No Land No Food No Life
Final transcript
01:00:43:08 01:00:47:08
When
the police came to beat us
I
stood my ground.
01:00:47:09
01:00:52:09
If
they ripped out my guts,
I'd
never give up my land.
01:00:52:12
01:00:57:05
In
the rainy season, I even
went
to Bamako about the case.
01:00:57:12
01:01:02:00
This
canal destroyed our crops.
But
we will never give up.
01:01:02:08
01:01:07:10
When
they dug the canal, they
destroyed
all we had.
01:01:07:15
01:01:11:10
They
beat me so badly
I
had wounds all over.
01:01:12:20
01:01:16:15
Here,
and here.
They
beat me black and blue.
01:01:17:04
01:01:20:00
I
looked like I'd been burned.
01:01:48:05
01:01:52:08
The
most pressing problem
in
Mali today,
01:01:52:10
10:01:55:08
after
corruption,
01:01:55:10
01:02:00:11
is
the seizure of land
belonging
to poor farmers
01:02:00:15
01:02:04:20
by
foreign and local investors.
01:02:05:00
01:02:08:00
There
are some 30 communities
01:02:08:05
01:02:13:11
whose
land and crops have been
seized
over the past 4 years.
01:02:15:14
01:02:21:10
In
2010
they
consulted our law firm.
01:02:22:15
01:02:27:22
In
the past, numerous
agencies
have intervened
01:02:28:00
01:02:32:25
to
try to resolve the situation.
01:02:33:02
01:02:35:18
With
no success.
10:03:04:03
10:03:08:07
We
were shocked one day to find
a
group of men
10:03:08:12
10:03:11:12
working
our millet fields.
10:03:11:15
10:03:15:15
We
thought they had come
to
survey our land.
10:03:15:24
10:03:18:15
We
said: “What's going on?”
10:03:19:05
10:03:20:15
That's
my field.
10:03:20:20
10:03:24:25
Modibo
Keïta has been
working
it for 3 years.
10:03:25:05
10:03:29:00
That's
all my land over there.
35 hectares.
10:03:29:15
10:03:33:08
He
stole it 3 years ago.
All
of it!
10:03:33:21
10:03:36:00
3
years! He's using it now.
10:03:36:10
10:03:40:15
This
canal they dug cuts
right
through the village.
10:03:40:20
10:03:43:00
Look
how far it goes.
10:03:43:05
10:03:46:15
We
used to grow crops here
10:03:46:20
10:03:51:00
but
they drove the farmers out
and
dug this.
10:04:10:15
10:04:12:27
The
main objective today is
10:04:13:01
10:04:16:22
to
boost agricultural production
10:04:16:26
10:04:20:27
to
meet Mali's domestic needs
and
eventually to export.
10:04:21:01
10:04:25:00
Exports
bring in foreign
currency,
allowing us
10:04:25:03
10:04:31:09
to
acquire goods that we do not
manufacture
ourselves.
10:04:31:13
10:04:33:04
We
believe we can achieve this
through
agriculture.
10:04:33:15
10:04:38:16
Mining
generates wealth, but
mines
have a limited life-span
10:04:39:06
10:04:45:00
whereas
farming is steady and
not
harmful to the environment.
10:04:46:05
10:05:52:28
Our
goal: grow enough to
ensure
Mali's food security
10:05:53:13
10:05:55:24
and
export the surplus.
10:05:55:29
10:05:01:14
That's
what we're working for.
Despite
our limited means.
10:05:03:02
10:05:07:29
For
investors with enough means
we
make land available:
10:05:08:14
10:05:11:10
in
lots of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000
10:05:11:13
10:05:14:12
up
to 10,000 or 20,000 hectares.
10:05:31:14
10:05:34:06
We
lived in an another village
for
many years.
10:05:35:00
10:05:39:09
We
were expelled by
the
government 9 years ago.
10:05:40:01
10:05:44:08
Before
then, we had no problems.
We
had a good life.
10:05:44:24
10:05:48:27
We
had good wells and
grew
our own food.
10:05:49:01
10:05:53:08
But
they made us leave
and
come here.
10:05:53:13
10:05:57:02
We
were expelled during Ramadan.
10:05:48:06
10:05:59:24
This
is not a good place to live.
10:05:59:28
10:06:05:03
We
are confined to a small space
right
beside the factory.
10:06:05:11
10:06:09:06
Our
children and animals have
no
place to go.
10:06:11:24
10:06:15:25
The
government said they'd build
houses
for us but they didn't.
10:06:15:28
10:06:19:29
We
have only 3 wells.
No
fields. No gardens.
10:06:23:03
10:06:23:14
No
homes. They gave us nothing.
10:06:35:04
10:06:39:11
The
Markala dam is
on
the Niger River delta.
10:06:40:05
10:06:43:11
It
irrigates the river plain.
10:06:43:22
10:06:47:04
Millions
of hectares.
10:06:50:26
10:06:52:23
All
this water and land attracts
major
investors.
10:06:53:02
10:06:57:06
The
water does not need to be
transported
very far.
10:06:57:10
10:07:00:23
It's
used in direct irrigation
with
water cannon, pumps,
10:07:00:27
10:07:03:13
and
centre pivot systems.
10:07:05:11
10:07:11:14
There
are 30 major investors.
10:07:43:24
10:07:45:27
This
is GDCM,
10:07:46:01 10:07:49:11
Grand Distributeur
Céréalier du Mali
10:07:49:14 10:07:55:10
Mali's
largest agri-food company.
10:07:55:14
10:07:59:05
We
produce and distribute
sugar
and rice.
10:08:00:08
10:08:13:26
We
will achieve food security
in
5 years.
10:08:14:00
10:08:06:09
5
years at the most.
10:08:06:14
10:08:09:02
If
our investors stick with us.
10:08:12:00
10:08:13:24
Investors
include Malian banks
and
some foreign banks.
10:08:37:12
10:08:40:04
My
name is Aminata Tangara.
10:08:40:27
10:08:42:22
I
am 40 years old.
