Friends Of Action Group On Erosion Technology And Concentration Inc

THE MISSION OF FRIENDS OF ETC GROUP IS TO PROTECT BIODIVERSITY AND TO ADVANCE THE CREATION OF A JUST AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD SYSTEM FOR THE BENEFIT OF RURAL AREAS AND SOCIETIES.

THE ORGANIZATION WORKS TOWARD ITS GOALS LARGELY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND BY SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE ACTION GROUP ON EROSION, TECHNOLOGY AND CONCENTRATION (ETC GROUP), A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION HEADQUARTERED IN CANADA AND BY SUPPORTING THE WORK OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ALIGNED WITH ITS CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL AIMS.DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022, THE ORGANIZATION EMERGED OUT OF THE WORST OF THE PANDEMIC PERIOD AND WAS ABLE TO DEEPEN ITS WORK THROUGH MORE IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT WITH PARTNERS, AND TO PARTICIPATE IN MORE INTERNATIONAL FORA TO ADVANCE ORGANIZING, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY ON CRITICAL ISSUES RELATED TO FOOD SYSTEMS, CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED ITS DOUBLE FOCUS THAT IS, ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE, SMALLHOLDER FOOD PRODUCTION ON THE ONE HAND; AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC AND POLICYMAKERS ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGIES WITH POTENTIALLY DRAMATIC AND LARGE-SCALE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS (FOR EXAMPLE, SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY, GENE DRIVES, GEOENGINEERING AND BIG DATA APPLICATIONS IN AGRICULTURE AND OTHER LIFE SCIENCES). IN ADDITION TO CONTINUING CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH IN THESE AREAS, THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO GROW AND SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF PARTNERS IN COMMUNICATIONS, NARRATIVE STRATEGY AND ADVOCACY IN INTERNATIONAL FORA, INCLUDING THE UN CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY, THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NARRATIVE RESPONSE TEAM TO SUPPORT GRASSROOTS AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS IN RESPONDING TO EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NARRATIVE REALM (MEDIA MOMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE) CONTINUES TO GROW AND DEEPEN, WITH NEW PARTNERSHIPS, DEEPER TRAINING AND GREATER COORDINATION. IN THE 2020/2021 FISCAL YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED THE PUBLICATION OF A NUMBER OF GROUND-BREAKING REPORTS, INCLUDING FOOD BARONS, WHICH TRACKS TRENDS IN CORPORATE CONCENTRATION ACROSS THE FOOD SYSTEM; HIJACKING THE FOOD SYSTEM: TECHNOFIXES TAKEOVER AT THE FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT; AND A LONG FOOD MOVEMENT: TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS BY 2045. EACH OF THESE REPORTS ACCOMPANIED ORGANIZING, ADVOCACY AND MEDIA EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AGROECOLOGY, FOOD SOVEREIGNTY, PEASANT AGRICULTURE AND DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT.THE RESEARCH AND DATA FROM THE FOOD BARONS REPORT WAS USED TO DEEPEN THE DIVESTMENT SCREEN FOR EXTRACTIVE AGRICULTURE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY LAUNCHED IN 2021 AND IS BEING PROMOTED IN THE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT SPACE. THE NEW DATA-SETS BUILD ON THE PREVIOUS PLATE-TECHTONICS REPORT, BUT GO FURTHER TO INCLUDE NEW SECTORS AND MORE ACTORS IN THE EXTRACTIVE AGRICULTURE SPACE. OTHER NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION DURING THE YEAR INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE HANDS OFF MOTHER EARTH CAMPAIGN AND THE NORTH AMERICA WORKING GROUP ON GEOENGINEERING, TO HIGHLIGHT THE RISKS OF GEOENGINEERING AND TO PROMOTE DEMOCRATIC CONSTRAINTS AND FREE-PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT OVER ALL EARTH-SYSTEMS MODIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES. THE ORGANIZATION HAS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED THE MORATORIUM ON GEOENGINEERING AT THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND HAS WORKED TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS PROMOTING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESTRAINTS ON REAL-WORLD EXPERIMENTS. THE ORGANIZATION PARTICIPATED IN THE PRODUCTION OF REPORTS AND ORGANIZING AT THE LAST UNFCCC COP IN SHARM-EL-SHEIK. OVER THE PAST YEAR THE ORGANIZATION HAVE DEEPENED ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PARTNERS INCLUDING THE ALLIANCE FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN AFRICA AND LA VIA CAMPESINA AND CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRATIC TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PROCESS IN MULTIPLE REGIONS. THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO CONVENE A DIGITAL AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP OF NORTH AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO FOOD JUSTICE AND FOOD SOVEREIGNTY. ORGANIZATIONS IN MEXICO WITH WHICH FRIENDS OF ETC GROUP AND ETC GROUP HAVE COLLABORATED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE MEMBERS OF THE MAIZE NETWORK CONTINUED THEIR EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR. WITH THE SUPPORT OF FRIENDS OF ETC GROUP, CECCAM, A MAIZE NETWORK MEMBER AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED IN MEXICO, CONTINUED ITS EDUCATION AND CONVENING WORK OF SMALL FARMERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY TO DEFEND FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND PEASANT LIVELIHOODS.