the and you're all up to date of next, we have documentary for you looking at china's influence on the food and agriculture organization. that's up after the break. i'm gonna go fairly from all of us here in the news. remember, lend. thank you so much for a company. it was a waving said less you're looking for. there's always are websites, the w dot com, thanks by the name is nose available in the whole bag. save. wow, thank you so much for joining in. welcome to don't hold bad. a lot of people do that. it's all about saying it aloud. that's what it being nosy bay, like good. everyone to kings for healthy award winning called call. don't hold back . it started as just a cloud. then the sky grew dark. they had arrived between

20192021 billions of locust spread in great waves over parts of africa very quickly eating the field, spare the farmers tried everything they could to save their crops. the then came in fact to science from among others. a you in organization they help to subdue the plaque the but we have learned that the same un organization approves the delivery of other

chemicals to africa. pesticides not to be used for competing locusts or other natural disasters. can either do you see this during your time? no. no, no. this is an absolutely sean contextural, can you? yes, the issue has been use in the past 3 to 3 years ago. when court cases this film shows how the united nations food and agriculture organization has changed. how do we know an insight or has given us the details? i believe that china is using the organization for its own purposes the

as of midnight. it was the lowest point months of research took us to 4 continents to countries like panama, spouse, malawi, and zambia. the, the story begins in rome. at the s a o, the united nations food and agriculture organization. the employee wanted to expose how the organization was increased singly serving the

interest of one of its members, states, china. the after much discussion the whistle blower agreed to meet with us on condition of anonymity. the. this is why we did not film them at home, but at another location, we wondered if they would really come to this meeting. okay, what if they ever do this? say that just that they are on their way of speaking with us meant they were risking their job. but also i hope they still want to do this. and then they arrived the to protect them. we're having a voice actor, repeat what they told us about why you were speaking with us. a lot has changed in the last 4 years. i believe the china is using the organization for its own

purposes. mainly for jew political purposes and interests. the f a o has several core mandates, but 1st and foremost, it converts hunger to this end, it carries out analysis for efficient and sustainable agriculture. it develops crop protection and food quality standards as well as agriculture and nutrition strategies. the organization primarily advises countries in the global south. i 1st started working for the fail because i wanted to play a positive role in eating development and cooperation. i've always been very interested in agriculture, but also in nutrition and food policy. and i thought i could contribute

a little to improving the global situation on the inside or is one of 3000 f, a o employees. part of one of the largest specialized united nations agencies comprising 194 nations and the european union with its funding coming from member states a considerable share comes from germany, who contributed more than 100000000 dollars in 2021 alone. this makes germany one of the largest donor countries are inside or has had concerns for some time i've had this since from the 1st day to arrived. something didn't feel right, which added up over time until it all didn't make sense anymore. something here is

definitely off to don't you is the current director general of the f a o and the main character in this story. he began his career in beijing's chinese academy of agricultural sciences in the eighty's. in 2015, he became deputy minister of agriculture and the chinese government in 2019 china nominated to for the post of director general of the f, a o. and he was elected to the position by delegates from its member states. usually a truck now represented germany at the time but obviously a course of why is the f i a relevant to, to as a global plan. they developed a home escape likes the because food has to be in addition to what we need most

likely be not. that is what the f a o is about as the and why internationally irrelevant intense amount of events in spring 2019. there were 5 candidates and the running for the post of director general of the fail from china, india, camera room, georgia and france. then the candidates from camera roon and india withdrew from the race just prior to the election. china had for given nearly $80000000.00 of camera rooms debt june 22nd 20191 day before the election. julia block, now was there one dentist and some of these. and then there was this rob at the saw situation in rome. i why? because it was so clear who the favorite had to be. love would have probably

signing the french candidates, which brought us on susan. 3 candidates were left those from france, georgia. and to don't you from china, but a fortune fund, then she may assist you kindly that not longer my job to this by doing the chinese candidates presentation. i came to the conclusion that either he didn't care about winning that or he didn't expect to win. and be comfortable on that it would be decided behind the scenes as does this one's i get the feeling we are pins. i only do me recognize later on, pick them up that we had been playing by different rules. and this, what am is that one to have missing cops know the should be it some delegates were an easy, usually a truck. now remember then bought us from climate station mission and said became clear how much money had been spent and they've run out to the trade place. tom,

