Thin from Thin Ink

news.thin-ink.netFive Years of DarknessThe fight to keep Myanmar’s stories alive

30 Jan

✍ Sunday, Feb 1, marks 5 years since the military staged a coup in Myanmar, plunging the country back into authoritarian rule & pushing a lively, hard‑won media ecosystem underground. Independent journalism is still standing, but only just. 👉 news.thin-ink.net/p/five-years...

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

kite-tales.orgNowhere to hide

20h

Replying to @kitetalesmm.bsky.social

Diary from a Magway village preparing for a novice initiation ceremony - no fighting, no revolutionary troops - when a jet fighter bombed it. The then-head of military is now "president" after a sham election, and who neighbouring countries are rushing to legitimise. kite-tales.org/en/article/n...

news.thin-ink.netFrom charity to a legal right: what Britain must do next on foodGuest post from a member of the Right to Food UK Commission

It’s a packed week for me, with back-to-back meetings and workshops, which is why I mixed up time zones and published this week's Thin Ink an hour earlier than usual! So I'm grateful to Angela Carriedo for writing a guest post that is both timely and poignant. news.thin-ink.net/p/from-chari...

Angela & fellow members of Right to Food UK Commission spent the past year gathering evidence & travelling across rural and urban areas of UK, listening to nearly 2,500 people. These are her reflections, showing that while hunger is critical, it should be rooted in legal rights, not charity.

news.thin-ink.netOur Chemical RomancesA World Food Day roundup of reports, with a heavy dose of agrochemicals

For this week's Thin Ink, which falls on World Food Day, I did a round up of interesting reports that have come my way, but if you thought the flavour was decidedly non-organic, you're not wrong. news.thin-ink.net/p/our-chemic...

news.thin-ink.netUs vs. the SystemWhat farmers and food executives are both trying to tell us

It’s not “you” vs. “me” or “us” vs. “them”. It’s "us" vs. the system. This week's Thin Ink is about two very different kinds of food systems insiders, from Kenyan farmers to UK food executives, who are saying surprisingly similar things. news.thin-ink.net/p/us-vs-the-...

I wrote about people resisting the system from the ground up, I also included quotes from thought leaders who are supporting these food producers, and I then looked at the memo from senior professionals at major UK food companies. It's a long issue, but I hope you'll read it in full.

iccr.orgInvestor Groups Backed by $8T in AUM Press Food & Bev Companies to Halt Litigation Delaying Public Health Laws - Interfaith Center on Corporate ResponsibilityCall follows release of report detailing costs of extensive lawfare attacks on duly enacted public health policies. NEW YORK, NY, Wednesday, September 30, 2026 – The Interfaith Center on Corporate Res...

Our investigation, Big Food vs. The People, revealed how food and beverage companies sue governments to stop public health policies. Now, two responsible investment organisations coordinating large coalitions of investors are calling the corporations to stop. www.iccr.org/investor-gro...

Full statement here: www.iccr.org/wp-content/u... Thank you, ICCR and ShareAction for putting people's health before profits!

iccr.orgiccr.org

news.thin-ink.netChoke PointsHow physical and digital surveillance & silencing dissent strangle our humanity

I'd planned to write this week about Terra Madre, food, people, & hope. Instead, 2 FAO videos landed on my lap & my Lighthouse colleagues published investigation into Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank. news.thin-ink.net/p/choke-points

thenewhumanitarian.orgA senior FAO official on the price he paid for speaking out on GazaBenjamin Davis says the FAO forced him out because of his work on Gaza. In an interview, he discusses why he’s not staying silent and what others can do.

So I ended up writing about control over movement, data, information & dissent, & what that means for food, human rights & humanitarian work. Terra Madre will appear next week. 2 accompanying pieces to read: www.thenewhumanitarian.org/interview/20... www.lighthousereports.com/investigatio...

I understand this speech was delivered during last week's conference on One Health, on Monday evening (Sep 21), and that this video is genuine. Benjamin has spoken & written publicly about the dire levels of hunger in Gaza & the blockade of humanitarian aid. I've asked the FAO for comment.

