Recently, La Via Campesina received a request to participate in a civil society “council” to the WTO executive. After careful consideration, we decided to decline this invitation. Through this open letter, we wish to explain why we believe it is impossible to reform the WTO in a way that is favourable to peasants and, more generally, to the interests of the people.
Capitalism and Free Trade
17 April 23 – Peasant struggles are the main frontier of resistance against agribusiness and extractivism
On this important occasion, member organizations and allies expressed their resistance against the harmful consequences of agribusiness and the extractive industry, which pollute the soil, water, and commons.
Indonesia: Rice Import Plan 2023 Threatens Peasants and Food Sovereignty
Indonesia’s food procurement agency (Bulog) plans to import 2 million tonnes of rice by December this year, with the first phase seeing the import of 500,000 tonnes. Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI) has denounced the move.
Civil society denounce leaked joint instrument on EU-Mercosur deal as blatant greenwashing
Documents leaked from a confidential source reveal that the EU-Mercosur deal’s proposed annex, supposedly intended to safeguard the environment, climate and human rights, does nothing to achieve this.
EU-MERCOSUR FTA violates peasants’ rights and climate commitments
Numerous organisations, small- and medium-scale farmers from Europe and South America have condemned the EU-MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement as undemocratic and a violation of peasants’ rights.
Briefing Paper | WTO’s 2022 Geneva Package: Historic or Just Rhetoric?
A. BACKGROUND The World Trade Organisation (WTO) held its 12th Ministerial Conference (MC) in Geneva… Read more →
South Korea: Peasants call for structural and fundamental measures to guarantee the price of rice!
In a press note, the Korean Peasant League and Korean Peasant Women’s Association have insisted… Read more →
New Zealand-EU: another free trade agreement against European farmers
Press release (Brussels: July 1, 2022) The European Commission concluded negotiations on a free trade… Read more →
Geneva Declaration: End WTO! Build International Trade based on Peasants’ Rights and Food Sovereignty!
The 2022 Geneva Declaration | La Via Campesina | 28 June 2022 We, La Via… Read more →
End Hunger, End the WTO: The Peasant Caravan to Geneva Against Free Trade
Free trade is an enemy of food sovereignty—this is what grassroots, peasant, and ecological movements… Read more →