all us. what great trips have been provided for the invested? isn't that family size farther than because they don't, they didn't fly economy. oklahoma, i had set the ignition economy. other rumors also made the rounds and it was, it kept it on the stage before i'm invited again. if it was the saved, it came out that the african countries in particular, had been politely asked to take photos of that ballot and the voting the mountainside. as a result, telephones were banned from the voting booths. vfl member states voted and the balance were counted after the 1st round. the dungeon gina, the china, garnered a 108 boats to became director general of the f. a o

have a very good effort to my motherland. resolved the 40 years of a successful reform on the open door policy. me that was the lowest point. the organization seemed important to china. but why? we asked right the old. they are an expert on chinese foreign policy. why is china interested in the f a o an equal as an absolute email? actually some type of items are for the 1st and foremost, food supply is central to the chinese government's domestic security. i know if i can assist hudson, china itself is known very, very severe funding firsthand. so my, i know feels like most of them us know what in the 19 fifties and sixties china

experienced one of the worst famines in history. millions of citizens died. the chinese government has prioritized fluid security ever since you cannot find the government provided economically for the people and in return were able to stay in power. they insure it and economic off turn so that the people thrived. the children are better off than their parents, like you. that was all part of the deal. and of course, and yes, and are we still blower thinks the chinese government is using the f a o for this. 2 countries are not actually allowed to decide exactly what money should be spent on or in which country. but in china is case, this is different for certain projects. the chinese ministry of agriculture gets direct instructions for both project planning and implementation. if you ask colleagues or superiors about it,

they say that's just how it is in china. or is this true? during our research, we came across a project on the f, a, a website in northern allows, 40000 head of cattle were to be vaccinated before they could be exported to china. the program was financed by the chinese ministry of agriculture. we were sent data from the f a o and spent months analyzing it. we found the capital vaccination project in laos with an interesting note. the project is in keeping with the one build one road initiative. that is the new silk road. china is massive initiative launched in 2013

sonata. betsy aim is to realign international relations, trade routes, and connectivity, and ultimately to reshape the world so that china occupies a more central and more powerful position on visor wishing i bought. some of the most important countries are those surrounding china, and that's because it has to go through them. you know, if it can't go through them, china will face a major obstacle and they'll actually not include you. thanks to a major belt and road project. tiny louse is now connected with china via the new railroad line, built by its neighbor. opened in 2021. it takes just under 4 hours to get from the capital vention to the chinese border, some 400 kilometers away the . the new rail connection allows the simple transport not only of people, but also grain, raw materials,

or cattle from neighboring countries into china. but the rail line was expensive. laos is now deeply in debt to china and is on the verge of national bankruptcy. the cloud. meanwhile, china is aggressively promoting the rail line the china is trying to expand its influence in the world, including within un organizations. the data contained information on specific people in the field work. we've nicknamed them spice, that officers are paid by the respective as a member states is not unusual in itself. but there was something striking about

the chinese officers. some are paid by what is known as the china scholarship council. we looked at the website and found a job posting for the f a o. it said that the political ideology of applicants was strictly monitored. applicants had to undergo further training in patriotic values and had to report regularly to the chinese embassy. the primary loyalty is owed to the chinese state and that takes precedence over all other obligations. are all other and loyalties that you might possibly have to keep human show. i'm french economist jones back got uh, has long been observing the f a o key points to another group of people.

yeah. well, who the best and as a fellow the field also he's very is the s i o stock the big which is funded through the funds from the national buttons tool. and then they're all the consultants involved, fairly so many observers and they don't really record it as such and more cost. uh huh. it's not transparent at all to see the sequel. so you don't, it didn't have the loss of these consultants, all the chinese consultants with chinese interns and so on because the discount only is consultants to building up not actually collecting information, goes to be compiling analyses, please. russell must show you clothes. and so the facts of influencing the discourse as to taking places of the fit need. this quote is only and something else struck us. this is the organization chart. we choose the top 2 and his deputies or at the top of the organization chart with the directors

