WATCH FULL FILM SERIES! Rich Appetites: How Big Philanthropy is Shaping the Future of Food in Africa

At a time when global hunger is on the rise and the pandemic has dramatically impacted global food systems, corporations are gaining even more control over agriculture than ever. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the largest private charitable foundation in the world, is leading the way in pushing global agricultural development priorities toward […]

A group of people stands in front of the colorful Feed the People Mural in Beacon Hill

DECEMBER 2022 CAGJ E-news

CAGJ Monthly E-Newsletter | DECEMBER 6, 2022 HEADLINES | CAGJ ACTIVIST PROFILE | CAGJ HAPPENINGS | TAKE ACTION | CAGJ NEWS & ANALYSIS | COMMUNITY CALENDAR | Get Involved! Upcoming CAGJ Meetings CAGJ’s End of Year Appeal 2022 Accomplishments: #RootingOurselvesInHope Read the full letter online here Greetings friends, What gives you hope despite increasingly desperate […]

CAGJ Activist Profile: Deb Orieta

For the month of December, we are highlighting the wonderful work of Deb Orieta. Deb started out with CAGJ as Rise Up! Summer School Coordinator in the Spring of 2022, and then transitioned to organizing and communications support. They have a degree in Geography and Food Studies, and since graduating have been working with nonprofits […]

A group of people stands in front of the colorful Feed the People Mural in Beacon Hill

An End-of-Year Letter to our Members & Supporters + 2022 Accomplishments

CAGJ’s end of year letter to our Members & Supporters 2022 Accomplishments: #RootingOurselvesInHope Greetings friends, What gives you hope despite increasingly desperate times? Every day I sit down at my desk, and dedicate myself to the tasks at hand, knowing that my efforts are adding to the efforts of millions of people worldwide, including peasant […]

Open Letter to Bill Gates from AGRA Watch & 50 Co-Signers

An Open Letter to Bill Gates on Food, Farming, and Africa AGRA Watch drafted this letter in response to two recent articles we found very troubling. We are joined by 50 organizations focused on food sovereignty and justice worldwide, who want Bill Gates to know there is no shortage of practical solutions and innovations by […]

Where does the Gates Foundation’s agriculture spending really go?

As part of our research for our Rich Appetites film series, AGRA Watch has conducted an analysis of Gates Foundation agricultural development grants specifically targeting Africa–now published as a report: African Agricultural Development … for the US? An Analysis of the Distribution of Gates Foundation Grants. Looking at grants through July 2021, we have found […]

CAGJ Activist Profile: Ashley Fent

Ashley Fent, AGRA Watch Research Coordinator Ashley initially volunteered with CAGJ while living in Seattle from 2006 to 2010, and is now a research consultant for AGRA Watch. She holds a BA in Geography from University of Washington, an MA in Anthropology and African Studies from Columbia University, and a PhD in Geography from UCLA. […]

Report-back: Farm Visit to Cooperativa Tierra y Libertad

In September, CAGJ had the pleasure of visiting the Cooperativa Tierra y Libertad/Land and Liberation Cooperative farm. The farm, founded in 2017 by four members of Washington’s independent farmworker union, Familias Unidas por la Justicia, is an attempt at creating a workplace where the workers themselves have a direct say in the direction of the […]

Marchers hold up a sign that reads "Which side are you on? Yo estoy con Union!"

FUJ Tour Report-back: Fighting for Farmworkers in the US and Beyond

This fall CAGJ worked with farmworker union Familias Unidas por la Justicia and other community organizations based out of Seattle to organize the FUJ Farmworker Solidarity Tour. Over two days in October, we convened a rally, march, dinner, teach-in and AGRA-Watch action in Seattle that highlighted how issues faced by farmworkers are connected to the […]