10:08:43:01
10:08:46:12
This
land has been ours since
the
dawn of time.
10:08:47:00
10:08:49:11
This
is all we know.
10:08:49:13
10:08:53:08
Our
ancestors
have
lived here forever.
10:08:53:11
10:08:55:08
Our
land stretches to the river.
10:08:55:12
10:08:59:13
Our
lives are completely
bound
up in this place.
10:09:28:29
10:09:32:28
Modibo
Keïta, owner of GDCM,
said
he needed to build
10:09:33:00
10:09:36:04
an
irrigation canal to carry
water
to the lowlands.
10:09:36:05
10:09:39:20
He
asked for permission
to
build on our land.
10:09:39:23
10:09:43:25
He
promised to compensate
anyone
whose land was affected.
10:09:46:00
10:09:50:06
Later
we learned
he
wanted more than a canal.
10:09:50:10
10:09:56:00
He
was after farmland.
10:09:56:15
10:10:00:16
Modibo
Keïta started off
full
of promises.
10:10:00:05
10:10:04:14
But
he kept none of them.
10:10:04:20
10:10:07:23
He
said he'd give us a mill,
10:10:08:05
10:10:12:10
a
machine to make shea butter
and
build a health centre.
10:10:13:04
10:10:18:01
He
also promised a school
and
a road.
10:10:18:08
10:10:20:12
There
is no health centre.
10:10:21:10
10:10:23:06
No
road.
10:10:23:16
10:10:25:09
No
school.
10:10:25:13
10:10:28:19
And
electricity? Forget it.
10:10:41:23
10:10:45:06
We
couldn't accept his proposal.
This
is where we farm.
10:10:48:03
10:10:51:04
Modibo
Keïta said developing the
lowlands
would be too costly.
10:10:51:08
10:10:55:14
He
suggested another area
and
again we said no
10:10:55:18
10:11:00:19
because
this is ancestral land:
never
sold, leased or pawned.
10:11:03:23
10:11:05:22
Our
arable land is to us
what
real estate is to you.
10:11:06:02
10:11:09:01
We
could not give up our land.
10:11:09:04
10:11:13:19
He
begged. He tried everything
but
in vain.
10:11:13:23
10:11:16:20
We
will never give up our land.
10:11:17:02
10:11:20:04
It
would be like selling our souls.
10:11:20:08
10:11:23:06
It
would be like dying.
10:11:36:19
10:11:40:14
GDCM
is owned by a Malian
entrepreneur
who got big.
10:11:41:07
10:11:45:02
He
exports rice.
10:11:45:11
10:11:49:12
He
claims to own 17,000 hectares
and
sometimes 20,000 hectares.
10:11:50:10
10:11:54:05
He
approached the villagers.
10:11:54:19
10:11:57:02
He
made promises:
10:11:57:22
10:12:01:23
to
build hospitals, roads,
dispensaries,
this and that.
10:12:03:01
10:12:06:02
They
said: “Why do that for us?”
10:12:14:06
10:12:16:07
He
said: “In exchange you'll
give
me your land.”
10:12:08:11
10:12:10:07
They
said: “We live off our land.”
10:12:10:11
10:12:14:11
When
negotiation didn't work
he
said: “I'm rich and powerful.
10:12:14:16
10:12:21:10
If
you don't negotiate,
I'll
just take your land.”
10:12:32:09
10:12:36:10
A
traditional farm is
1
or 2 hectares.
10:12:36:23
10:12:40:20
Food
self-sufficiency can't be
achieved
on 1 or 2 hectares.
10:12:40:29
10:12:48:18
We
need thousands of hectares for
Mali
to export rice in 10 years.
10:12:47:07
10:12:52:24
So
this fight is necessary.
10:12:57:011
10:12:59:28
As
for Modibo Keïta.
10:13:00:08
10:13:04:13
He
came to our community.
He
sent 120 policemen.
10:13:04:17
10:13:07:12
120
policemen, I swear.
10:13:07:16
10:13:09:23
They
beat people savagely.
10:13:09:27
10:13:14:28
It
was worse than what's going
on
now in northern Mali.
10:13:15:08
10:13:18:26
The
people were defenceless.
Why
hit them?
10:13:19:07
10:13:22:19
They
threw 22 men in jail,
many
of them old.
10:13:22:23
10:13:27:21
And
later 2 more.
14
women were beaten.
10:13:34:09
10:13:37:24
Guards,
police, 5 vehicles.
10:13:37:28
10:13:40:09
This
is my field.
10:13:40:14
10:13:44:25
The
police said: “Ah! There you are.
10:13:45:08
10:13:48:14
Modibo
Keïta told us
to
beat you up.
10:13:48:20
10:13:53:10
He
says this is his field and
we
should thrash you.
10:13:53:14
10:13:55:00
The
land you're farming is his.”
10:13:56:10
10:13:59:08
I
never saw police here before.
10:14:00:12
10:14:04:12
Now
an outsider takes our land
by
force, destroys our things
10:14:04:17
10:14:09:12
and
beats us so badly
that
we miscarry.
10:14:09:17
10:14:14:13
They
beat an 80-year-old woman
to
death.
10:14:14:18
10:14:19:09
She
never recovered and
died
of her injuries.
10:14:19:14
10:14:24:12
Two
men beat her to death.
10:14:31:27
10:14:34:13
We
do not seize lands.
10:14:34:18
10:14:36:22
We
do not support such a policy.
10:14:36:29
10:14:42:26
Nor
do we support dispossessing
the
former inhabitants.
10:14:43:11
10:14:46:14
There
is no conflict.
10:14:47:09
10:14:51:29
We
ensure there is no conflict
between
the locals
10:14:51:08
10:14:55:09
and
private companies that
we
want to install.
10:14:55:13
10:14:58:14
Anyway,
since I've been here
10:14:58:17
10:15:03:16
we've
done our best to keep our
eyes
open and reduce conflicts.
10:15:20:11
10:15:21:21
The
fight against land grabs
10:15:21:25
10:15:26:25
is
a fight against capitalism
and
a predatory economic model.