immediately below. the 2 chinese directors at the time of choose election had grown to $61.00 newly appointed director shaw senior. when had joined the chinese government in 2001 since 2021, he has led the f a o department responsible for pesticides we drove to ban switzerland to meet with charles predecessor honey dryer. who now works in public administration. as a subsidy. so we showed him documents and data from the f a o. does his chuckle, 11, please. this is unbelievable. it's almost beyond comprehension. these are dangerous substances because these chemicals are really toxic, not just for the environment to kind of uh, to humans, to being disney. can you,

do you see this during your time? i know no, no, no sign of i own some chemicals were certainly used in my time. oh, sort of. but none that were so dangerous and i'll put down what this is shocking of on those on this. so this is absolutely shocking. so key infinity traits jokey and the documents showed more than $300.00 individual pesticide shipments according to our analysis. the f. a o headquarters in rome issued permits for these shipments between 202020. 23. to use these pesticides as part of f, a o projects and countries of the global. so the key and it took some folks, i'm treat me the quote, brand new 1st 12 very fast and my last and see that these insecticides have been used to combat locust investigations. and but the data also list substances that are not used against low guests. rather pesticides used in everyday agricultural

work on the quote of these hello, besides a seat at all. but i proceed o'clock to these, we'd come into the room. very talk say kind of open binding. the folks in the football or 2 of them desirous done since the most frequently different substance. it's a fungus site that has also been found to use even floods in the hope of aborting die room has been banned in europe. but the f a o approved its delivery to numerous countries in the global south. most shipments have gone to africa. been monetized during my tournament. we conscientiously trying to keep the risk as small as possible 9 votes, and to keep the use of such substances to an absolute minimum to him. but this is

a really astonishing fitness. we also show the data analysis to pesticide expert keith tyrrell, who sits on several f, a o committees. these chemicals are dangerous. they should not be being used by small how the farm is in the global science with limited training, limited access to personal protective equipment, limited oversight, and listed as space is limited access to health care as well. so i'm, i am quite shocked to see an organization like i am promoting these dangerous chemicals in the following systems. the industry often argues that the pesticides are not dangerous if the prescribed protective measures are in place. but in africa, this is often precisely the problem zambia in

mid june, we met with small farm owners to protect their cabbage from insects. they mix up a pesticide cocktail at least they wear rubber boots, though not always when it's $35.00 degrees celsius in the fields. we learned that many of them don't even understand the safety instructions when it comes to visual of poisoning. yes, we've had the experiences. i want the boys on name because we sure didn't dig around the right me. yes. uh definitely. you have some challenges with the game because pesticide poisoning is a major problem in africa. we travel to a hospital in the long way in neighboring malawi, head physician, patrick espo,

described his experiences as a hospital, as we have seen, issued the number of cases reciting from best that we use in the past 3. it's 323 is our goal. wow. so when it caught down, while the cases die, many here are threatened by pesticide poisoning more than half of the population in zambia and malawi, work in agriculture. we went into one of the pesticide shops that appear on every street corner. much of what is for sale here. parent clod, for example, is banned in the you for being to toxic the so the fact that the f a o approves pesticides like pare quite as part of its own projects is surprising.

so the idea that s i o is delivering power required is that is beyond comprehension. there is no excuse for yes, i have to be providing power across this all the following systems with levels of poisoning all 40 percent plus a study published in 2020 found around $1600000.00 cases of pesticide poisoning per year in europe and $8000000.00 in south america, but in africa there were $115000000.00 per year, even though significantly fewer pesticides are used on this continent. then in other parts of the world, the why does the ap a o approve the use of pesticides that are banned in europe due to their toxicity

for its own on site projects? especially when it stresses its commitment to a special program aiming to move away from dependence on pesticides. the f a o left all our questions about specific pesticides and answered but we found a possible explanation. the new york in september 2019 she had just taken office on the sidelines of the united nations general assembly. the director general held a breakfast, meeting with representatives from major food and agricultural companies. here to present it is new program called the hand in hand initiative. the t j,

so it's on demand is to don't use central initiative. i'm too much making is it's most important element doctors can lifting partners with developing countries pass on the f, a o's hand in hand initiative. has the stated aim of helping countries in the global south to develop project investment plans and supplies the countries with a platform to search for potential investors the according to you, an expert max auto bowman. this approach clearly bears chinese hallmarks. this concept of santos. and it meant this mutual benefits is a very interesting central principle of chinese foreign development policy. let me take a take on so development aid is not an obligation pick of but a mutual benefits calculation for both sides benefits of books and cost the

