World Development Movement blog

In recent meetings with campaign groups, the government has finally admitted concerns with the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds (CIFs). In spite of these concerns, the UK government continues to provide over 80 per cent of its climate finance, siphoned off from its aid budget, through these funds, ignoring opposition from developing countries. Meanwhile, the UK has failed to give a single penny to the fairer and more democratic alternative: the UN Adaptation Fund, which was set up through the UN climate talks.

Dan Iles

Day 2 of the forum and I have had the opportunity to interview an Italian delegate, Andrea Ferrante, the chair of the Italian association for organic farming. In this lively interview (I wish his Italian accent, enthusiasm and smile could come through the words) he talks about how Italy was affected by the 2008 food crisis and the positive advances that Italy has made in its journey towards food sovereignty.

Dan Iles, food activist and WDM’s south-west mobiliser interviews Indian activist S. Kannaiyan at the Nyeleni forum to build a food sovereignty movement in Europe.

Bristol activist; Dan Iles, gives you a tour of Bristol’s food movement on route to Austria to take part in food sovereignty forum  Nyeleni 2011

Gordon Peters, WDM Edinburgh group

Sustainability has become a rather slippery term. In fact looking at donor aid agency agendas it seems as if sustainability is the nice, ecologically well-meaning dressing up of policies which continue to accelerate market penetration of southern livelihoods.

No, they didn't all have their phones hacked.

It seems like a different world now, but just four weeks ago I was sharing a coffee with a French friend of mine, Céline, and bemoaning Rupert Murdoch’s influence over the British press and, with that, public opinion. I simply couldn’t envisage this state of affairs doing anything but get worse and I depressed myself just talking about it. How times change!