10:15:27:14
10:15:31:11
Our
lands and our identities
are
not for sale.
10:15:32:29
10:15:37:17
We
rededicate ourselves to
resisting
and fighting land grabs
10:15:37:22
10:15:41:16
by
any means possible.
10:15:51:14
10:15:55:21
We
are arguing 2 major cases:
10:15:56:12
10:16:00:20
against
large corporations that
have
set up
10:16:00:23
10:16:05:12
in
the Office of Niger zone
10:16:06:28
10:16:12:12
on
lands customarily belonging
to
local farmers.
10:16:13:00
10:16:16:08
The
first case
concerns
2 villages:
10:16:16:12
10:16:22:16
Sanamadougou
and Sahou, versus the
Moulin
Moderne du Mali company,
10:16:22:20
10:16:26:26
operated
by Malian investor,
Modibo
Keïta.
10:16:27:07
10:16:33:20
He's
a young investor who wanted
to
get into the agri-food business.
10:16:33:29
10:16:37:25
So
the Office of Niger
simply
granted him
10:16:38:00
10:16:43:24
7,400
hectares of arable land.
10:16:49:26
10:16:53:21
If
we no longer own the land
10:16:53:26
10:16:57:28
how
can we hope to achieve
food
self-sufficiency?
10:17:41:15
10:17:43:16
Hunger
spares no one.
10:17:43:20
10:17:48:08
It
affects one's personality,
dignity,
and stability.
10:17:48:14
10:17:52:14
When
you're in the grip of
hunger,
you'll do anything-
10:17:52:18
10:17:55:06
things
you never imagined.
10:17:55:15
10:17:58:13
Modibo
Keïta pushed us to extremes.
10:17:58:16
10:18:01:01
Only
God can save us now.
10:18:01:05
10:18:04:29
We're
reduced to doing anything
to
survive:
10:18:05:03
10:18:08:04
stealing,
selling our bodies.
10:18:08:13
10:18:11:13
That's
the situation we're in.
10:21:42:14
10:21:45:20
In
Europe there's a statute
10:21:45:24
10:21:49:07
called
the EBA.
10:21:49:10
10:21:55:16
It
stands for:
Everything
But Arms.
10:21:56:10
10:22:01:10
Developing
countries, like
Cambodia,
are granted
10:22:01:13
10:22:08:13
preferential
trade status
allowing
us to export to Europe
10:22:08:25
10:22:12:28
agricultural
products
such
as sugar.
10:22:13:16
10:22:14:27
Some
companies have obtained
from
the government
10:22:19:02
10:22:12:13
90-year
tax concessions
10:22:12:16
10:22:27:07
to
grow sugarcane and process
sugar
for export so as to profit
10:22:27:10
10:22:30:01
from
the European EBA.
10:22:33:13
10:22:38:14
In
general these companies
have
foreign investors.
10:22:40:13
10:22:43:14
Some
important person here
10:22:43:07
10:22:47:19
who
is certainly part of the coup
10:22:47:22
10:22:51:05
receives
financing from abroad
10:22:51:09
10:22:55:15
from
China or sometimes from
neighbouring
countries.
10:22:55:17
10:22:59:21
In
the case of sugar we know the
money
comes from Thailand.
10:23:47:26
10:23:53:08
The
refinery
was
established in 2009.
10:24:02:23
10:24:06:26
We
produce 2 types of products:
10:24:07:03
10:24:10:14
raw
sugar and refined sugar.
10:24:11:00
10:24:14:00
Raw
sugar goes to Europe
10:24:14:04
10:24:18:16
and
refined sugar is sold
in
Thailand or locally.
10:24:36:28
10:24:39:04
My
name is Neth Kun.
10:24:39:20
10:24:41:28
I'm
41 years old.
10:24:42:13
10:24:45:00
I've
lived here all my life.
10:24:45:28
10:24:49:01
I
used to grow rice and fruit.
10:24:49:05
10:24:53:05
With
every harvest I always
had
plenty of food.
10:24:53:12
10:24:59:18
Before
the refinery came, people
raised
cattle and water buffalo.
10:25:02:04
10:25:06:18
Each
family had 10 or 20 cattle.
10:25:06:27
10:25:11:01
Now
some have only 2 or 3
animals
while others have none.
10:25:11:04
10:25:15:02
The
problem is lack of space
for
the animals to graze.
10:25:15:05
10:25:18:06
If
we take them into the fields
we
risk being fined.
10:25:20:16
10:25:23:16
We've
looked after this land
for
generations.
10:25:23:20
10:25:27:29
They
cut everything down:
even
the smallest trees.
10:25:28:06
10:25:32:07
They
seized this whole area and
set
up their own plantations.
10:25:32:11
10:25:36:16
They
planted and planted.
It's
sad.
10:25:48:02
10:25:54:15
I
came here in 1979 to grow rice.
10:26:01:27
10:26:05:28
We
grew manioc, bananas
and
sugarcane.
10:26:06:02
10:26:10:28
Every
day we ate what we grew.
10:26:13:28
10:26:17:19
Life
was easier back then.
10:26:27:29
10:26:33:00
From
my rice field I'd harvest
20
bags of rice and other crops.
10:26:35:28
10:26:38:15
I
grew corn, watermelon
10:26:38:19
10:26:41:12
and
other food crops.
10:26:41:13
10:26:46:04
I
sold enough to be able
to
send my children to school.
10:27:34:01
10:27:37:00
This
is my 6 hectare plot.
10:27:40:01
10:27:44:02
In
2006, the Ly Yong Phat company
confiscated
my land.
10:27:44:21
10:27:48:22
They
planted sugarcane and
set
up a refinery.
10:27:49:03
10:27:51:18
I
got no compensation.
10:27:52:03
10:27:54:20
What's
worse:
10:27:54:23
10:27:58:10
the
company won't allow us
on
to our land.
10:28:20:08
10:28:23:10
The
sugar company
10:28:23:24
10:28:27:03
took
over people's fields
10:28:27:07
10:28:31:04
knowing
that they did not
want
to sell their land.