Vijay Prashad@vijayprashad.bsky.social

This is Benjamin Davis, the @fao.org Director of the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division. He has been asked to retire because he protested the starvation policy of Apartheid Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

news.thin-ink.net“The Opacity Is The Point”Agribusiness Financial Complex and other food notes from NY Climate Week

This post is coming a little late because I was moderating a plenary session at Slow Food Terra Madre 2026 when this went out yesterday. Did you know that… - 100 world’s largest companies by global food & agri revenue had $4.5 trillion in revenue in 2022? news.thin-ink.net/p/the-opacit...

- Three asset managers alone own 22% of the shares in these companies, while if you widen that to 20 asset managers and a sovereign wealth fund, the ownership rises to 41%? - Just 20 grain, fertiliser, meat, and dairy companies paid shareholders $53.5 billion in 2021-2022?

These are the findings of Food, Land & Money, a report by Friends of the Earth U.S., launched on Tuesday, Sep 22, during the NY Climate Week. I dived into the findings with Jeff Conant for this week's newsletter. But I also came away energised and wrote about people and projects that galvanised me.

news.thin-ink.netThe Shock Is Only Half The StoryTwo new studies on resilience, market power, and government effectiveness

18 Sept

New research: a bigger shock ≠ worse hunger. What matters is government effectiveness, food supply diversity & social capital. Study 2 explains why "government effectiveness" critical: dominant traders enjoying 40-80% margins on maize & soybeans in E. & S. Africa. news.thin-ink.net/p/the-shock-...

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

kite-tales.orgFrom a Policeman to Pen-Wielding Journalist

16 Sept

Replying to @kitetalesmm.bsky.social

Myanmar's opposition span every walk of life. Here is a story of a young Chin man who became a policeman due to a lack of job opportunities at home, and ended up joining the resistance and becoming a journalist. #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar kite-tales.org/en/article/p...

news.thin-ink.netHow Paul McCartney Almost Killed MeEd Wanderley built a career writing about human rights, science, and health. Then his own heart attack made him the story.

11 Sept

For this week's Thin Ink, we’re still in Brazil, speaking to Ed Wanderley, Brasília-based editor for @apublica.org Agência Pública, whose story starts at a concert, ends up in an ICU stay, and turned into an investigation of the food and pharmaceutical industries. news.thin-ink.net/p/how-paul-m...

news.thin-ink.netBrazil Is Off the Hunger Map. Food Is Still on the Ballot.What’s at stake in the upcoming elections

11 Sept

This was last week's issue, also on brazil. This is a perk of working at Lighthouse: getting to collaborate with brilliant journalists from all over the world, many of whom we'd probably not cross paths with, simply because their work isn't published in English. news.thin-ink.net/p/brazil-is-...

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

8 Sept

Replying to @kitetalesmm.bsky.social

"The night was a long & restless one: for the prison staff, for (those) in the dormitories, and certainly for me too. I distinctly remember a quiet, dark, & heavy atmosphere." A former political prisoner recalls the day the junta executed Ko Jimmy & Phyo Zeya Thaw. kite-tales.org/en/article/d...

kite-tales.orgA Dark Day

news.thin-ink.netBrazil Is Off the Hunger Map. Food Is Still on the Ballot.What’s at stake in the upcoming elections

4 Sept

Last week, I wrote about how political shifts can threaten public health policies. This week's guest post, by Thalita Pires, editor of @ojoioeotrigo.bsky.social, vividly illustrates how Brazil’s elections next month could affect both hunger & nutritional outcomes. news.thin-ink.net/p/brazil-is-...

lighthousereports.comBig Food vs. The PeopleWe expose Big Food’s 239 lawsuits against life-saving policies

4 Sept

Meaning “The Chaff and The Wheat”, O Joio e O Trigo is an independent news outlet focusing on food systems. It does great work & was one of our two Brazilian media partners for Big Food vs. The People investigation. www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/big-food-vs-the-people/

4 Sept

In this compelling piece, Thalita argues that while Brazil’s exit last year from the Hunger Map is worth celebrating, it masks harder questions about power, policies, and democratic values. And the gains could easily be undone by a change in government.

news.thin-ink.netWhat 18 Months Of Chasing Big Food Lawsuits Taught MeIncluding why getting a law passed is just the beginning and the fight over NOVA is a red herring

28 Aug

For my first issue after summer, I'm focusing on what I learnt from working on Big Food vs. The People investigation, after months and months of tracking down legal documents, reading up on public health policy & speaking to folks around the world. news.thin-ink.net/p/what-18-mo...

