European farmer protests persist, drawing global attention. While marking the International Day of Peasant Struggles, Korean farmers held a cross-continental dialogue titled ‘Why are European Farmers Protesting?’ to study the context of this protest that resonates with the lived realities of Korean peasants.
Europe today has around 9 million farms, down from 15 million in 2003, and the average age of farmers is 57 years old. They struggle to access seeds, land, water and the market. Public policies prioritise market interests and corporate profits over human rights and feeding the population.
“We join the struggle of the peasants of El Seibo who were dispossessed by landowners with the support of government officials in that area. We stand with the peasants of Monte Grande, involuntarily evicted from their lands due to the construction of the dam…”
17 April 2024 – Today is the International Day of Peasant Struggles. A moment when we, La Via Campesina, commemorate the 28th anniversary of the El Dorado de Carajás Massacre in Brazil and denounce the impunity with which peasant and indigenous people are harassed, attacked and criminalized around the world.
ESAFF Uganda proudly joins the global community in commemorating the International Day of Peasant Struggles, a day that honors the resilience and sacrifices of small-scale farmers worldwide. On this significant day, ESAFF Uganda stands in unwavering solidarity with all those currently facing violent repression and unjust criminalization of their struggles.
In 1979, the state-owned sugar company PG Rajawali II earmarked the land for sugarcane plantations, igniting a prolonged dispute between peasant families and the corporation. Some were forcefully evicted, others reluctantly entered partnerships with the sugar company, while a resilient few refused to yield.
Driven by an expansion of the industrial food system, including global sourcing and retail structures, and corporate concentration and power within this system, Ultra Processed Food are replacing fresh and minimally processed foods and home-cooked meals in our diets. Dietary patterns are becoming increasingly homogenized and culinary traditions are disappearing.
In Haiti, the anti-colonial struggle remains intertwined with geopolitics. Facing existential challenges, Haitians seek emancipation and sovereignty. International solidarity is vital to counter dominant imperialist forces hindering true independence.
Data from FEGA shows women-owned farms receive disproportionately less CAP aid than men, with only 27.5% of direct aid and 26.34% of Rural Development aid. Women farmers face marginalization due to smaller sizes and ineligible production.
“The latest case, the Pong Khunpet Dam, is an example of how even though the dam construction is complete, the people refuse to move out because the government did not provide them with new land. The dam is not working completely, but they opened the water gate a little, which is causing flooding in the community.”
The 5th of April 2024, the UN Human Rights Council officially appointed the five experts. This marks a significant milestone in advancing the implementation of the rights enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. This achievement is important to rural organizations advocating for their rights.
La Via Campesina and Union of Agricultural Work Committees call upon the people of the world to join global actions in solidarity with Palestine on the 13th of April – the Global Mobilisation Day. Many actions are planned including Global Fasting- a symbolic action to encourage all of us to pause and reflect on what is happening in Gaza.
March witnessed global mobilization for International Working Women’s Day, emphasizing the vital roles of peasant and indigenous women in sustaining communities and feeding the world. From Brazil to Australia, women rallied against injustice, violence, and climate crises, demanding rights, land access, and recognition for their contributions to food sovereignty and social justice.
The signatories express discontent with the IMF’s dismissive attitude towards civil society concerns, urging for transparent and participatory decision-making processes concerning reforms, particularly in debt restructuring. They are demanding a reduction in the country’s debt burden through a fair and transparent process, including the identification and cancellation of odious debt.
Listening to the voices of Palestinian women is fundamental to understand the historical and current forms of genocide against the Palestinian people. They addressed how genocide is not simply about numbers, but an orchestrated policy. Genocide is an attack on the bases that sustain life: land, bodies, the everyday work of production and reproduction of Palestinian life.
On this March 30th, Land Day for Palestine, we issue an unequivocal demand for the immediate cessation of the Israeli-led genocide against the Palestinian people. As we mark the 48th anniversary of Eternal Land Day, we stand in solemn remembrance amid the ongoing, brutal campaign of annihilation carried out by Israeli occupation forces.
Since December 10th, day in which Javier Milei came into power of the Presidency, Argentina has been living a democratic deterioration process of the State institutions and a wide range of policies that result in an economic recession process that is suffered by the working class. 20.6% suffer from food insecurity and the consumers have paid 5.2 times more than the price paid to the producers.
This unjust, illegal and exclusionary policy directly and daily affects the life, development and well-being of the Cuban population. The tightening of the blockade has caused a deficit in the capacity of electricity generation, affected the transportation and distribution of food, among many other damages.
La Via Campesina Brazil has publicly expressed its total rejection of the European Union – Mercosur Agreement. This Agreement represents a setback for Brazil and the Mercosur countries in terms of socio-economic development, as well as a frontal attack on their sovereignty.
ECVC farmers will mobilise for a third time in Brussels on the 26 March demanding an adequate response to our key demands centred on fair incomes and fair prices for farmers and farm workers.