10:28:31:11
10:28:34:17
It
did so without permission,
10:28:34:21
10:28:38:17
without
notice, and with no
agreement
from the locals.
10:28:38:22
10:28:42:19
Some
locals were paid. Some not.
Some
called it unfair
10:28:42:23
10:28:46:24
because
they had valuable
fruit
trees on their land.
10:28:47:09
10:28:51:16
The
company cut down
the
trees to hide the evidence.
10:28:51:20
10:28:54:22
So
locals couldn't file a claim.
10:28:54:27
10:28:57:28
Officials:
the police, judges,
the
mayor and the company
10:28:58:07
10:29:00:19
won't
resolve the issue.
10:29:19:08
10:29:24:13
When
the company began clearing
the
fields and moving in
10:29:24:17
10:29:28:26
they
told the local farmers
that
the sugarcane plantation
10:29:28:28
10:29:32:28
would
provide employment.
10:29:33:08
10:29:40:05
We
locals thought having a job
would
be a good idea.
10:29:41:25
10:29:45:20
It's
true, there are jobs,
but
not much money.
10:29:45:23
10:29:49:26
It's
backbreaking work
and
poorly paid.
10:29:51:23
10:29:55:00
Cane
harvesting is seasonal.
10:29:55:09
10:29:59:29
You
work for 2 or 3 months
and
get laid off.
10:30:00:19
10:30:04:09
There's
no other work around.
I've
just been hired back.
10:30:04:13
10:30:08:14
Before
that I was unemployed.
I
sat at home.
10:30:08:19
10:30:11:08
I've
been searching high and low
10:30:11:11
10:30:15:08
to
find a way to survive.
10:30:34:23
10:30:37:15
My
name is Teda.
10:30:38:16
10:30:43:25
I
cut cane at the Ly Yong Phat
sugar
plantation.
10:30:49:16
10:30:52:23
Since
the factory came here,
life
has been a lot harder.
10:30:57:28
10:31:01:12
Before,
my mother worked hard
but
we did okay.
10:31:01:18
10:31:04:14
We
could buy clothes and food.
10:31:04:18
10:31:09:24
We
could raise farm animals
and
go to school.
10:31:10:09
10:31:12:12
Now
we can't afford school.
10:31:14:01
10:31:16:10
All
my friends quit school.
10:31:16:14
10:31:20:13
Most
of us only got as far
as
4 or 5
grade.
10:31:20:18
10:31:24:22
This
all started in 2009
when
the sugar refinery came.
10:31:37:18
10:31:35:26
Sometimes
they give us work,
sometimes
they don't.
10:31:37:29
10:31:40:00
We're
worn out.
10:31:40:09
10:31:42:19
It's
very hard work.
10:31:42:23
10:31:45:01
And
it's unstable.
10:31:45:20
10:31:48:24
There's
no regular payday.
10:31:49:16
10:31:54:12
But
we have no choice.
We
need the work.
10:31:57:16
10:32:00:18
We're
slaves now.
10:32:20:15
10:32:24:06
The
workers used to earn
$3
CAD a day.
10:32:24:21
10:32:27:29
Now
it's $2.50 CAD a day.
10:32:28:16
10:32:33:03
If
the workers help the company
prosper
they'll earn more.
10:32:34:20
10:32:38:14
But
not yet.
10:32:54:00
10:32:57:23
The
refinery owner is rich
10:32:57:27
10:33:01:29
but
the workers are poor.
10:33:03:15
10:33:08:15
If
I got my land back
I
could manage.
10:33:12:21
10:33:18:03
Growing
watermelon could earn
$126
CAD over 3 months.
10:33:19:12
10:33:23:12
Or
pecans: if I had 10 or 20
pecan
trees,
10:33:23:15
10:33:27:15
and
harvested at least 3 kg
per
tree, per season,
10:33:27:17
10:33:30:14
I
could make a go of it.
10:33:50:12
10:33:54:16
We
no longer have the right
to
go into the forest.
10:33:54:21
10:33:59:10
Before,
when we were
short
of money
10:33:59:14
10:34:02:12
we'd
gather vines,
resin
and forest plants.
10:34:02:15
10:34:08:03
We'd
sell them for cash
to
provide for the family.
10:34:08:16
10:34:11:11
Now
we have nothing.
10:34:12:12
10:34:15:26
The
locals are all in debt.
10:34:30:00
10:34:32:25
My
name is Pet Nim.
10:34:33:29
10:34:37:13
Since
the refinery came,
10:34:37:20
10:34:41:25
my
life has gone downhill.
10:34:42:00
10:34:46:06
I
tried to stop a truck that was
cutting
the trees on our land.
10:34:46:18
10:34:51:17
And
some people who worked for
the
sugar company
10:34:51:22
10:34:55:03
shot
me in the foot.
10:34:55:25
10:35:00:09
They
said they would kill me.
10:35:01:26
10:35:05:17
I
had to hide at a friend's house
10:35:05:21
10:35:09:18
because
I knew they'd try
to
kill me.
10:35:09:26
10:35:16:01
I
hid at my friend's house
for
a month.
10:35:16:06
10:35:19:23
I
had no way to make a living.
10:35:19:28
10:35:24:10
Later,
I considered working in
the
sugarcane field
10:35:24:10
10:35:32:19
but
I was afraid
they'd
accuse me of sabotage-
10:35:32:27
10:35:37:23
of
having deliberately tried
to
do something
10:35:37:29
10:35:44:04
that
would harm the company.
10:35:46:02
10:35:50:10
I
had to borrow money for food.
10:35:50:21
10:35:56:05
I
don't know if I can ever repay it.
10:36:09:25
10:36:13:03
We
would like Europe to consider
10:36:14:02
10:36:18:28
that
producing sugar and
exporting
it to Europe
10:36:19:02
10:36:22:29
involves
human rights
violations
here.
10:36:27:02
10:36:31:05
We
have given them the results
of
our investigations.
10:36:31:05
10:36:33:27
Very
objective investigations.
10:36:34:00
10:36:37:08
Perhaps
they didn't believe us.
