Blog
Friends of the Earth Analysis on the Green New Deal Resolution from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey
There is a lot to celebrate. Friends of the Earth welcomes many new, progressive elements of this proposal. Read More
Amidst “insect apocalypse” Ace Hardware steps up and takes action on bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides
For the first year, all major garden retailers are on record committing to eliminate the use of neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticides on the products and garden plants that they sell. Read More
What the pesticides in our urine tell us about organic food
A study helps answer a question many of us ask when deciding whether to buy organic food: does it really make a difference? Read More
Green New Deal Must Transform Our Food System to Save Our Climate
Our current industrial food system, and the policies that prop it up, are a central part of the climate crisis, and transforming them must be a central part of the Green New Deal solution. Read More
A pesticides wake-up call: New study confirms the need to eat and farm organic
As organic farmers, we care deeply about the food we put in our bodies and how it’s grown. On our small farm in middle Georgia, my husband and I grow U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic food. Read More
Can eating organic lower your exposure to pesticides?
A new study tracks the pesticides and residues in a small cohort of eaters, and found significant reductions when they switched to an all-organic diet. Read More
Arctic Indigenous Voices made a difference on polar shipping in 2018 – and 2019 looks promising too
It’s not every day that elder Alaska Natives are heard and respected by leaders from around the world. Read More
RSPO should suspend membership of groups undermining Guatemala’s anti-impunity commission
Since 2017, Morales has been engaged in a battle against the U.N. commission, which was investigating his alleged violations of campaign finance law as well allegations of corruption by many of his associates, including close family members. The commission has also helped the Guatemalan attorney general bring charges against Guatemalan military leaders for massacres of indigenous peoples, as well as for acts of corruption by Guatemala’s former president, Otto Perez Molina, and several business executives allied with Morales. All told, during its 11 years operating in Guatemala, the U.N. commission filed corruption cases that implicated more than 600 people, including prominent businesspeople and elected officials. In January 2018, the commission’s investigation led to the arrests of three executives of Guatemala’s largest palm oil company, the HAME/Olmeca group, and its subsidiary REPSA. REPSA had earlier received international condemnation for a spill of toxic palm oil effluent that polluted the water and food sources of dozens of indigenous communities. In September 2015, when riots erupted following a court ruling of “ecocide” that ordered REPSA to temporarily suspend operations, Q’eqchi’ Maya leader Rigoberto Lima Choc was shot and killed. An international campaign ensued, which resulted in Cargill and Wilmar International — among the world’s largest palm oil traders — cutting ties to REPSA. Other companies, notably Nestlé, refused to accede to campaign demands, but finally cut ties with REPSA when the corruption scandal broke. Egregious as the case of REPSA was, it is just one of countless cases of violence against land defenders in Guatemala. Last year, 26 human rights defenders were killed in Guatemala, including seven indigenous land rights defenders killed in the month following a speech in which President Morales attacked indigenous organizations. Palm oil is the fastest growing agribusiness industry in Guatemala. Along with mining and hydroelectric projects, it is a major cause of land grabs that displace indigenous communities. Palm oil companies have been heavily involved in Morales’ campaign to stop the U.N. Commission Against Impunity. In an indiscreet interview given by the Guatemalan businessman who lobbied the U.S. Congress against the U.N. commission, it was revealed that NaturAceites, a company that already benefits from RSPO certification, played a key role along with HAME/Olmeca in supporting the effort to oust the U.N. commission. The consideration by the RSPO of increasing its membership in Guatemala comes at a moment when the human rights crisis in the country is becoming increasingly visible internationally, as Guatemalan migrants show up in record numbers at the U.S. southern border — many of them forced out by the expanding palm oil industry. Among the indigenous Guatemalans intercepted at the U.S. border was 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, who died in U.S. Border Patrol custody last December. As a recent Reuters article explains, “Jakelin Caal, who died in U.S. custody after succumbing to a fever, left her village in the municipality of Raxruha with her father because he was struggling to earn enough to support his family as a corn farmer… While her father had not sold his land, others in the family have worked on palm plantations that surround their village.” With an unfolding constitutional crisis adding to Guatemala’s woes and clear indications that the country’s largest palm oil companies are playing a lead role in escalating that crisis, the RSPO has an obligation to send a clear signal showing which side of the crisis it falls on. Just a few months ago, the RSPO approved a revised set of principles for sustainable palm oil production that include the following: • Behave ethically and transparently. Drive ethical business behaviour, build trust and transparency with stakeholders to ensure strong and healthy relationships. • Operate legally and respect rights. Implement legal requirements as the basic principles of operation in any jurisdiction. • Respect community and human rights and deliver benefits. Respect community rights, provide equal opportunities, maximize benefits from engagement and ensure remediation where needed. In keeping with these principles, the board of directors and secretariat of the RSPO need to send a clear message to Guatemalan companies currently enjoying membership in the RSPO that they must comply with human rights norms, national laws and regulations, and international agreements. In order to responsibly address the unfolding political crisis in Guatemala, the RSPO should postpone the certification processes of all Guatemalan palm companies until GREPALMA and its members end their campaign to sabotage the U.N. Commission Against Impunity and desist from undermining the rule of law in the country. Read More
An Interview with Chloe Maxmin
In 2018, Chloe Maxmin became the first Democrat to win Maine House District 88. Chloe is young Mainer with a background in climate justice and community organizing. Read More
The dubious fanfare about BlackRock’s social purpose
If you look at BlackRock’s actual investments, you could be forgiven for thinking that their purpose is to drive civilization off the climate cliff while profiting from the wreckage. Read More