On September 14, 2023, during the 54th session of the Human Rights Council, a biennial “Panel discussion on unilateral coercive measures and human rights” was held in Geneva. Fatimatou Hima from the Plateforme Paysanne du Niger, a member of Via Campesina, intervened on behalf of CETIM to declare and denounce the consequences of economic and financial sanctions against Niger and its people, particularly the impact on Nigerien peasants.
On Sunday, September 10, 2023, the city of Derna in Libya, along with neighboring villages and towns, witnessed the devastating impact of Storm Daniel. This unprecedented natural disaster inflicted profound destruction on Libya, leaving a trail of unprecedented devastation in its wake. Over 3,900 lives were lost, with more than 9,000 still missing and an additional 20,000 forcibly displaced.
A new report from the Landworkers’ Alliance (LWA) shines a light on the systemic drivers of exploitation in the UK immigration system with regard to seasonal fruit and veg pickers. The report also includes a supply chain analysis, which reveals that migrant seasonal workers picking soft fruit retain on average just 7.6% of the total retail price of the produce.
The numbers speak of the tragedy – over 2497 of our comrades have passed on, and 3,000 more are injured, many critically. It deeply saddens us that the majority of those affected are the marginalized peasant workers, the backbone of our food systems, historically overlooked and left behind in the march towards urban-focused development. La Via Campesina extends its heartfelt solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Morocco during these testing times.
The General Coordinator of La Via Campesina dive deep into the significance of being a peasant in today’s world and the pivotal role LVC plays in addressing global crises, shaping our society, and advocating for social justice. She delves into La Via Campesina’s unwavering commitment to empowering peasant women and the transformative impact of their contributions. Learn about the organization’s ongoing initiatives in Colombia, Nepal, and its connections with peasant movements in Australia.
Between the 14th and 17th of September this year, the Escola Nacional Florestan Fernandes (ENFF), located in Guararema, São Paulo, Brazil, will host the III Seminar on Sexual and Gender Diversity of the La Via Campesina Brazil. The event, already established as a forum for debate and knowledge-building on matters related to sexual and gender diversity, promises to bring together over 80 participants from different movements that constitute La Via Campesina, addressing topics ranging from human rights to the intersectionality of struggles.
Time has come for the implementation of UNDROP to be tackled at the international level. It is in this context that La Via Campesina (LVC) and its allies, advocate for the creation of an international follow-up mechanisms on peasants’ rights, in the form of a UN Special procedure. In the 54th session of the Human Rights Council that started on September 11th, the Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia will present a resolution to create this mechanism.
The participants were of the opinion that a fair remunerative price is central to finding a solution to the ongoing farm crisis in the country. The participants also delved into the various bilateral trade negotiations India is currently involved in, including those with the EU. A significant demand from EU negotiators has been the liberalization of the agricultural and dairy sectors. Forum participants cautioned against any attempts to lower tariffs, as such actions would exacerbate the crisis.
From 31 August to 3 September 2023, 150 activists from various organisations from different parts of Spain gathered in Hornachuelos (Córdoba) in a camp dedicated to agroecology and food sovereignty, to ratify the need to break with the agro-industrial food model and system. Under the slogan “we stand up”, the meeting took a stand in favour of a fair and sustainable food model and a living rural world.
The Rural Workers & Migration working group publishes today its third newsletter. Have a look at our actions regarding the support of agricultural workers’ struggles, commercial pressure towards distributors and ECVC trade unions’ mutual support. Thank you for sharing the newsletter and the call to mobilisation against agroindustry in Cordóba in September.