10:36:37:21
10:36:41:28
All
we ask is, please,
come
and investigate yourselves.
10:36:42:01
10:36:46:08
When
you have the results
of
your own studies
10:36:44:17
10:36:47:03
you
can talk to our government.
10:36:49:07
10:36:53:03
You
can say that if human rights
violations
continue
10:36:53:20
10:36:56:23
you
might suspend the EBA.
10:37:02:27
10:37:06:29
And
we've explained that
more
than once in Brussels.
10:37:07:02
10:37:10:01
Many
times. Many times.
10:37:10:05
10:37:14:24
But
the EU's response was:
10:37:14:28
10:37:17:20
“If
we investigate
10:37:17:23
10:37:21:26
and
suspend the
Everything
But Arms protocol,
10:37:22:00
10:37:26:10
if
we stop importing sugar
from
Cambodia,
10:37:26:20
10:37:30:19
it
will adversely affect
the
people of Cambodia.”
10:37:30:22
10:37:34:21
We
said: “Think again!
They
are already suffering.”
10:37:42:18
10:37:50:21
Since
2003 there has been a steady
increase
in land concessions
10:37:50:27
10:37:54:26
from
the government to companies.
10:37:56:02
10:38:01:15
This
is at least half
the
arable land in Cambodia:
10:38:01:17
10:38:07:21
almost
3 million hectares.
10:38:12:07
10:38:18:26
1
million people are affected
by
these land concessions.
10:38:34:22
10:38:37:10
On
the high ground
10:38:37:21
10:38:42:23
we
grew seed crops.
On
the slope we cultivated rice.
10:38:41:27
10:38:44:08
We
built a little hut to sleep in.
10:38:44:16
10:38:48:17
When
the company came
they
took everything I had:
10:38:48:27
10:38:55:04
my
hut, the rice field, everything.
10:38:56:03
10:38:59:12
Bulldozers
came onto my land
10:38:59:16
10:39:02:18
and
destroyed my crops.
10:39:03:17
10:39:07:15
Then
the villagers got organized.
10:39:08:18
10:39:12:12
We
united to oppose
the
injustice.
10:39:12:16
10:39:16:17
The
police, the army, and
security
guards came
10:39:16:26
10:39:19:12
to
forbid us to go to our lands.
10:39:19:24
10:39:22:11
They
said that from now on
10:39:22:15
10:39:26:17
the
land belongs to a company
with
the backing of the state.
10:39:26:21
10:39:29:13
So
we organized a protest.
10:39:30:12
10:39:33:08
We
blocked the main highway.
10:39:33:15
10:39:36:00
We
used loudspeakers to make
our
voices heard.
10:39:37:06
10:39:41:08
The
guards destroyed our
material
and shot a protester.
10:39:42:11
10:39:46:11
Since
then, we've been
fighting
for our rights.
10:39:49:07
10:39:52:08
We,
the people, would
like
the government
10:39:52:16
10:39:55:09
and
the companies
10:39:55:12
10:39:58:27
to
stop eviction of all people
10:39:59:17
10:40:02:25
wherever
they may be.
10:40:03:07
10:40:06:24
If
there's not a proper solution,
Bocung
Kak villagers will struggle until death.
10:40:16:27
10:40:09:15
Struggle
until death!
Struggle
until death!
10:43:53:15
10:43:58:14
These
are the fruits from the oil
palm
tree. These are the fruits.
10:44:01:00
10:44:05:00
These
are the fruitlets,
where
you get the oil from.
10:44:05:00
10:44:10:20
The
oil comes from the mesocarp;
you
get the oil from here.
10:44:11:22
10:44:15:28
The
oil which we squeeze out from
the
fruit we call crude palm oil.
10:44:16:11
10:44:18:11
Or
in short we normally
call
it CPO.
10:44:18:21
10:44:22:27
Crude
palm oil from here, we will
send
it to our refinery in Jinja.
10:44:23:19
10:44:25:18
We
have a refinery there.
10:44:25:21
10:44:30:10
There
it will be processed into
consumable
items like cooking oil,
10:44:30:10
10:44:33:22
soap
production
or
detergent production.
10:44:36:07
10:44:39:18
The
priority now
is
for consumption for the people
10:44:39:21
10:44:43:14
because
Uganda is importing
a
lot of oil from Asia.
10:44:43:16
10:44:47:16
So
if they can have palm oil now,
they
can reduce foreign exchange,
10:44:47:18
10:44:50:23
they
can cut down the import of oil.
10:45:12:24
10:45:15:23
This
is the Bukakata ferry,
going
to Kalangala.
10:45:17:24
10:45:21:23
We
are going to see the
oil
palm plantations
10:45:23:18
10:45:25:29
and
the company called BIDCO.
10:45:26:10
10:45:31:15
And
how it actually impacts on communities
and
agricultural systems.
10:45:56:15
10:46:01:05
My
name is Kureeba, David. I work for
National
Association of Professional Environmentalists.
10:46:01:10
10:46:05:22
We
worked closely with
Friends
of the Earth International
10:46:05:25
10:46:11:18
and
we did a report on how the project has
benefitted
communities in this project of oil palm.
10:46:11:20
10:46:14:08
According
to how the project started,
World
Bank is involved.
10:46:14:12
10:46:18:12
But
when we mentioned that World Bank was
involved,
they said they are not involved.
10:46:18:17
10:46:22:28
They
said we were telling lies, and the project was
very
good, that it was benefitting communities.
10:46:23:18
10:46:25:26
So
we told World Bank:
10:46:25:29
10:46:28:16
"Yes,
if you're saying
what
we wrote in the report is lies,
10:46:28:19
10:46:32:07
let's
go to the communities themselves
who
gave us this information.
10:46:32:10
10:46:34:15
This
is not our information.
For
us our land was not grabbed,
10:46:34:18
10:46:38:10
it
is the community land that was grabbed and
the
people whose land was grabbed are there.
10:46:38:18
10:46:39:27
Let's
go there and we'll see them."
10:47:11:17
10:47:13:27
I
started cultivating this land
when
I was 15 years old.
