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Published on Monday, 10 December 2012 14:40
Call to Support La Via Campesina
1993-2013: 20 years of Struggle
IN 2013, La Via Campesina will celebrate its 20th Anniversary.
Almost 20 years ago, in 1993 a group of farmers’ representatives –
women and men - from the four continents gave birth to the movement at a
meeting in Mons, Belgium. At that time, agricultural policies and
agribusiness were becoming globalized and small farmers needed to
develop a common vision and organize the struggle to defend it.
Small-scale farmers’ organizations also wanted their voices to be heard
and to participate directly in the decisions that were affecting their
lives. Over the last 20 years the local struggles of national
organizations have been strengthened by being a part of this vibrant
international peasant movement, inspired by a common struggle and the
solidarity and support from other organisations.
La Via Campesina is now recognized as a main actor in global food and
agricultural debates. It is heard by many global institutions such as
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United
Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN
Committee on Food Security (CFS) and the UN Human Rights Council, The
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is broadly recognized among
other social movements from local to global level.
La Via Campesina has become a key global movement. It now comprises
about 150 local and national farmers’ organizations in 70 countries from
Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Altogether representing about
200 million farmers united in a common struggle to realize food
sovereignty.
This includes:
- the defense of a food system that brings healthy food to local populations and provides livelihoods to local communities;
- the promotion of peasant-based agroecological model of food
production primarily for local markets that will sustain food supplies,
equitably and sustainably, now and for future generations;
- the recognition of the right of women and men peasants worldwide,
who currently feed 70% of the world’s peoples, to have a dignified life
without threat of criminalization;
- ensuring their access to natural wealth – land, water, seed, livestock breeds – needed for agroecological food production;
- the rejection of the corporate agribusiness, the neoliberal model of
agriculture and the instruments and commercial pressures that support
it;
La Via Campesina has taken significant steps in promoting food
sovereignty and small holder, peasant-based sustainable food production
as a solution to the current multiple global crises. Food Sovereignty is
at the heart of the changes needed to build the future we want, and is
the only real path that can possibly feed all of humanity while honoring
the rights of Mother Earth. For food sovereignty to work, however, we
still need genuine agrarian reform, which will change the systems and
structural relations that govern resources such as land, seeds and
water. As the climate crisis has deepened, we have made clear, in
numerous global forums, that our forms of small-scale sustainable
agroecological production cool the planet, care for ecosystems, provide
jobs and secure the food supply for the poorest. La Via Campesina is
convinced that in order to create deep social change we must build and
strengthen our alliances with other sectors of society.
Help us to intensify these efforts over the coming years
- To increase advocacy for food sovereignty with both global institutions and with national governments.
- To make farmers voices heard all over the world through enhanced communications
- To cool the planet by expanding sustainable peasant agriculture through agroecology.
- To preserve biodiversity and defend seed sovereignty through support for farmer to farmer seed exchanges.
- To strengthen Women’s and Youth leadership for food sovereignty.
- To increase the struggle to recover people's natural resources: land, water and seeds.
- Your financial contribution contributes to a food system based on solidary and dignity
La Via Campesina needs funds to carry on its huge task of organizing
farmers around the world to defend people's rights to eat and to produce
food without destroying the planet. Your contribution for our 20th
anniversary fund will make a difference!
You can make an on-line donation using PayPal
Or make a bank transfer
Account holder: ASOCIACIÓN LURBIDE – EL CAMINO DE LA TIERRA
Address: Murueta, 6 – 48.220 Abadiño (Bizkaia) – Basque Country
Country: Spain
Name of the bank: IPAR KUTXA
Account number: 3084 0023 5964 0006 0447
IBAN: ES74 3084 0023 5964 0006 0447
SWIFT/BIC: CVRVES2B
Who is la Via Campesina?
The international peasant's voice
More on
www.viacampesina.org
