For more than a decade, the failure of this institution to reach a consensus on a lasting resolution for public food stocks clearly illustrates its alignment with the interests of the US, and other strong export-oriented countries. As the 13th Ministerial Meeting commences in Abu Dhabi on 26th February, La Via Campesina urges its members across countries to take to the streets and mobilize against the WTO.
The European Parliament voted by a small majority in a plenary vote in favour of the deregulation of GMO-NTGs. ECVC strongly condemns this vote, and also calls on the EU Council to maintain its opposition to the deregulation of GMO-NTGs.
The EU Mercosur trade agreement tailor-made for financial capital and transnational corporations, will lead to the destruction of peasant food systems that currently supply food to people in each region. We call on all social movements and civil society organizations to oppose it and demand that our governments halt this agreement.
Small-scale farmers from across Europe answered the call for European mobilisation in Brussels, sent by ECVC and one of its Belgian organisations FUGEA on Monday, in order to drive forward concrete change for farmers on the doorstep of European policy makers.
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.
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.
Honoring the memory of Lee Kyung-hae, who died opposing the World Trade Organization, and emphasizing the importance of expanding agroecology, Kim Jung-yeol, Internal Coordination Committee of La Via Campesina for Southeast and East Asia spoke on the climate crisis, food sovereignty, and women farmers.
According to a leak, the Mercosur counterproposal lacks detail and includes requests for a mechanism to balance trade concessions. Some believe that Mercosur would like to have higher quotas for agricultural products that are not included in the Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR)..
