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Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Global Change Is now on the move
Hello every one...be expectant of the progress of global change...guys are in the field and every one will be posted soon
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Does biofuel really benefit Tanzania?
The global demand for biofuels has risen over the last decade. The demand driven by oil prices rising and therefore a need for greater energy security has caused a shift in paradigm. The search for alternative sources to supplement the uncertainty is now the main focus. The result of this uncertainty has triggered the investment on alternative sources of energy such as biofuels. This has prompted huge land grabbing in Africa, the scramble is on the rise. In Tanzania for example, four million hectares of land has been requested for biofuel production and this is likely to pose a real threat to food security.
The Global Change Course Students of 2010 (Action aid Tanzania) made a field research in the Kisarawe and Rufiji districts where a huge chunk of land has been grabbed by biofuel investors for producing biofuel. The Global Change group held future workshops where people were given an opportunity to state the problems they might face. The personal stories we did with the farmers and some of the investors were conducted in order to get a clearer picture of the situation. The group also stayed and spent nights with the local households (host families) in Nyamwage village (Rufiji), where the group got an opportunity to visit biofuel investors both in the Kisarawe and Rufiji districts. Here we talked to Sun biofuel, Safe production Ltd and African Green Oils Ltd.
The process of land acquisition was not clear and the villagers were not involved in land acquisition process. The government officials (TIC, Disstrict Officers, and some members of the Parliament) trick the villagers to make imprecise decision to let go off their land. The land that is the only source of income for the farmers.
During the land acquisition process, villagers were not aware of their land rights, the value of the land or the future consequences. One farmer told us during our dialogue meetings “Tulikariribishwa Kwenye mkutano uliojaa maneno matamu na kila ahadi nzuri,WalituTulikariribishwa Kwenye mkutano uliojaa maneno matamu na kila ahadi nzuri,Walituandalia chakula kizuri sana ambacho baadhi yetu hatukuwahi kula Na wakatupa na andalia chakula kizuri sana ambacho baadhi yetu hatukuwahi kula Na wakatupa na napesa kila mmoja shs 1000”. The effects of biofuels investments to the livelihoods of the poor people in rural areas has reached immediate and underlying negative impacts ranging from economical, social, environmental and cultural.
Insufficient attention is being paid to the lack of actions on social protection and nutrition for the poorest. The food security and nutrition of the poor which was already compromised by the world food crisis is now severely jeopardized, which is characterized by high food prices that leads the poor to limit their food consumption.
The communities have been displaced from the areas where they were cultivating and some of them have been forced to vacate their farms and land. Before cultivating the already existing crops and trees were not compensated at all.
There are so many conflicts between the communities and biofuel companies, rising from denied access to water points located in the project area formerly used by the communities. Some were destroyed during the clearing of the land for project activities especially the wells in the villages of Kisarawe district.
The establishment of the plantations has had a high environmental impact, ranging from deforestation and water depletion. The local people can no longer obtain a large number of building products and resources from the forest which appeared as a result of plantations. However the most serious negative environmental impact of the biofuel production in particularly the indirect land use as more carbon emissions will be released as forests and pristine land is converted from cropland to biofuel production. The appropriation of farmers land by biofuel companies is causing problems for the local people, because they do not have formal ownership of land and hereby the community members can not precisely know how their tomorrow will be. This is because the land they are settled on is being claimed by biofuel investors and the land is leased in the hands of the investors for 99 year.
Even worse the people’s cultural aspects were undermined as they were denied access to their ancestral burial grounds. In some cases, graves were demolished as the land was given to investors and this was evidenced in Nyamwage village in the Rufiji district.
Unfavorable working conditions are also some of the consequences that we have seen from the biofuel production. Long working hours from 6:00am-6:30pm where people are underpaid (2500shs per day). Lunch and breakfast is also not provided. There is no job contract, no protective jeers like gambtosh and people are denied of payment in case of any complaint.
The land including natural resources such as forests has been providing a safety net for the victims of social changes, displacement, unemployment and lost opportunities in the urban areas. This loss has increased the vulnerability of the communities so they do not have control over their lives.
According to our research findings, the biofuel companies have not been able to live up to the promises they made. Local people are facing serious consequences such as waiting for schools, hospitals, roads, wells, boreholes and community centers as they were promised by the investment companies during land acquisition.
