Press Release | August 28, 2001 | From PEASANT MEETING, 26-27 August 2001, Bangkok, Thailand
We are peasants from 20 peasant organizations and Via Campesina, from 4 Southeast Asian countries-Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines-who have gathered in Bangkok, and talked about the impact of globalization on our lives as small farmers. We are having the same problems among us such as intensifying landlessness, Genetic Modified Organisms (GMO), Patenting on life forms, dumping, low prices of the agricultural products, withdrawal of protection, the monoculture system, peasant rights violations etc.
We realize that the common problems that we have are spawned by neo-liberal globalization, which further worsens global hunger. It has devastated the livelihoods of millions of peasants, and woman peasants, as a result of policies most particularly of agricultural trade and financial liberalization, deregulation and privatization.
This peasant meeting is among the series of activities to bring peasants position on WFS+5 in Rome and the fourth Ministerial meeting of WTO in Qatar.
The World Trade Organization is mainly to blame for this catastrophe as its policies promote the business interests of transnational corporations. It has opened agricultural markets to the importation of apparently cheap, but unhealthy food. But this is resulting in the dependency and domination by food and agrichemical TNCs, resulting in the displacement of domestic food and agricultural sectors.
The negative impacts of the Agreement on Agriculture has drawn imports of cheap products, more production for export, intensifying monopoly control, increasing landless, increasing unemployment, increasing poverty and eroding food sovereignty.
Under the stewardship of the governments of the G8 countries, the globalization process has only benefited transnational corporations and the elites of our countries who have been increasingly taking control of the natural resources and land from the toiling peasant. Agriculture is increasingly being corporatized resulting in greater promotion of monopoly control of our food production and distribution.
The alternative solution that we would like to call for is food sovereignty. Food sovereignty is the right of a people and its nation to define their own agricultural and food policy, which take precedence over any macro economic policies. It is the right of each nation to maintain and develop its capacity to produce its basic food for a balance diet, respecting cultural and productive diversity. As a conclusion we resolve our demands with "End Global Hunger! WTO Out of Agriculture!".
The Peasant Meeting participants: Via Campesina, Federation of Indonesian Peasant Union (FSPI), Aceh Peasant Union (PERMATA), North Sumatera Peasant Union (SPSU), South Sumatera Peasant Union (SPSS), Jambi Peasant Union (PERTAJAM), Lampung Peasant Union (SPL), West Java Peasant Union (SPJB), Pasundan Peasant Union (SPP), Central Java Peasant Union (SPJP), East Java Peasant Union (SP Jatim), Education and Research Association for Consumer (ERA Consumer), Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Assembly of the Poor, Northern Farmer Alliance, Federation of Northern Peasant, Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN), Community Forest Network, Slump Network in Four Regions, and Assembly of Moon River Watershed.
For more information: Ms. Walaiporn Od-ompanich, RRAFA, 86, Ladprao 110, Sonthiwattana 2, Wangthonglang district, BKK 10310, Thailand. Tel: (66-2) 935 2981-4, Fax: (66-2) 935 2980, Email: rrafa@loxinfo.co.thPress Release:
