COASAD - Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires - ETCgroup - Focus on the Global South - Foodfirst Institute - Friends of the Earth - GRAIN - IATP - IBON - Public Citizen - Via Campesina

The organisations hope to gain broad support for this proposal and ask other organisations to sign up to the proposal and put it forward to national governments and the international institutions.

The undersigned organisations are part of the coalition "Our world is not for sale: WTO sink or shrink" and have developed a specific proposal concerning agriculture and trade defining the concept of peoples’ food sovereignty - the right of peoples to define their own agriculture and food policies.

Peoples food sovereignty is a call to governments to adopt policies that promote sustainable, family-farm based production rather than industry-led, high-input and export oriented production. This entails adequate prices for all farmers, supply-management, abolishment of all forms of export support, and the regulation of imports to protect domestic food production. All food products should comply with high environmental, social and health quality standards. This includes a ban on GMOs and food irradiation. Peoples’ food sovereignty also includes equitable access to land, seeds, water and other productive resources as well as a prohibition on patenting of life.

The WTO has shown again more in the run up to the Doha-ministerial meeting that it is an entirely inappropriate institution to address issues of agriculture and food. The undersigned do not believe, and this has been confirmed by the undemocratic character of preparations leading up to the Doha Ministerial, that the WTO will engage in profound reform.

We affirm the demands made in other civil society statements such as Our World is Not for Sale: WTO-Shrink or Sink, and Stop the GATS Attack Now. We urge governments to immediately take the following steps:

1. Cease negotiations to initiate a new round of trade liberalisation and halt discussions to bring 'new issues' into the WTO.
2. Initiate measures to remove food and agriculture from under the control of the WTO through the dismantling of the AoA, and through the removal or amendment of relevant clauses in other WTO agreements.
3. Initiate discussions on an alternative international framework on the sustainable production and trade of food and agricultural goods. This alternative frame work should include:

• A reformed and strengthened United Nations (UN), which is committed to protecting the fundamental rights of all peoples, and being the appropriate forum to develop and negotiate rules for sustainable production and fair trade;
• An independent dispute settlement mechanism integrated within an international Court of Justice, especially to prevent dumping.
• A World Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Sovereignty should be established. One of the first tasks of the Commission would be a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of trade liberalisation on food sovereignty and security, and develop proposals for change,
• An international, legally binding Treaty that defines the rights of peasants and small producers to the assets, resources and legal protections they need to be able to exercise their right to produce; such a treaty could be framed within the UN Human Rights framework, and linked to already existing relevant UN conventions.
• An International Convention that replaces the current Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and relevant clauses from other WTO agreements. The Convention would implement within an international policy frame work, the concept of food sovereignty and the basic human rights of all peoples to safe and healthy food, decent and full rural employment, labour rights and protection, and a healthy, rich and diverse natural environment and incorporate rules on the production and trade of food and agriculture commodities;

These proposals are a clear sign of the determination that unites social movements and other civil society actors world-wide in their struggle to democratise international policies, and to work towards institutions that are capable of embracing and defending sustainable approaches to food and agriculture.

COASAD
Christine Andela Tel: +237-96 32 58, Fax: +237 22 86 55 Email: andelac@yahoo.com

Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires
Marek Poznanski Tel. + 32-2-412 06 61 / Fax: + 32-2-412 06 66, Email: csa@csa-be.org

ETCgroup (formerly RAFI)
Sylvia Ribeiro Tel: +1-204-453-5259, Fax: +1-204-284-7871, Email: etc@etcgroup.org

Focus on the Global South
Shalmali Guttal Telephone: +66-2- 218 7363-5, Email: s.guttl@focusweb.org

Foodfirst/Institute for Food and Development Policy
Peter Rosset tel: +1-510-654-4400 x224, fax: +1-253-295-5257 Email: rosset@foodfirst.org

Friends of the Earth
Alberto Villarreal (Latin America,Caribbean): Tel/fax: +5982-902 2355 or +5982-908 2730, Email: comerc@redes.org.uy
Tim Rice (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): Tel. + 44 20 7566 1603 Email: timr@foe.co.uk
GRAIN
Henk Hobbelink: Tel: +34-93-301 1381 Fax: +34-93-301- 1627 Email: grain@grain.org

IATP- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Mark Ritchie tel: +1-612-870 3454 Email: mritchie@iatp.org

IBON Foundation Inc.
Rosario Bella Guzman,Antonio Tujan Jr. tel +63-27142737,fax +63-27160108 Email: atujan@ibon.org

Public Citizen's Energy and Environment Program
Wenonah Hauter: phone +1-202-454-5150 email: whauter@citizen.org

Via Campesina
Paul Nicholson (CPE): Phone/Fax: +34-9-46 252641, Email: pnicholson@ehne.org
Dena Hoff (NFFC): Phone +1-406 687-3645, Email: dena@midrivers.com
Arne Vinje (NBS): Phone +47-2242-4600 Email: post@smabrukarlaget.no
Rafael Mariano (KMP): kmp@quickweb.com.ph
Micheal Hart (SFFA): Tel.+44-1276 843647, Fax +44-1276 843630 Email: michael@mhart.fsbusiness.co.uk