1. Dutch NGOs criticized by Belgian colleagues for support of misleading label for 'responsible soy'
2. Land grab in Argentina for industrial (GM) soy production
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1. Dutch NGOs criticized by Belgian colleagues for support of misleading label for 'responsible soy'
http://www.toxicsoy.org/toxicsoy/news/Artikelen/2011/2/4_Dutch_NGOs_critisized_by_Belgian_collegues_for_support_of_misleading_label_for_responsible_soy.html
Nine Belgian environmental and North/South organisations have expressed their concern about a 'responsible' label on toxic soy, much of which will be GM. The letter has been sent to their Dutch collegues in Solidaridad, WWF, IUCN, Both Ends, ICCO and SNM. These organisations have backed the RTRS by writing to retailers and asking them to buy 'responsible' soy.
The nine organisations say in their letter:
"In our opinion the RTRS criteria do not offer 'responsible soy'. On the contrary, they legitimise a system of production that is not sustainable: the large scale cultivation of herbicide-resistant crops. This approach is misleading the critical consumer. It delays other necessary approaches like slowing down of intensive animal industry and transition to locally produced animal feed.
"A 'responsible' RTRS label for industrial soy means nothing substantial for humans or environment. It does mislead consumers. It provides greenwash for companies like Monsanto, Cargill and Unilever."
Letter in Dutch: http://www.gifsoja.nl/Gifsoja/nieuws/Artikelen/2011/2/4_Artikel_1.html
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2. New agricultural agreement in Argentina: A land grabber's 'instruction manual'
GRAIN
January 2011
http://www.grain.org/front/
The Government of the Province of Rio Negro, Argentina and one of China's largest agribusiness companies are moving forward on an agreement that hands over thousands of hectares of land in Argentina for the production of soybean and cereal crops for export. Under the agreement, Beidahuang, a Chinese state-owned corporation, will make an initial investment of $20 million to irrigate and grow crops on 3000 ha, with the intention of proceeding to a total investment of $1.45 billion over twenty years that will cover 320,000 ha. Beidahuang is essentially trying to secure a twenty-year supply of food for export to China.
The Rio Negro provincial government has touted this project as a "food production agreement" and as an investment in irrigation for the province's lower valley. It says this is a necessity given the national government's refusal to fund irrigation infrastructure. But local communities and people across Argentina are voicing their opposition, denouncing it as purely a land giveaway for industrial soy production.