Grabbing Power: The New Struggles for Land, Food and Democracy in Northern Honduras (Land & Sovereignty)

Grabbing Power explores the history of agribusiness and land conflicts in Northern Honduras focusing on the Aguán Valley, where peasant movements battle large palm oil producers for the right to land. In the wake of a military coup that overthrew Honduran president Manuel Zelaya in June 2009, rural communities in the Aguán have been brutally repressed, with over 60 people killed in just over two years. United States military aid--spent in the name of the War on Drugs--fuels the Honduran government's ability to repress its people. A strong and inspiring movement for land, food and democracy has grown over the last two years, and it shows no sign of backing down. Cover Praises for "Grabbing Power" Copyright Acknowledgements Contents Foreword Introduction Map of Honduras PART 1. From Bananas to Palm Oil 1. The Aguán Valley: Land For The People 2. The Decline of Agriculture and the Rise of the Maquila 3. Grabbing Land and Power: The New Agro-Oligarchs 4. Militarization and the War On Drugs: Security For Whom? 5. The War on Peasants PART 2. Palm Oil and the Corporate Food Regime 6. The Making of a “Food-Like Substance” 7. Subsidizing Corporate Expansion 8. Free Trade and Fast Food 9. Greening the Regime, Part 1: Fueling the Green Economy 10. Greening the Regime, Part 2: Ecotourism or Eco-Colonialism? PART 3. The New Aguán Movements: Land, Resistance and Food Sovereignty 11. The New Cycle of Struggle: A Sketch of Two Aguán Movements 12. Resisting Fragmentation, Constructing Unity 13. Peasant-Controlled Palm Oil: The Case of Salamá 14. From Palm Oil to Food Sovereignty 15. Conclusion APPENDIX. Declaration of the International Human Rights Observatory of Aguán Stay Informed & Get Involved Acronyms Notes References Index About the Author About Food First Also from Food First Books Pt. 1. From bananas to palm oil The Aguan Valley: land for the people The decline of agriculture and the rise of the maquila Grabbing land and power: the new agro-oligarchs Militarization and the war on drugs: security for whom? The war on peasants Pt. 2. Palm oil and the corporate food regime The making of a "food like substance" Subsidizing corporate expansion Free trade and fast food Greening the regime, part 1: fueling the "green" economy Greening the regime, part 2: ecotourism or eco-colonialism? Pt. 3. The new Aguan movements: land, resistance and food sovereignty The new cycle of struggle: a sketch of two Aguan movements Fighting fragmentation, constructing unity Peasant-controlled palm oil: the case of Salam? From palm oil to food sovereignty Conclusion: grabbing power back. Grabbing Power explores the history of agribusiness and land conflicts in Northern Honduras focusing on the Aguin Valley, where peasant movements battle large palm oil producers for the right to land. In the wake of a military coup that overthrew Honduran president Manuel Zelaya in June 2009, rural communities in the Aguin have been brutally repressed, with over 60 people killed in just over two years. United States military aid--spent in the name of the War on Drugs--fuels the Honduran government's ability to repress its people. A strong and inspiring movement for land, food and democracy has grown over the last two years, and it shows no sign of backing down.