In a nutshell, the farmers must be educated on the matters regarding land issues. The framework must be clear. There must be a clear definition of what marginal land is and which land is available for investment. During our research this was not clear to any of the involving parties. As one of the investors said “The land we got was no man’s”. If we have to be sincere, fertile land was allocated to biofuels investors in disguise of the so called marginal land, something which is contrary to Tanzania Biofuel Task force guidelines. The parties concerned in the allocation of land to biofuels investments, should think about the poor people who’s land is their only resource and avoid situations were native people might become evicted from their ancestral lands in future, and the land of which their great grand fathers fought for under MAJI-MAJI rebellion.
In summary, the biofuel investment in northern Tanzania can be summarized into two words, oppressive and exploitation of the Tanzanian peoples land. That is why there should be a policy of biofuel investments in Tanzania that ensures food security.
The Global Change Course Students of 2010 (Action aid Tanzania) made a field research in the Kisarawe and Rufiji districts where a huge chunk of land has been grabbed by biofuel investors for producing biofuel. The Global Change group held future workshops where people were given an opportunity to state the problems they might face. The personal stories we did with the farmers and some of the investors were conducted in order to get a clearer picture of the situation. The group also stayed and spent nights with the local households (host families) in Nyamwage village (Rufiji), where the group got an opportunity to visit biofuel investors both in the Kisarawe and Rufiji districts. Here we talked to Sun biofuel, Safe production Ltd and African Green Oils Ltd.
The process of land acquisition was not clear and the villagers were not involved in land acquisition process. The government officials (TIC, Disstrict Officers, and some members of the Parliament) trick the villagers to make imprecise decision to let go off their land. The land that is the only source of income for the farmers.
During the land acquisition process, villagers were not aware of their land rights, the value of the land or the future consequences. One farmer told us during our dialogue meetings “Tulikariribishwa Kwenye mkutano uliojaa maneno matamu na kila ahadi nzuri,WalituTulikariribishwa Kwenye mkutano uliojaa maneno matamu na kila ahadi nzuri,Walituandalia chakula kizuri sana ambacho baadhi yetu hatukuwahi kula Na wakatupa na andalia chakula kizuri sana ambacho baadhi yetu hatukuwahi kula Na wakatupa na napesa kila mmoja shs 1000”. The effects of biofuels investments to the livelihoods of the poor people in rural areas has reached immediate and underlying negative impacts ranging from economical, social, environmental and cultural.
Insufficient attention is being paid to the lack of actions on social protection and nutrition for the poorest. The food security and nutrition of the poor which was already compromised by the world food crisis is now severely jeopardized, which is characterized by high food prices that leads the poor to limit their food consumption.
The communities have been displaced from the areas where they were cultivating and some of them have been forced to vacate their farms and land. Before cultivating the already existing crops and trees were not compensated at all.
There are so many conflicts between the communities and biofuel companies, rising from denied access to water points located in the project area formerly used by the communities. Some were destroyed during the clearing of the land for project activities especially the wells in the villages of Kisarawe district.
The establishment of the plantations has had a high environmental impact, ranging from deforestation and water depletion. The local people can no longer obtain a large number of building products and resources from the forest which appeared as a result of plantations. However the most serious negative environmental impact of the biofuel production in particularly the indirect land use as more carbon emissions will be released as forests and pristine land is converted from cropland to biofuel production. The appropriation of farmers land by biofuel companies is causing problems for the local people, because they do not have formal ownership of land and hereby the community members can not precisely know how their tomorrow will be. This is because the land they are settled on is being claimed by biofuel investors and the land is leased in the hands of the investors for 99 year.
Even worse the people’s cultural aspects were undermined as they were denied access to their ancestral burial grounds. In some cases, graves were demolished as the land was given to investors and this was evidenced in Nyamwage village in the Rufiji district.
Unfavorable working conditions are also some of the consequences that we have seen from the biofuel production. Long working hours from 6:00am-6:30pm where people are underpaid (2500shs per day). Lunch and breakfast is also not provided. There is no job contract, no protective jeers like gambtosh and people are denied of payment in case of any complaint.
The land including natural resources such as forests has been providing a safety net for the victims of social changes, displacement, unemployment and lost opportunities in the urban areas. This loss has increased the vulnerability of the communities so they do not have control over their lives.
