No Picture
Recent updates

Stop Landgrabbing in Romania – 17.01.2013

Romanians confront land grab ‘scout’ 17th January 2013, Markthalle Neun, Berlin  As much as 10% of Romanian farmland could be in the hands of multinational businesses, but there are no official statistics to establish the full extent of the corporate takeover. Speaking at a Green Day event in Berlin, organised by ARC2020 just a couple of days before the January 19 demonstration, Romanian peasant leader Willy Schuster and ARC2020 correspondent for Romania Attila Szocs demolished the corporate platitudes of Germanagrar co-founder Simon Wolk, who suggested that two hectares was not a big enough holding to be profitable. “What we have is worth more than just money,” Schuster snapped at Wolk, who made heavy weather of a heated round table discussion. During the debate, he admitted that Germanagrar had this year paid contracting peasants just EUR 140/hectare or 600kg of wheat per hectare for the use of their land under the terms of poorly-explained and often murky contracts covering ten years or more. “They are strangling us” Schuster added. Since Romanian law forbids foreign nationals to buy […]

No Picture
Recent updates

–Demonstration in Berlin 19.01.2013

25,000 demonstrate in Berlin for a better agricultural policy! On Saturday 19th January, 25,000 people demonstrated in Germany’s capital to demand an end to industrial agriculture and a European agricultural policy that supports small farmers and environmental farming practices. With the slogan “We are fed up! Good food, good farming now!” this is the third year that the demonstration has taken place. Starting at the main station, the demonstration then headed off down Berlin’s main shopping street on the way to the Government quarter, bringing the centre of the city to a standstill! Consumers and activists in colourful constumes were joined by farmers and beekeepers, and occassionally, just occasionally…the sun. 70 tractors from all over Germany added substantial noise and action to the protest. This year also saw a significant international presence, many of them being invited onto the stage in front of Merkel’s office. After the demonstration, the protestors headed to the Heinrich Böll Foundation for some warm soup (prepared at the action against food waste the night before – the famous Schnippeldisko!) and a […]

No Picture
Recent updates

–Strasbourg Action 12.03.2013

Civil society (and animals) gather in Strasbourg ahead of EU Parliament’s final CAP vote Calling for a greener and fairer CAP, several hundred farmers and consumers in colourful costumes from 12 countries came together in Strasbourg today for a series of actions outside the European Parliament as MEPs held their final debate on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) before the plenary vote on March 13th. Strasbourg 12.03.2013 –  ‘Farms instead of Factories’ kicked off with an open-air cooking event and a live DJ, and ended with a human chain in front of the Parliament. Leaders from the European movements for the environment, good food and good farming gave speeches. Many MEPs came to meet those outside and share a bowl of soup. The event was coordinated by ARC2020 as part of their Good Food Good Farming campaign, and supported by 27 additional organisations. Among their key concerns were the suggestions of the European Parliament’s Agricultural Committee to water down the EU Commission reform proposals of improving all farmers’ environmental performance through mandatory greening measures; the impact […]