Who Owns the World's Land?

Here's another great example of the amazing events Action Corps teams across the country put together in honor of World Food Day - this time, from Oxfam Action Corps Boston!

Originally posted at http://bostonoxfamactioncorps.blogspot.com

In honor of this year's World Food Day, the Action Corps in Boston hosted a film screening of Land Rush.  Land Rush was one of eight films in the Why Poverty?documentary series, which won a Peabody Award this year for Excellence in Journalism. Over 50 attendees gathered to learn more about global land grabs and their connection to sugar production. You might think hunger is about too many people and too little food, but this isn’t the case. Hunger is about power. Its roots lie in inequalities in access to resources, like fertile land and water. The power to control these resources doesn't sit with the billion-plus farmers who produce food.  Instead, companies and governments control the global food system—and they often determine who eats and who doesn’t.


Worldwide demand for sugar is set to rise by 25 percent by 2020. This growing demand for sugar will propel even greater competition for land. Three companies in particular—Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Associated British Foods (ABF)—buy and produce huge amounts of sugar around the world and hold significant influence over the industry. Right now, though, they are not doing enough to ensure that their suppliers and operations respect land rights.

At this event, the Action Corps was also honored to host the Land Rush's Producer, Eli Cane. Eli Cane is the Creative Director of Normal Life Pictures, a New York and London-based production company. 

Joining Eli was Irit Tamir, the Senior Advisor of Policy and Campaigns of Oxfam America's Private Sector Department.  Speaking about Oxfam's Behind the Brands Initiative and it's new direction, Irit explained the plan to hold corporations accountable for stopping land grabs. Take action now, sign the petition, and make your consumer voice heard! No company is too big to listen to it's buyers, not we all act as one.

Irit Tamir speaks to the audience regarding Oxfam's stance on small farmers rights

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Sign the petition HERE today, and share on your social media: 

On Twitter: Tell @CocaColaCo and @PepsiCo to take action against land grabs! Sign the petition at behindthebrands.org #BehindTheBrands

On Facebook: Stop land grabs! Tell Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and ABF—some of the biggest buyers of sugar in the world—to make sure their sugar doesn’t lead to land grabs that force poor farmers and their families off their land. #BehindTheBrands









Interested in joining us? Like us on facebook, or email to find out how you can get involved in actions that create real change in global poverty.

**Photography credit: Sapana Thomas