recipients. i'm the investor, i don't want that cable in october 2020 to the f, a o hosted an investment for them in room. welcome to the 1st time you find investment for me. this is a dream come through the something that evicted you know, if they feel is thought it seems. if there's a here i have to fail the hand in hand initiative had become one of the director general. choose most important projects that do not have a hyundai, hon, some all the implementation of a national lead. and the national own basis program is the ex center. the food is system is transformation by your right to get a poverty s b g y. and it has

a monitors here as you too bye, as we do so, you know, qualities during this event, several countries presented potential investment projects among them. so to me and principi, a small island nation of the west african coast, we looked at their project involving the fishing industry, new ports and tourism for which the f l could match up potential investors with the government. but we realized that it could also concern completely different interests. we decided to take a look at the democratic republic of sow to me and principi is a lush island nation. far removed from the tourist hustle and bustle.

a good though. but the small west african archipelago is one of the world's poorest countries. it is heavily in debt. we accompanied a group of f, a o employees to a remote fishing village, the and they were there to take inventory to count and measure boats for their eventual replacement. the, the fisher as were just returning from 10 hours, etc,

in wooden boats like these we were curious to see what they had brought in the catch was meeker yard. again, i'm going to be off. it was pets a just a few years ago that were more efficient. now the big companies from europe and now you should have come close to the coast here with that big net. okay? fishing, everything out. this is where the f a o supported investment project comes in. in the future, the fishermen would be provided with modern fiberglass votes that could be equipped with motors, allowing them to go further out to see this

is where the investors would come into play. in addition to fishing, the investment paper also contained a completely different idea for advancing. so to me and print to pay it referred to this commercial from the 1980s. according to the f o investment paper, this type of branding could be used to attract investors for tourism drove to the sleepy port town of navies. according to the investment plan, one of for new ports was to be built here, including a cruise ship war. if investors could be found, the local residents were skeptical get the most because they have given them. there

are great plans, you simply but then nothing ever happens because the most of the make big promises that they don't see permission. well, met the problem. i just really met them as well as our quick design contracts. wow . but then nothing comes of it so so, so that we, ordinary people can try as hard as we like. people of faith in the end is what we end up with. nothing. with the method was no one here really believes cruise ships will bring droves of taurus to the island in the foreseeable future. so who will ultimately benefit from the new port? the topic of building ports on so to me and prince of pay is not new for the people here in 2015, china announced a new deep sea port construction project at a cost of $800000000.00 us dollars a

year later. so to me and prints the paid cut, it's diplomatic relations with taiwan and establish relations with china. the china is traces are everywhere. at the end of 2021. so to me and principi joined the chinese belt and wrote a glance at the map shows why the small island nation is so attractive for china. it lies in a region where china is influence, is still relatively slight. the boston road project does not, and does not constitute or not directly, at least the atlantic defense. it gets quite of separated from the belt through roads. political analyst, gustavo plus, the total santos focuses on portuguese speaking countries in africa. he is

carefully watching china strategic interest in nations like so. told me and principals. he believes the f o investment paper is actually about something else entirely. this whole project where they have these 5 or 6 chapters, like, uh, industry infrastructure foods. was it like fisheries? as well included, it kind of resembles the belts and roots and internationally sponsors belts or roads to which they can channel influence and resources to to products that can actually, the benefit of china is a global logistics and mentions is the hand in hand initiative. not only concerned with improving the lives of the people on so to me and principal is china really exploiting the f a o for its own geo strategic interests?

