soil-pollution-t/blog/56643/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/22/black-smelly-citizens-clean-chinas-polluted-rivers
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/news/blog/why-were-mapping-chinas-hazardous-chemicals-f/blog/57555/
https://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/almost-28-000-rivers-disappear-in-china-8009
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/chinas_dirty_pollution_secret_the_boom_poisoned_its_soil_and_crops/2782/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/12/world/asia/china-underground-water-pollution.html?_r=0
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/8892-Changzhou-pollution-scandal-highlights-holes-in-China-s-environmental-enforcement
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/the_warriors_of_qiugang_a_chinese_village_fights_back/2358/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeYGHpyJKK4 (Video Warrors of Qiugang)
https://www.marketplace.org/2016/05/03/world/life-and-death-inside-chinese-cancer-village (Village of Liuchong) https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1R70M9vbPN104K-YqFlUnK1xUDoY&hl=en_US&ll=30.187076758346265%2C112.28646500000013&z=4
http://www.environmentmagazine.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/March-April%202010/made-in-china-full.html
http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/the-environmental-problem-china-can-no-longer-overlook/
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5736-cambodia-communities-in-protracted-struggle-against-chinese-sugar-companies-land-grab
https://www.channel4.com/news/china-ukraine-farmland-food-security-investment-overseas
https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/china-buys-up-agricultural-land-in-central-france/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/21/rich-countries-are-buying-up-farmland-from-poorer-ones-around-the-world/?utm_term=.e050e54daa7c
https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/dangerous-ground/
http://www.lifegate.com/people/news/land-grabbing-cambodia-richard-rodgers
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5622-grow-ing-disaster-the-fortune-500-goes-farming
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5570-a-high-price-mounting-debt-means-tragedy-for-tens-of-thousands-of-farmers-in-vietnam
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4575-land-grabbing-and-food-sovereignty-in-west-and-central-africa
https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/kathambi-kinoti/land-grabs-threat-to-african-women’s-livelihoods
https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/mariama-tarawallie/women-in-sierra-leone-resisting-dispossession
http://www.zukunftsstiftung-entwicklung.de/media/Bilder_ZSE/UEber_Uns_Dateien/Grundlagentexte/Land_grab_article.pdf (in English)
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/landRush.php
https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/view/27121-brazil-home-of-amazon-rolls-back-environmental-protection
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5760-canadian-pension-funds-grab-farmland-in-brazil
https://www.tni.org/en/publication/the-global-land-grab#whatisnew
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/land-grabbing-and-forced-evictions-by-koh-kongs-sugar-industry-cambodia
http://licadhocanada.com/about-cambodia/land-evictions-in-cambodia/
https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/world-bank-sides-agribusinesses-against-farmers-indigenous-communities
http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-the-millionaires-and-billionaires-buying-land-in-africa-2011-6?op=1&IR=T/#uce-rastetter-and-his-various-companies-are-accused-of-breaking-promises-to-hire-locals-1
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5714-green-oil-palm-plantations-are-a-scam-the-case-of-olam
https://www.globalpolicy.org/world-hunger/land-ownership-and-hunger.html
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4576-slideshow-who-s-behind-the-land-grabs
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5575-pension-funds-fuel-land-grabs-in-brazil
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5760-canadian-pension-funds-grab-farmland-in-brazil
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5493-land-grabs-expand-the-frontier-of-industrial-agriculture-says-grain
https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/land-rights-issue
https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/view/27089-world-bank-fuels-land-grabs-in-africa-through-shadowy-financial-sector-investments
http://www.survivalinternational.org/about/swidden
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5693-large-scale-investments-and-climate-conservation-initiatives-destroy-forests-and-people-s-territories
http://www.developmentperspectives.ie/virtual-water-how-much-do-you-use/
https://qz.com/275489/in-ethiopia-foreign-investment-is-a-fancy-word-for-stealing-land/
https://www.gfbv.de/en/information/campaigns/flowers-of-love-flowers-of-sorrow/
http://www.inclusivedevelopment.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Outsourcing-Developmnet-Introduction.pdf
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4516-squeezing-africa-dry-behind-every-land-grab-is-a-water-grab
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5633-tanzanian-farmers-are-facing-heavy-prison-sentences-if-they-continue-their-traditional-seed-exchange
http://www.navdanya.org/campaigns/584-bija-swaraj-is-our-birthright (seed sovereignty)
http://www.navdanya.org/site/living-seed/seed-freedom
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5748-a-grain-of-truth-rcep-and-the-corporate-hijack-of-indian-agriculture
http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/new-alliance-food-security-and-nutrition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWKfg0d63SA From Ghana: Whoever controls seeds controls the food system. Video: Please watch if you can.
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5490-tanzania-fighting-for-seeds-and-soil Video: Please watch if you can.
http://wrm.org.uy/articles-from-the-wrm-bulletin/section1/trade-deals-threaten-peasant-farmers-stewardship-of-seed-biodiversity/
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5722-20-years-of-gm-soy-in-the-southern-cone-of-latin-america-20-reasons-for-a-definitive-ban
http://www.theecologist.org/magazine/features/2988317/farming_with_the_grain_john_letts_and_his_evolutionary_made_for_organic_heritage_seeds.html
http://www.theecologist.org/magazine/features/2988317
http://www.theecologist.org/Interviews/2985620/agroecology_leading_the_fight_against_indias_green_revolution.html
https://www.grain.org/article/entries/4929-hungry-for-land-small-farmers-feed-the-world-with-less-than-a-quarter-of-all-farmland
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5633-tanzanian-farmers-are-facing-heavy-prison-sentences-if-they-continue-their-traditional-seed-exchange Also about the work of SAT
https://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/5333-we-are-the-solution-african-women-organise-for-land-and-seed-sovereignty
http://moofafrica.com/about/
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/farmers-are-saving-bangladesh-s-endangered-soil/
http://www.globalagriculture.org/report-topics/agroecology.html
(Eco-farming can double food production in 10 years.)
http://www.srtoxics.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Pesticides-and-right-to-food.pdf
UN special rapporteurs report. Especially see item 90
https://previa.uclm.es/Actividades/repositorio/pdf/doc_3721_4666.pdf
https://previa.uclm.es/Actividades/repositorio/pdf/doc_3721_4666.pdf
