Agribusiness deprives the poor of their livelihood and a vital food product

A new report from the organisation GRAIN highlights the importance of milk for the subsistence and health of poor people in many countries in the Southern hemisphere. Most milk markets are run by local vendors who collect the raw milk from small farmers and pastoralists. They are now threatened by large dairy corporations like Nestlé and others, such as PepsiCo and Cargill, which are attempting to take control over the milk trade in these countries, from the farm to the market.

Open letter to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Crafts

«Mr Minister, I do not understand you »

Mr Minister

Some time ago, in October last year, I had the pleasure of hearing you say publicly, at the first edition of the « Koudou du Faso » ( Golden Ladle of Faso, a presentation of local cuisine) that the promotion of this country’s own products was to be a strong key note in the Government’s policy.

However, a few days ago I read in the daily paper SIDWAYA , that you have set the consumer price for rice produced in Burkina at 300 CFA francs/kg or 7500 francs /25 kg bag in all the larger cities, without any further details - at the risk of undercutting national production and all the efforts undertaken for the advancement of rice made in Burkina. I no longer understand you.

Let me explain:

Some good news for a happy end to 2011 and a good start of 2012.

In my mail this morning I had a message from a friend telling me “We also have some good news”. A good headline for a Christmas message I found. So much more as I do indeed have some good news to convey (although one swallow does not make a summer).