According to our research findings, the biofuel companies have not been able to live up to the promises they made. Local people are facing serious consequences such as waiting for schools, hospitals, roads, wells, boreholes and community centers as they were promised by the investment companies during land acquisition.
In a nutshell, the farmers must be educated on the matters regarding land issues. The framework must be clear. There must be a clear definition of what marginal land is and which land is available for investment. During our research this was not clear to any of the involving parties. As one of the investors said “The land we got was no man’s”. If we have to be sincere, fertile land was allocated to biofuels investors in disguise of the so called marginal land, something which is contrary to Tanzania Biofuel Task force guidelines. The parties concerned in the allocation of land to biofuels investments, should think about the poor people who’s land is their only resource and avoid situations were native people might become evicted from their ancestral lands in future, and the land of which their great grand fathers fought for under MAJI-MAJI rebellion.
In summary, the biofuel investment in northern Tanzania can be summarized into two words, oppressive and exploitation of the Tanzanian peoples land. That is why there should be a policy of biofuel investments in Tanzania that ensures food security.
Unless we choose to try,we are certain to fail
My greatest lesson at the platform has been on the promise of change, the power of dreams and optimism. We didn't always agree on things and on how to go about doing things but some how,some how we managed to remain true to our vision, punching hunger and freeing the hungry Billion.
We have been here for three months and this week we have our mega event, which will be a Press Release titled: Ensure food Security: Stop Bio-fuel Investment without a policy, which you are all invited, will try see how we can have it online to involve those who have been following us from without Tanzania.
So did we achieve anything? I think we did...we earnestly believed we could do something about hunger and we went out to do something about it, might have been too little to create change but it is enough that we tried.
Hunger is a global problem though causes are myriad, one thing comes out clearly we have a faulty food system. Food is an essential commodity which the Agri Business world has chosen to commercialize and treat as a luxurious commodity which only a few can afford, for petes sake their is so much food in the world and its mind boggling to imagine human beings die of hunger when they live amongst fellow human beings, and at a time when the world can produce more than it can consume.
In his book," The grapes of Wrath": John Steinbeck writes I don't aim to starve to death before i kill the man who is starving me to death. We are not asking you to shot the government we are asking you to join us in telling the government that we won't allow them to starve us by allowing biofuel investments without policies that ensures we and our children are food secure. unless we all try this we are certain to fail and worse starve.
We have been here for three months and this week we have our mega event, which will be a Press Release titled: Ensure food Security: Stop Bio-fuel Investment without a policy, which you are all invited, will try see how we can have it online to involve those who have been following us from without Tanzania.
So did we achieve anything? I think we did...we earnestly believed we could do something about hunger and we went out to do something about it, might have been too little to create change but it is enough that we tried.
Hunger is a global problem though causes are myriad, one thing comes out clearly we have a faulty food system. Food is an essential commodity which the Agri Business world has chosen to commercialize and treat as a luxurious commodity which only a few can afford, for petes sake their is so much food in the world and its mind boggling to imagine human beings die of hunger when they live amongst fellow human beings, and at a time when the world can produce more than it can consume.
In his book," The grapes of Wrath": John Steinbeck writes I don't aim to starve to death before i kill the man who is starving me to death. We are not asking you to shot the government we are asking you to join us in telling the government that we won't allow them to starve us by allowing biofuel investments without policies that ensures we and our children are food secure. unless we all try this we are certain to fail and worse starve.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
Ensure Food Security: Stop giving land for biofuel investment without a policy
Dar es Salaam, Friday the 29th of October 2010
Today Tanzania is not benefiting anything from the biofuel investment and the consequences are huge. Biofuel production has the potential to cause food insecurity if situation is left as it is, as land, water and labor is being used for biofuel rather than food production. The government of Tanzania is heavily supporting the production of biofuels without having policies in place that ensures food security and the people affected by the biofuel industry.
To make food a right and first priority in Tanzania,
the FOOD right FIGHTERS from the international Activista network are inviting all Tanzanians to join the Punch Hunger campaign and call attention to this very important message to the government:
the FOOD right FIGHTERS from the international Activista network are inviting all Tanzanians to join the Punch Hunger campaign and call attention to this very important message to the government:
Stop allocating land for biofuel production without a policy that ensures food security and that is implimented.