10:47:14:16
10:47:19:05
I
planted coffee, bananas
and
avocado.
10:47:20:19
10:47:27:12
I
hoped to provide for myself
and
my children
10:47:27:18
10:47:32:20
and,
when I'm gone, to hand the
land
down to them.
10:47:34:00
10:47:39:19
Right
now, I'm tending my coffee
trees
and banana trees.
10:47:40:02
10:47:43:17
I
work my land with a hoe
10:47:43:18
10:47:45:26
not
with heavy machinery
like
tractors.
10:47:46:00
10:47:51:28
I
work by the sweat of my brow
but,
come harvest-time,
10:47:51:28
10:47:57:21
someone
might come along
and
take it all away.
10:47:57:26
10:48:02:15
That's
what we face.
10:48:06:27
10:48:10:13
Once,
Uganda was beautiful.
10:48:10:25
10:48:15:15
People
came to Kalangala from
America
and Europe
10:48:15:20
10:48:18:15
to
enjoy its lush natural beauty.
10:48:18:20
10:48:21:10
You
can see how green it is.
10:48:21:15
10:48:24:21
But
oil palm will destroy it.
10:48:24:26
10:48:28:13
When
BIDCO came we thought
they'd
help us.
10:48:29:11
10:48:35:15
We're
poor and we struggle
to
survive.
10:48:35:19
10:48:39:18
Poverty
has driven some to
surrender
their land
10:48:39:18
10:48:42:15
for
oil palm production.
10:48:42:21
10:48:46:23
But
they're being tricked
for
mere pennies.
10:48:56:16
10:49:04:03
BIDCO
came here. And when they came here,
they partnered with other companies
10:49:04:25
10:49:11:28
like
WILMAR Plantation Services because
they were very experienced in plantation
agriculture.
10:49:13:00
10:49:20:16
And
BIDCO, or WILMAR together, formed a company
called Oil Palm Uganda Limited here.
10:49:20:19
10:49:29:25
Now
it was through the agreement between
Government
of Uganda and Oil Palm Uganda Limited or BIDCO,
10:49:30:03
10:49:34:16
Government
of Uganda was
supposed
to provide land:
10:49:34:21
10:49:39:17
land
free of encumbrances,
plantable
land,
10:49:40:17
10:49:48:16
and
all this land was leased to
Oil
Palm Uganda Limited for a period of 99 years.
10:49:49:16
10:49:55:03
This
arrangement of growing oil palm
is
a public-private partnership
10:49:55:16
10:49:58:25
because
this project had
to
involve farmers.
10:49:58:28
10:50:06:18
IFAD
was supposed to finance
oil
palm growing on the farmers' site.
10:50:07:21
10:50:13:10
IFAD
stands for International Fund
for
Agriculture Development.
10:50:29:11
10:50:33:10
We
have developed a total
of
6,500 hectares on this island.
10:50:33:16
10:50:37:15
A
full 6,500 hectares spreading
throughout
the island.
10:50:37:21
10:50:41:20
Very,
very scattered land.
10:50:41:26
10:50:46:11
Whatever
land was available which were not used
were developed into oil palm plantations.
10:50:47:16
10:50:49:28
The
total hectarage would be
6,500
for the nucleus,
10:50:50:01
10:50:55:20
and
then 3,500 for the small holders,
or
"outgrowers" as we call them.
10:50:55:28
10:51:00:19
That
belongs to the farmers.
And
that's what we have developed so far.
10:51:54:16
10:51:58:17
I
have 12 hectares of land.
10:52:00:08
10:52:04:12
When
BIDCO presented the project
we
were happy at first
10:52:04:20
10:52:08:23
because
they would get us
out
of poverty.
10:52:08:28
10:52:12:01
They
promised us many things:
10:52:13:01
10:52:17:18
seeds,
tools and fertilizer.
10:52:18:00
10:52:24:02
Everything
needed to make
the
project a success.
10:52:24:02
10:52:30:02
They
promised money and loans
to
help us improve our fields.
10:52:30:20
10:52:37:10
But
we had to cut down all
the
trees that were here before.
10:52:37:15
10:52:43:11
We
used to grow our food here:
plantain
and cassava.
10:52:43:28
10:52:47:02
The
oil palm harvest is still low
10:52:47:07
10:52:53:10
and
the money we get goes
to
pay our labourers.
10:52:53:20
10:52:57:15
It's
not easy.
10:53:00:29
10:53:04:10
There
are no feeder roads.
10:53:05:05
10:53:11:23
You
need to be young, like me,
to
carry the palm fruits.
10:53:24:00
10:53:30:00
Often,
the trucks don't come
until
long after the harvest.
10:53:30:26
10:53:34:05
The
company says the oil palm
fruit
must reach the factory
10:53:34:10
10:53:36:26
within
24 hours of harvesting.
10:53:37:03
10:53:42:10
After
24 hours, the price drops.
10:53:43:00
10:53:46:09
But
their trucks might not come
for
a week.
10:53:46:28
10:53:51:22
By
the time your harvest reaches
the
factory
10:53:51:27
10:53:56:09
they
say the price has dropped
because
the oil palm is no good.
10:54:56:22
10:54:00:11
All
this makes it hard for us.
10:54:09:02
10:54:11:14
We
make 1¢ CAD a kilo.
10:54:11:26
10:54:16:02
All
the money goes to paying
transportation
to the factory,
10:54:16:09
10:54:25:14
paying
the labourers,
and
repaying the loan.
10:54:26:14
10:54:31:11
Also,
there is only one buyer:
BIDCO.
10:54:34:02
10:54:37:02
There
is monopoly.
10:54:37:02
10:54:41:14
There
is nowhere you can sell because
he's
the one who gave you the loan.
10:54:41:29
10:54:45:26
He's
the one to determine the market.
10:54:45:26
10:54:48:11
You
cannot sell anywhere.
10:54:48:13
10:54:51:13
He's
the boss for everything.
10:54:52:01
10:54:46:28
So
you have to bear with the
situation
in all ways.
