2024 | August Newswrap: Updates from Member Organizations Worldwide
August was marked by the resilience and empowerment of communities in the face of the challenges posed by various humanitarian, climate, and political crises in the global world. The peasant movement came together in strength through dialogue and cooperation, developing local training actions in Agroecology, Popular Peasant Feminism, and denouncing colonialist actions that destroy Biodiversity.
A delegation from La Via Campesina was present in Fusagasugá, Colombia, for the Pre-COP16 Peasant Summit, addressing key issues such as the environmental dimension of the peasantry, its role as an ally in conservation, agroecology, food sovereignty, and the struggle for land. This event marks a milestone in bringing the agenda of the peasant movement for food sovereignty and sustainability to the global negotiation table.
Also in Colombia, from August 20 to 24, a meeting of the South American Training Collective was held in Viotá, at the facilities of the Universidad Campesina Instituto Agroecológico Latinoamericano (IALA) María Cano. They discussed aspects of the international and geopolitical situation, the historical-dialectical materialist method, the training principles of CLOC-LVC, and the fundamental role of mysticism in training processes. Other notable topics were Popular Peasant Feminism, current challenges, and the presentation and approval of the action plan for coordinating training in the region.
In South America, in São Mateus, Brazil, between August 4 and 8, the IV Feminist School of La Via Campesina Brazil took place, bringing together 60 women from 10 organizations and rural social movements that are part of La Via Campesina. The event was marked by unity, resistance, and training. For five days, they addressed key issues to strengthen Popular Peasant Feminism (PPF) and build unity in the fight against conservative forces threatening rights. The exchange of experiences and the debate on the advance of the far right and the challenges facing the feminist movement were moments of great learning and reaffirmation of the struggle. They also affirmed, “we remain firm in building a fairer and more equal future for everyone.”
In Chile, during the first weeks of August, ANAMURI’s Itinerant Citizen School toured the country with the goal of empowering rural and peasant women to influence political decisions and actions in their territories. The school placed significant emphasis on the collective memory of women during the dictatorship in defense of human rights and Popular Peasant Feminism to confront imperialism, capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy.
In Central America, El Salvador, the Federation of Agrarian Reform Cooperatives of the Central Region (FECORACEN) signed a letter of understanding with the Faculty of Economics of the University of El Salvador. This strategic action was taken to strengthen mutual cooperation and support relations between both institutions through academic, research, scientific, and cultural collaboration. The aim is to strengthen FECORACEN’s activities and contribute to the development, dissemination, quality, and strengthening of the academic programs offered by the Faculty of Economics, thus supporting professors and students to develop academic work closely aligned with the realities of the rural population.
In Guatemala, on August 30, the Peasant Unity Committee (CUC), along with other organizations, presented the report “Violence Against Indigenous Women and its Impact on Their Lives in the Polochic Valley.” They highlighted the importance of understanding the realities faced by indigenous women in the community and discussing the steps to combat violence and promote their rights.
In North America, United States, August 15, staff members from the Apopka office of the Florida Farmworkers Association (FWAF) met with the National Monitor Advocate program of the U.S. Department of Labor for an important dialogue and an on-site review of the conditions of farmworkers in Florida. The meeting included staff from the Florida Non-Profit Housing organization, which helps provide housing for farmworkers. The goal was to continue the dialogue and deepen engagement to better address the realities faced by farmworkers in the state.
Also in the United States, the Family Farms Coalition Retreat held in Berea, KY, denounced the corporate-industrial seafood system and false solutions such as genetically modified animals, industrially farmed fish, and fish caught by industrial trawlers to feed the Midwest and the rest of the world. At this meeting, family farmers, fishers, and food advocates came together to reject false seafood solutions and reiterated that the Midwest does not want seafood that harms fishing communities, wild salmon, ocean ecosystems, and public health.
In Canada, the National Farmers Union (NFU) continues a campaign of communication and mobilization to denounce the industrial food system. In recent years, the Canadian food system has become increasingly concentrated: only four corporations control all grain handling in the country, and another four control over 68% of grocery stores. This means they can keep farm prices low while charging consumers more. Corporate concentration hurts everyone. They call for building alternatives to supermarket concentration and helping Canadian farmers feed the people.
In the Caribbean, during August, the Boricuá Organization of Puerto Rico held a series of workshops with its Rolling School. On August 29, they held a discussion: “Puerto Rico in the UN Decolonization Committee (1973-2024)” to understand this 50-year process – which is still ongoing – and to emphasize that the people in the struggle, especially the younger generations, must recognize the impacts and necessary actions to continue this national fight. The activity offered a look at Puerto Rico’s process and its relationship with the impacts that certain public policies have on the agricultural sector.
In Zimbabwe , Shashe Agroecology School of the Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers’ Forum (ZIMSOFF) continues receive many visitors including policy makers, funders, farmers and students keen to see agroecology in practice and to learn how to replicate such practices. This August the school hosted over 15 people from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya, and Fambidzanai Centre for a learning exchange visit. They visited 2 Centers of Excellence, homesteads of ZIMSOFF farmers who are successfully practicing agroecology to see and learn about homestead seed banks, value addition of traditional crops, water harvesting methods and many other ways of fighting climate change.