now we're at the panama canal. one of the world's most important trade routes. china, is it the 2nd largest client after the us here to a project idea has been floated that could benefit chinese interests. the f a o is looking for investors for a panama food hub initiative here. green from brazil, for example, could be stored here temporarily before being shipped onward to asia. the china has been investing along the panama canal for years. but according to latin america expert evan ellis. others are leading the way internationally in agricultural product, shipping. the panama canal has really never been used as an agricultural distribution hub. it has been used for ships that are carrying agricultural goods

that need to transit from atlantic ports of like there's a brazil and argentina to pacific destinations like china. but the magic of this proposal from a chinese strategic perspective is it leverages a united nations organization and the government of panama to create something that would give the chinese an advantage that they could not get directly in the market through competition or acquisitions. the experts agree that the f, a o's hand in hand initiative, could become a driving force behind china as built and road project. and there's more back in 2022 with already one year into his position at the f, a o. the woman next to him is the then ceo of cop life international. the largest agro chemical industry interest group with members including their and b, s f, the,

the document. and the photo shows the new partnership that has just been concluded between f a o and crop life. crop life international street is a drop life international has been striving for some time to negotiate a partnership agreement with the they have to minus i thought that is how creative so that was true in my time as well. so i know when they made another effort to get such a partnership agreement to go as a shelf top committee for that was an absolute no go in my day on and off to do it . there's no go to mine inside the chairman of the board of directors of crop life is here on the left. eric fear, walt head of the chinese state owned syngenta agro chemical group in the same year, the f. a o entered into another partnership with syngenta itself. for you, i'm from the for human or individual crop protection companies on so that was completely

i'm think of buttons and to, to meet with him and all the thomas jefferson general. have you heard back then that would have been impossible. 9 alan roscoe was the f o official responsible for crop protection in latin america and the caribbean for many years. so we asked him what these agreements mean for you in organization like the f a o. to no longer are we in a spot where we can discuss with member countries that human health hazards are pesticides and with the companies and play this role of neutral broker that is so important for f, a l for you and to play. now this partnership with a couple i for nephew out destroys that completely because now there we are. you know, there's the director general smiling with the head of crop life saying we're in this strategic partnership together. and we're moving forward together. well, to me as sense just the wrong image and message to everybody that i say it was no longer an honest

a neutral broker. as we went through pesticides shipment data that could be traced to specific companies, one firm stood out. the chinese state owned syngenta the how could the as a oh, change its course on pesticides so drastically? the frequent answer is that the u. s. also wants more corporate influence. i think that's the space that the us in china is sort of agreed you within the field that we can work together because we have common interest. here we ask the f a o for a statement regarding the partnership with crop life. we were told that there were no legal, financial or other obligations, and that the f a o is currently reviewing all existing partnerships.

the, as professor decides shipments, we were told only that the active ingredients must be approved in the recipient. the country, in certain cases, safer alternatives were being explored. we would have liked to interview to don't you or a representative, but we were refused. many of our questions remain on answered the to the how big i go. flock the finish, we have a letter with us tested. i mean, what does that stalls? yeah. hops, you could always connect, let's say, what comes to mind? let's say it was the best thing that's one time that was the time is about one. interesting to see ok. an experiment

the next f a o director general will be elected starting july 1st i, they liked us on loss in your opinion. what will happen or china will stay in the driver's seat shy to live. this isn't the probable it is up in violence k cause there are no other candidates in spring 20233 candidates were in the running for the next election. then the candidates from tajikistan and iraq mysteriously withdrew. and to don't you was in fact elected for a 2nd term for me personally, it's a bitter disappointment that the european union, even in cooperation with the us, did not manage to put forward a candidate for the new election. that is inc. comprehensible to me. our request for an interview was refused by the german ministry of agriculture. we

were told in writing that any instrument tele, ization of the f, a o for unilateral interests is unacceptable. so, what happens now? past past 10 books as to what happens now depends on how other countries position themselves, how much they show that f a o policy is important to down us or to see and that they won't just look away from us. i think i don't see your job if you look at what has happened and what could happen that could well be an intensification of chinese and for the jeffrey also, she was the

the effort to have some good ideas for sustainability cape. i'm coming down the latest innovation the travels across the country for the do you need accelerator land to talk to inventors and promote sustainable development in the 1st few minutes on the w book, the environment, trends,

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[000:00:00;00] the daily news long from berlin. ukraine says sunk another ship from russia's black, safely cape claims to have destroyed a large navy vessel off the occupied crumb and peninsula. well, here's nato's assessment of what happened. also coming up, international calls grow for israel to the lay of the plan to solved on roughly over a 1000000 people are seeking refuge and the border city with know where to go, where he is in grave concern for their safety. we have an exclusive report from our correspondent there and unofficial figures in indonesia selection support from both