10:54:57:24
10:55:01:07
So
there is no way a farmer can
complain
about the price fluctuation
10:55:02:10
10:55:05:27
because
he's the one
who
determines the market.
10:55:07:00
10:55:10:25
But
we must keep up our
loan
payments.
10:55:11:00
10:55:15:00
We
don't know if we'll live long
enough
to pay off our loans
10:55:15:07
10:55:21:26
or
pass the debt on to our
children
to pay back that loan.
10:55:23:22
10:55:29:08
If
we don't repay
they
might take away our land.
10:55:50:00
10:55:52:15
This
place is called Byoga village
10:55:52:25
10:55:58:26
and
this was a forest, originally,
where
I used to live;
10:55:58:26
10:56:05:28
and
we expected to expand, growing food,
do
farming and other activities.
10:56:05:02
10:56:12:14
But
today, things have changed
after
the coming of the oil palm project.
10:56:16:23
10:56:22:15
My
garden of food stops here.
On
this side there is a plantation
10:56:22:23
10:56:26:28
such
that when I want to extend
I
can't go beyond this plantation.
10:56:27:02
10:56:29:07
This
is for years and years.
10:56:29:11
10:56:33:28
Which
means other generations
cannot
come and settle here.
10:56:34:18
10:56:38:17
Because
there are so many people,
young
people like that one,
10:56:38:22
10:56:41:22
who
don't have anywhere to settle.
10:56:41:27
10:56:45:02
We
have got to squeeze now to
our
land, to our bibanja.
10:56:45:11
10:56:50:01
A
kibanja is a piece of land,
no
title for it,
10:56:50:20
10:56:52:13
but
you settle there.
10:56:52:29
10:56:55:26
But
those young boys don't have bibanja:
10:56:56:00
10:56:58:20
they
have got to squeeze to our bibanja
10:56:59:01
10:57:01:12
Otherwise,
if this forest was still there,
10:57:01:15
10:57:02:21
they
could come and settle in the forest,
10:57:04:02
10:57:05:28
and
get new settlements.
10:57:05:29
10:57:07:12
Which
is not possible now.
10:57:17:14
10:57:21:14
It's
shocking. The very people
who
say they're for development
10:57:21:18
10:57:24:17
are
the land-grabbers.
10:57:24:21
10:57:29:13
They
see our well-tended land
then
steal it.
10:57:30:16
10:57:33:08
They
seized all my land.
10:57:33:13
10:57:39:12
It
stretched from that hill to
the
valley in the distance.
10:57:43:10
10:57:46:04
The
local authorities
called
a meeting.
10:57:46:08
10:57:49:08
They
said the land had been sold
10:57:49:08
10:57:55:04
and
that we would get money
to
leave our lands.
10:57:55:08
10:57:58:08
I
said: "We know the law.
10:57:58:12
10:58:01:17
Anyone
forced off their land
10:58:01:21
10:58:06:05
must
be paid the full value
or
be given a chance to buy it."
10:58:06:09
10:58:10:15
After
all BIDCO gave land-loans
to
people without land title.
10:58:10:19
10:58:14:21
That's
how I became a target.
10:58:15:02
10:58:19:02
This
is where they lay in wait
to
kill me.
10:58:19:07
10:58:23:09
They
had orders to beat me to
death
if I came back to my land.
10:58:45:12
10:58:49:20
My
name is Byagagayile, Adelya.
10:58:51:08
10:58:55:18
I
used to grow all my own food.
Right
here.
10:58:55:29
10:58:59:29
Avocado,
jackfruit,
everything
we needed.
10:59:02:19
10:59:05:10
But
in 2009
10:59:06:10
10:59:10:17
people
came threatening
to
beat me.
10:59:10:21
10:59:15:01
They
wanted to grab my land so
they
could plant their palms.
10:59:15:06
10:59:18:15
But
I stood up to them.
10:59:18:21
10:59:23:06
I
went straight to the
government
authorities,
10:59:26:03
10:59:28:21
but
they were no use.
10:59:29:05
10:59:31:21
I
got no help at all.
10:59:37:09
10:59:42:13
My
house was right here.
10:59:44:03
10:59:48:06
I
built it myself.
I
lived here for 12 years.
10:59:48:16
10:59:52:01
Then
I had to go into the hospital.
10:59:52:08
10:59:56:03
When
I got back home,
they
had burned it down.
10:59:56:10
10:59:59:08
They
threw me in jail.
11:00:00:01
11:00:04:06
They
hoped I'd die in jail.
But
I didn't.
11:00:05:12
11:00:10:17
The
judge dismissed the case
and
told them to leave me alone.
11:00:11:17
11:00:14:09
I
want them off my land.
11:00:16:17
11:00:20:11
They
should pay for the coffee
and
banana trees they destroyed,
11:00:20:16
11:00:24:16
and
everything they stole
from
my house.
11:00:24:21
11:00:28:00
My
mattress, dishes, chickens,
ducks…
and my life.
11:00:28:04
11:00:32:12
I
have lived in fear since
I
was thrown in jail.
11:00:32:17
11:00:35:02
I'm
always afraid.
11:00:35:06
11:00:38:19
I
have nowhere to go.
Nothing
to eat.
11:00:38:23
11:00:42:06
My
belly is empty.
11:00:42:10
11:00:45:05
I
have no food.
11:01:05:19
11:01:10:16
This
was a forest, a natural forest
with
a variety of trees,
11:01:11:02
11:01:14:21
a
variety of species of trees
which
are no longer here.
11:01:14:21
11:01:17:04
We
used to get timber from the trees;
11:01:17:14
11:01:20:17
we
used to get wood to build the houses,
11:01:20:22
11:01:23:13
which
is no longer possible now.
11:01:23:19
11:01:28:10
That
means, anybody wanting
to
build must go to the mainland
11:01:28:14
11:01:32:20
to
look for bricks, look for sand,
look
for iron sheets to build.
11:01:32:23
11:01:38:13
However
poor you are, if you are poor
then
look for somewhere else to go.
11:01:39:00
11:01:42:05
We
used to get firewood.