28 Aug

1. Getting a law passed isn’t the end of the battle. It's the start of a new one. 2. Political shifts can threaten public health policies. Even if the industry loses the lawsuits, they can still win when political winds change. 3. The fight over NOVA is a red herring and a distraction.

28 Aug

4. The “nanny state” charge is similarly disingenuous. 5. We live in a terrible investment system that rewards increases in shareholder values instead of a healthier, fairer, or more sustainable society, so what do we do when the incentive structure is broken?

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

Owen Jones

@owenjones.bsky.social

14 Aug

Jason Arday has been found dead. The obsessive media focus on this one man - as if it was one of the biggest scandals in history - was disproportionate beyond belief. Push notifications, top headlines, constant investigations. And now he is dead.

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

kite-tales.orgThe Pork Offal Skewer Stall

5 Aug

Replying to @kitetalesmm.bsky.social

A diary from the Myanmar-Thai border, where a plate of pork offal skewers on sticks becomes a rare taste of home. A new fellow in Kayin State waxes lyrical about the joys of eating the typical & beloved street snack. kite-tales.org/en/article/p... #whatshappeninginmyanmar #journalism #myanmar

news.thin-ink.netWhat’s In A Label?The battle over food labels and healthy diets

Do you need a maths degree to read a food label? Kind of! This week's Thin Ink digs into the global fight over front-of-pack labelling, the single policy that has drawn more industry lawsuits than any other in our Big Food vs. The People investigation. news.thin-ink.net/p/whats-in-a...

And I tie it to the UN's brand-new SOFI 2026 report: - Average global cost of a healthy diet has ⬆️, out of reach of 2.69 billion people (1/3rd of humanity), - Anaemia in women is worsening in nearly all regions, & - Adult obesity now affects 16.2% of global population (it was 12.1% in 2012).

We are boxed in by rising costs of nutritious foods on the one hand & powerful companies making it hard for us to determine if what we can afford is healthy. Full issue: news.thin-ink.net/p/whats-in-a... Also, I'm taking a break & will be back the week of August 24. Stay cool and safe.

news.thin-ink.netWhat’s In A Label?The battle over food labels and healthy diets

There are a dozen different systems around the world (warning labels, grades, star ratings, endorsement logos), as this image from the Global Food Research Program at UNC-Chapel Hill shows. www.globalfoodresearchprogram.org/resource/fro... I did a video about it: www.instagram.com/reel/DbS3H1j...

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

kite-tales.orgPrison gates

27 July

Replying to @kitetalesmm.bsky.social

A diary from outside Insein Prison's gates, where every Myanmar New Year, the military junta pardon prisoners at a whim. Our fellow stood among them, months after her own release, searching a crowd of strangers for names she recognised from inside. kite-tales.org/en/article/p...

news.thin-ink.netBig Food vs. The People239 lawsuits. 595 years of litigation. One playbook.

24 July

595 years. That is the combined length of litigation governments have had to fight just to defend basic public health policies against UPF giants. Yes, this week's Thin Ink is all about the investigation @lighthousereports.com published two days ago. news.thin-ink.net/p/big-food-v...

accesstonutrition.orgWebinar | Strategic Litigation for Food Policy - From Industry and Advocacy Perspectives

24 July

Across 6 countries, our investigation uncovered 239 lawsuits designed to delay, dilute, or block front-of-pack labels, soda taxes, and advertising restrictions. I’ll be speaking about the finding at this webinar next Tuesday. Do join us if you can: accesstonutrition.org/event/webina...

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

Natalie Bennett

@nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social

22 July

#BigFood - out-of-control, causing huge damage to #PublicHealth, and fiercely opposed to the public interest. A few profit and the rest of us pay www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

theguardian.com‘If all else fails, sue’: how ultra-processed food firms are using the courts to obstruct health rulesExclusive: Global investigation reveals 235 lawsuits have been brought against governments in five countries since 2010

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

Emmanuel Freudenthal

@emmanfre.bsky.social

22 July

Latest investigation with @thinink.bsky.social, give it a read. Our food increasingly makes us sick, and we found that when governments try to protect us, they get sued by big food companies like Coke & Pepsi. The lawsuits add up to nearly six centuries! www.lighthousereports.com/investigatio...

lighthousereports.comBig Food vs. The PeopleWe expose Big Food’s 239 lawsuits against life-saving policies

news.thin-ink.netWho Slaughters the Competition?2.5 years after violent protests, a look at what’s actually threatening French cattle farmers

17 July

This week's issue is a little late because I was waiting for a groundbreaking investigation by colleagues at @lighthousereports.com to be published. I return to a recurring theme: corporate concentration & power that benefits the few at the expense of the many. news.thin-ink.net/p/who-slaugh...