Venue/ Mahali: Tanzania Scouts Association
Time/ Muda: 2-6 pm/ 8-12pm
Major Events:
- Performances by artists like Hardmad, Malfred, Eriakim, Rage
and FIDQ (not confirmed) etc.
and FIDQ (not confirmed) etc.
- Competitions in games, dance and music
- Exhibitions from different NGO’s
- The FOOD right FIGHTERS launch their new song
“Punch Hunger” produced together with FIDQ
“Punch Hunger” produced together with FIDQ
One billion people are hungry in the world and according to the ActionAid report (Implications of biofuel production on food security in Tanzania), more than 36% of the Tanzanian population lives for less than a dollar a day and 60 % are food insecure in rural areas. That makes Tanzanians some of the hungriest people in the world.
We need a policy to make the government, the ministries and the investors own up to their responsibilities towards the people. If we do not stand together now against this problem food insecurity will only increase in the future and no one will be put accountable. Food insecurity is a political manmade problem, and therefore mankind can change it. Together we can change this!!
Note: Already Wednesday the 26th of October we will have a minor event leading up to the big event on Friday. It is a basketball tournament which will be at the Gym Khana Basketball Grounds at Ocean rd. from 4pm to 6pm. It is an open event where everybody is free to join.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Je, Huu si Unyang’anyi wa Ardhi?
Utafiti tulioufanya 26-27 september2010 katika uwekezaji wa mazao ya nishati hai (Bio-fuel) unaofanywa kwenye ardhi yenye rutuba katika wilaya ya Kisarawe,kata za Marumbo na Kibuta, vijiji vya Marumbo, Muhaga, Palaka na Mtakayo umebaini kuwa wanavijiji walinyang’anywa ardhi yao na kupewa mwekezaji wa mazao ya nishati hai. Inasikitisha kuona mkulima aliyelima shamba na kupanda mazao ya kudumu kama vile miembe,mikorosho na minazi na ambapo ardhi ndio mtaji wake wa kuzalisha chakula akinyang’anywa.
Pamoja na kuwa na sheria ya ardhi ya vijiji no 5 ya mwaka 1999 inayotambua mwakijiji yeyote alie kalia ardhi na kuitumia kuwa anamiliki ardhi hiyo kihalali bado kuna uporaji wa ardhi unaofanywa na maafisa wa ardhi wa wilaya.
Kwa mujibu wa sheria ya ardhi ya vijiji, halmashauri ya kijiji ina uwezo wa kujadili maombi yaliyowasilishwa ndani ya siku tisini na kutoa majibu. Lakini cha kushangaza wanakijiji hawakupata fursa ya kumjadili mwekezaji huyo wala hakuna barua ya maombi ya mwekezaji, isipokuwa habari walizopata wanakijiji ni kuwa wanachotakiwa kufanya ni kuandika muhtasari wa kukubali kumpa mwekezaji.
Wakitoa ushuhuda jinsi ardhi yao ilivyoporwa wanakijiji wa muhaga walisema afisa ardhi alifika kijijini hapo na bila kutupa muda wa kumjadili mwekezaji alituambia mnachotakiwa kufanya ni kuandika muktasari wa mkutano wa kijiji kwani kampuni hiyo inayotaka ardhi ni kwa manufaa ya taifa na hatukutakiwa kuchelewesha kuandika muhtasari huo kwani vijiji vya jirani walishapeleka muhtasari zao wilayani. Kwa vile mbunge wetu nae alikuwepo na ndio kioo cha jamii tulikubali kumpa mwekezaji huyo ardhi. Bila ya kuwepo kwa mkataba wowote wala fidia ya ardhi iliyochukuliwa na mwekezaji hoyo mpaka sasa hatujui ukubwa wa eneo alilochukua mwekezaji kwani wakati mwekezaji anapimiwa eneo sisi hatukushirikishwa kazi hiyo imefanywa na maafisa ardhi wapimaji. Mwekezaji alishatuambia ni marufuku kuingia kuokota kuni kwenye eneo tulilompa .
Inahuzunisha kusikia mtu mwenye dhamana ya kuwasaidia wanakijiji katika mambo ya ardhi akitumia kutoelewa kwa wanakijiji kama njia ya kuwanyang’anya ardhi yao yenye rutuba kwa manufaa ya kampuni za kutoka nje ya nchi.