Where
do we get firewood now?
11:01:42:08
11:01:46:11
Look
there, look up there,
is
there any tree where can we get firewood?
11:01:47:01
11:01:50:08
That
means cooking is a problem now.
11:02:07:15
11:02:12:02
They
wanted to take our spring.
We
fought so hard that they didn't take it.
11:02:13:13
11:02:18:23
That
meant, they would have denied
us
from getting water, a basic need.
11:02:23:17
11:02:28:20
People
in our country understand,
seeing
the people there demonstrating,
11:02:29:16
11:02:37:15
they
see a crowd of people with placards
showing
what has tortured them.
11:02:37:19
11:02:43:13
I
think they understand that because
we
did that to get the spring again.
11:02:43:22
11:02:46:15
We
did it to get our playground back there.
11:02:46:19
11:02:49:00
We
did it to get the landing site.
11:02:39:04
11:02:54:11
Just
demonstrate before them and
they
understand what we mean.
11:02:54:20
11:02:58:10
Otherwise,
if you don't do that
you
could die in silence.
11:03:35:09
11:03:38:08
In
Malaysia and Indonesia,
11:03:38:15
11:03:42:07
they
do process some of the oil
into
biodiesel
11:03:42:11
11:03:45:28
and
they are mixing into petroleum
to
be run in a car.
11:03:58:13
11:04:01:23
For
example, if we look at the oil palm
that
is being grown in Kalangala,
11:04:01:28
11:04:06:28
it
is aimed at making oil palm
and
making cooking oil out of it.
11:04:07:13
11:04:12:21
But
then when the president was
opening
a large plantation
11:04:12:27
11:04:16:27
he
said that was a potential site
for
biodiesel.
11:04:17:08
11:04:21:05
So
that statement, when you check
the
President's Office website,
11:04:21:15
11:04:24:20
if
you go deep to interprete
what
that means,
11:04:24:24
11:04:27:22
is
that the future of that project
is
purely biodiesel,
11:04:27:24
11:04:33:03
although
tracing it in writing
is
not yet good.
11:04:33:16
11:04:37:13
But
that is the future.
That
is where it is heading.
11:05:10:05
11:05:14:00
I'm
from Kasese
in
western Uganda. I'm 19.
11:05:14:10
11:05:16:28
I
left home to go to school.
11:05:17:29
11:05:21:10
I
wanted to learn welding or
another
trade.
11:05:21:14
11:05:25:15
But
I had to quit,
because
I couldn't pay the fees.
11:05:25:20
11:05:29:12
So
I went home.
Then
I heard about this job.
11:05:29:18
11:05:33:21
I
came here and signed on
for
12 months.
11:05:33:26
11:05:36:22
But
it's not easy.
11:05:36:27
11:05:39:09
I
can't afford to go home.
11:05:39:14
11:05:43:01
I
have no way
to
contact my family.
11:05:43:12
11:05:48:26
My
parents back home think
I
have a good job.
11:05:49:19
11:05:53:02
We
handle dangerous chemicals.
11:05:53:13
11:05:56:15
You
can feel the effects,
especially
in bed at night:
11:05:57:20
11:06:01:27
in
your chest and your head.
11:06:02:02
11:06:04:26
That's
how it is.
11:06:32:22
11:06:35:08
We
have to keep a buffer zone
to
the lake:
11:06:35:20
11:06:39:00
a
200 metre buffer zone
along
the lakeshore
11:06:39:08
11:06:43:05
to
check any runoff of fertilizer
any
erosion to the soil
11:06:43:10
11:06:45:06
to
the shoreline to the lake
11:06:45:10
11:06:48:00
in
order to protect the
fishing
industry.
11:06:48:01
11:06:51:21
That
is very, very important to
the
government.
11:07:13:00
11:07:16:10
We
fishermen are worried
11:07:1702
11:07:21:03
We
think the oil palm project
endangers
our livelihood.
11:07:22:02
11:07:27:10
They
plant palm trees near the
shore
and spray chemicals.
11:07:29:07
11:07:36:06
When
it rains the chemicals
run
off into the lake.
11:07:38:17
11:07:42:09
Even
a little rain flushes
everything
into the lake.
11:07:42:19
11:07:47:03
When
you go along the shore,
you
don't see fish anymore.
11:07:48:02
11:07:54:08
The
fish have all disappeared.
We
are in trouble.
11:08:54:09
11:08:57:09
This
project was supposed to have
some
small pieces of land
11:08:57:20
11:08:59:20
reserved
for agriculture.
11:08:59:26
11:09:04:02
But
now, when you move around,
you
only see stretches, stretches,
11:09:04:06
11:09:07:00
stretches
of oil palm as opposed to
having
gardens.
11:09:07:02
11:09:09:10
People
cannot feed on oil palm.
11:09:10:24
11:09:14:20
As
a result, now, Kalangala can no
longer
have sufficient food.
11:09:14:25
11:09:18:00
It
has to get food from the mainland
and
bring it here.
11:09:52:05
11:09:55:10
Since
the oil palm project came
11:09:55:20
11:10:01:20
there's
not enough land for
us
to grow our food.
11:10:05:05
11:10:12:04
Now
we have to buy all our food
at
ever increasing prices.
11:10:12:14
11:10:16:06
We
could grow all this food here,
11:10:16:10
11:10:21:14
if
we had room for food crops.
11:10:21:26
11:10:25:04
That's
the situation.
11:10:33:21
11:10:36:12
The
common people
are
completely getting phased out.
11:10:36:26
11:10:40:06
It
is those who had money
and
other land speculators
11:10:40:10
11:10:42:24
that
are benefitting from the project.
11:10:43:03
11:10:45:24
Food
sovereignty, you have to look at:
11:10:46:00
11:10:48:28
How
do you grow crops?
How
do you plant them,
11:10:48:28
11:10:50:20
how
do you store them for
the
next season,
11:10:50:28
11:10:54:10
and
how can you live and get food
at
any time you want.
11:11:09:12
11:11:12:25
He
who owns seeds owns life.
<end subtitles>