17 July

Many of you may recall the European farmers' protests of early 2024, over EU-Mercosur, low incomes, red rape, & unjust distribution of subsidies. Yet the lasting tangible outcome has been the dismantling of green policies. I've often wondered: Are environmental standards really the cause ?

lighthousereports.comCut to the Bone: Farmers at the mercy of the meat monopolists - Lighthouse ReportsHow state authorities put France’s farmers at the mercy of an industrial giant

17 July

Well, @margotgibbs.bsky.social, Charles Boutaud, and Le Monde's Raphaëlle Aubert reveals how an increasingly concentrated market have left French cattle farmers with less choice, less bargaining power, & less money. Have a read! www.lighthousereports.com/investigatio...

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF)

@oslofreedomforum.com

9 July

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, journalist and co-founder of The Kite Tales @thinink.bsky.social reflected on returning home during Burma's democratic opening, voting for the first time, and the fragile hope that emerged in the interval between decades of military rule and the 2021 coup.

news.thin-ink.netTrade, Law, & LivestockAn extension of last week’s theme + does the EU want to feed the world, or sell expensive prosciutto?

10 July

I'm in the throes of a monster deadline, so this week's Thin Ink is shorter than usual. But I still couldn't let the week pass without writing about: - trade law, one of the things that I think is chronically underrepresented in food systems conversations, news.thin-ink.net/p/trade-law-...

10 July

- EU's 1st-ever livestock policy, fresh off Brussels' corridors of power, which has some good news (phasing out caged farming), some bad news (environmental front), & some disingenuous framing (where selling luxury European foods to wealthy consumers become "contributing to global food security").

news.thin-ink.netThe Invisible Hand Making You SickCommercial Determinants of Health sounds like academic jargon. It isn’t.

3 July

Commercial Determinants of Health sounds like academic jargon. It isn't. It means: your health isn't just shaped by your choices. It's shaped by what's available, affordable, & relentlessly marketed to you by companies with deeper pockets than most governments. news.thin-ink.net/p/the-invisi...

3 July

Did you know that experts say 70% of your health status is determined by these factors. Only 10% by individual behaviour? Yet the "personal responsibility" framing is still winning the political argument. Because industry spends billions making sure it does.

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

kite-tales.orgLiving in Fear

1 July

Replying to @kitetalesmm.bsky.social

A diary from a border town that has become increasingly lawless, leaving people afraid to even help each other and living in mutual suspicion instead. Our fellow experienced this first-hand when she had a motorcycle accident. kite-tales.org/en/article/l...

news.thin-ink.netFood As Commons for BeginnersA Conversation with Jose Luis Vivero Pol

26 June

What if one of the biggest problems with modern food systems is that we value food almost entirely by price? I spoke with @joseluisvivero.bsky.social about food as a commons, what the “tragedy of the commons” gets wrong, & how food might be governed differently. news.thin-ink.net/p/food-as-co...

news.thin-ink.netFarming’s Triple LossWasted fertiliser billions, rice paddies' rising emissions, & regen captured by Big Food

DYK that... - European farms spent €16.4 billion on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser that never reached crops? - GHG emissions from rice paddies have doubled over past 70 years, making it one of agriculture’s biggest & least discussed climate problems? My latest: news.thin-ink.net/p/farmings-t...

DYK that... - Products in U.S. with regenerative food labels may not necessarily mean they're free of synthetic pesticides & fertilisers, or care about soil health? - Big Food is reshaping the meaning of regenerative agriculture in ways that could allow business as usual to continue?

@kellymacnamara.bsky.social

What does this all mean? Many of the systems underpinning modern agriculture are extraordinarily wasteful, increasingly vulnerable, and remarkably good at reinventing themselves without changing very much at all. The good news? Alternatives already exist — and are already working.

Thin from Thin Ink reposted

Kelly Macnamara