Ardhi ni mtaji wa kwanza muhimu kwa mtu masikini kujikwamua kiuchumi na kuondokana na umasikini na njaa na kama mtaji huo atanyang’anywa basi ni dhahiri kuwa kutakuwepo na uongezeka la umasikini na njaa na kushindwa kufikia malengo ya millennia namba moja la kupunguza umasikini na njaa ifikapo mwaka 2015. Zuia uporaji wa ardhi saidia wazalishaji wadogo.
Pamoja na kuwa na sheria ya ardhi ya vijiji no 5 ya mwaka 1999 inayotambua mwakijiji yeyote alie kalia ardhi na kuitumia kuwa anamiliki ardhi hiyo kihalali bado kuna uporaji wa ardhi unaofanywa na maafisa wa ardhi wa wilaya.
Kwa mujibu wa sheria ya ardhi ya vijiji, halmashauri ya kijiji ina uwezo wa kujadili maombi yaliyowasilishwa ndani ya siku tisini na kutoa majibu. Lakini cha kushangaza wanakijiji hawakupata fursa ya kumjadili mwekezaji huyo wala hakuna barua ya maombi ya mwekezaji, isipokuwa habari walizopata wanakijiji ni kuwa wanachotakiwa kufanya ni kuandika muhtasari wa kukubali kumpa mwekezaji.
Wakitoa ushuhuda jinsi ardhi yao ilivyoporwa wanakijiji wa muhaga walisema afisa ardhi alifika kijijini hapo na bila kutupa muda wa kumjadili mwekezaji alituambia mnachotakiwa kufanya ni kuandika muktasari wa mkutano wa kijiji kwani kampuni hiyo inayotaka ardhi ni kwa manufaa ya taifa na hatukutakiwa kuchelewesha kuandika muhtasari huo kwani vijiji vya jirani walishapeleka muhtasari zao wilayani. Kwa vile mbunge wetu nae alikuwepo na ndio kioo cha jamii tulikubali kumpa mwekezaji huyo ardhi. Bila ya kuwepo kwa mkataba wowote wala fidia ya ardhi iliyochukuliwa na mwekezaji hoyo mpaka sasa hatujui ukubwa wa eneo alilochukua mwekezaji kwani wakati mwekezaji anapimiwa eneo sisi hatukushirikishwa kazi hiyo imefanywa na maafisa ardhi wapimaji. Mwekezaji alishatuambia ni marufuku kuingia kuokota kuni kwenye eneo tulilompa .
Inahuzunisha kusikia mtu mwenye dhamana ya kuwasaidia wanakijiji katika mambo ya ardhi akitumia kutoelewa kwa wanakijiji kama njia ya kuwanyang’anya ardhi yao yenye rutuba kwa manufaa ya kampuni za kutoka nje ya nchi.
Ardhi ni mtaji wa kwanza muhimu kwa mtu masikini kujikwamua kiuchumi na kuondokana na umasikini na njaa na kama mtaji huo atanyang’anywa basi ni dhahiri kuwa kutakuwepo na uongezeka la umasikini na njaa na kushindwa kufikia malengo ya millennia namba moja la kupunguza umasikini na njaa ifikapo mwaka 2015. Zuia uporaji wa ardhi saidia wazalishaji wadogo.
"Adding melody to our campaign!!"
Global change students making a song- its sounds like a joke right..! Yes we did it! OnThursday the 21st of October we went to the studio to record the song we have been working on and it’s called “Punch hunger!!”From the word go we have been doing case studys,research upon research and reports ,meetings(on Bio fuels in relation to Hunger in Tanzania)etc.. During our punch hunger campaign!
how about giving our campaign some melody!
To be honest there gazillions of people out there who don’t care about reports, newspaper articles etc because it can be boring..And we agree. Music on the other hand is easy to listen to! To many people in many cultures music is an important part of their way of life. Which is why we decided to do a song on hunger? So we can reach out to everyone! Because fighting hunger is a collective responsibility!!
In the near future the word hunger has to be like it never existed! There is enough food to feed every person in the world! You are part of this campaign to end hunger until its gone!!
We will upload our song immediately we are done working on it!
Lets make hunger HISTORY people!!
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