In Tanzania, , MVIWATA is organizing agroecology training meetings throughout the country. In August, MVIWATA organised exhibitions in Morogoro, Arusha and Zanzibar for the public and farmers to learn and hear from small-scale farmers about their struggles and the alternatives they have created in democratizing food systems through agroecology, the marketing of agricultural products, and access to rural-suited financial services as well as local based actions for climate justice. The exhibition centres also offered for sale a variety farmers’ products (including spices, cereals, non-timber forest products) as a way to directly support small-scale farmers.
In Togo, in a context where the effects of climate change are increasingly being felt, the Coordination Togolaise des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs Agricoles (CTOP) continues to build the capacities of the peasant farmers in agroecological practices to better adapt. In August, from the 14th to 16th, over 20 peasant farmers and agricultural advisors from different regions of Togo participated in an intensive training course to build the knowledge and skills needed to promote and implement environmentally-friendly agricultural practices, while increasing the resilience of production systems in the face of climatic disturbances.
In Senegal, mangoes play an important role in the economy and the lives of farmers. They earn the country billions in CFA francs, provide tens of thousands of jobs, and their leaves are used for medicinal purposes. Therefore, the mango tree was a tree of interest on Tree Day, a day when individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. The National Council for Refugee Consultation and Cooperation (CNCR) organized a campaign in Oussouye to raise awareness about the effects and consequences of forest fires, logging, and the occupation of classified forests for housing purposes. They urged the population to eradicate the threat to the ecosystem.
In Australia, the push to protect agricultural land from encroaching development and corporate land grabs led the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) to embark in deep conversations with diverse food system actors to tackle crucial questions about establishing an agrarian trust. In August AFSA hosted a special session, inviting voices from across the country to find ways to secure land for agroecological food production and safeguard it for the future
The Korean Peasant League (KPL) has alerted that peasants in the country face the prospect of the largest drop in rice prices ever recorded. Recently, rice prices have started to fall again, with the 180,000 won mark also giving way. Last year’s harvest saw a significant 17.5% decline in prices, approaching the steep drop experienced in 2022. KPL alleges that the Yoon Seok-youl administration has largely ignored the issue, shifting responsibility onto agricultural cooperatives. KPL has pledged to mobilize peasants to advocate for themselves and fight for fair rice prices.
In South Asia, a group of young peasants from MONLAR Sri Lanka were in Karnataka, India this month as part of an agroecology exchange, where they also visited the farms of various natural farming practitioners who are also part of the Karnataka State Farmers Association. The exchange, based on a peasant-to-peasant pedagogical method helped MONLAR’s agroecological collective learn from the experiences of natural farming techniques that are widely used in the southern states of India. The visiting delegation also attended participatory sessions at Amritabhoomi, the agroecological peasants’ school of the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association.
As Bangladesh emerges from weeks of political turmoil, the Bangaldesh Agricultural Farm Workers Federation (BAFLF) has reminded the caretaker government to take immediate steps to implement the protesting farm workers’ 13-point demand, which includes regularising the contract labourers employed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and raising their daily wages to 1000 Bangladeshi taka. As the union pressed on with its demands, it also drew attention to the worsening situation of rural farming communities as torrential rains and floods in eight districts of Bangladesh have disrupted their lives.
In Europe, in United Kingdom, the Land Workers’ Alliance has completed the “Growing the Goods” project. Over the past four years, this initiative has equipped horticulture growers of all sizes with tools for sustainable farming payments, addressing the challenges posed by production costs and climate change, and replacing the old EU CAP subsidies. It is now up to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to use these results to create a Sustainable Farming Incentive tailored for horticulture.
In Spain, after 5 years of struggle by the SOC/SAT Almeria union, Social Court 3 has declared the dismissals of 17 workers at Haciendas Bio and Agrosol Nature null and void at the end of July. The battle began when, backed by SOC/SAT, the workers demanded compliance with the farm agreement and respect for their rights. They faced retaliation, dismissals, attacks on freedom of association and allegations of racism, although the latter were not reflected in the sentence. The companies will have to reinstate the employees and pay them back wages and compensation for violation of fundamental rights, totaling more than one million euros.
The Mauritanian Farmers’ Union is committed to ensuring the rights and improving the living conditions of the Mauritanian peasants by providing them with health insurance and raising awareness about their social rights. In a recent effort, the Union secured free health insurance for 2,100 peasants in the governorate of Labrakna. These peasants have been registered with the National Health Solidarity Fund, a crucial step towards ensuring they receive their health insurance cards and access to essential healthcare services.
From Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, in collaboration with the Palestinian NGO Network, has inaugurated the Citizen Service Center in Deir al-Balah within the Gaza Strip as part of the Early Recovery and Reconstruction Project. This initiative is designed to bolster the resilience of Gaza’s local population by delivering vital services, including crucial agricultural support. By doing so, it seeks to empower communities to endure and overcome the profound challenges posed by the complex humanitarian crises brought about by ongoing war and acts of genocide.
If there are any important updates that we have missed, please send the links to communications@viacampesina.org so that we can include them in the next edition. We only include updates from La Via Campesina members. For a comprehensive update on various initiatives from August 2024, please visit our website. You can also find previous editions of our news wrap on our website. Condensed versions of our news wrap are accessible as a podcast on Spotify.