On December 18, 2023, the Indonesian Peasants Union (SPI) commemorated the fifth anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP). The event shed light on the ongoing struggles faced by peasants globally.
European Coordination Via Campesina calls for a European mobilisation on 1 February 2024 in Brussels to express its discontent and call for a paradigm change. Europe’s neo-liberal policies are overwhelmingly responsible for farmers’ distress. ECVC has been calling for a change of direction and is therefore taking to the streets demanding suspension of FTAs and for fair prices.
La Via Campesina welcomes this pivotal decision by the ICJ, considering it a historic victory for the rights of the Palestinian people and a crucial first step towards holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its persistent crimes and evasion of punishment. The ICJ’s binding orders include among others instructing Israeli occupation to ensure access to humanitarian aid into Gaza.
As the war waged by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip enters its 106 days, La Via Campesina stands in solidarity with the people of Gaza, who are enduring an unimaginable humanitarian crisis. This war of annihilation has resulted in over 25,000 casualties, more than 62,000 injured, and over 8,000 missing – a staggering 4% of Gaza’s population. Further compounding this dire situation is the blockade at the Rafah crossing.
In Germany, France, Poland, Romania, Belgium and beyond, we are seeing increasing numbers of farmers taking to the streets. Low incomes and a lack of future prospects for the vast majority of farmers is at the root of this discontent, which is largely linked to the neo-liberal policies the European Union has pursued for decades.
The National Committee of the Confédération Paysanne, has expressed its full solidarity with the movements of farmers in France. The observation is shared: the expressed anger is legitimate, given the profound issue of peasant labor remuneration. The Confédération Paysanne has decided to call on all departmental structures to express their solidarity with the movement.
Dr. Nataraj Huliyar’s play, “Direct Action,” based on the life and struggles of the late Prof. M.D. Nanjundaswamy (MDN), a historical leader in La Via Campesina, founder of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), and legendary organizer of peasants in India, has resonated with farmers across his home state of Karnataka.
According to the criteria of the dominant economic analysis, peasant and family farming should have disappeared long ago. And yet it is still there. Even in Europe, at the heart of capitalism and the modern Western world, it is still there. And it persists well beyond the official figures, in Europe too, through millions of families who continue a peasant activity that is essential to economic, social, and cultural life.
While the Member States of the European Union may wish to ban the patentability of GMOs obtained using NTGs, the ability to call into question the European Patent Convention or the rules for its application lies beyond the European Union, as this is defined by the European Patent Office, to which non-EU countries belong.
Relive the main moments, debates, and mysticism that took place during our 8th International Conference, held from December 1st to 8th in Bogota, Colombia. As global peasants, we renew our commitment to the struggles for Food Sovereignty, peasant rights, Integral Agrarian Reform, Peasant Agroecology, Peasant Feminism, Diversity, Climate Justice, Peace and Social justice for our peoples.
