The first five agrarian courts will open in May in the cities of Cartagena, Quibdó, Popayán, Pasto and Tunja, with 65 more to come. Peasant farmers, or campesinos, have long struggled for recognition by the state. Another effort by President Petro to resolve the unequal land divide is a promise to redistribute more than 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land.
A crucial message was delivered to IFAD’s Governing Council at the 8th IFAD Farmers’ Forum calling for collaboration with farmers’ organizations globally, aligning with human rights and international frameworks. The organizations call on governments to increase funding for IFAD’s essential policies and programs for small-scale producers.
The SKM has defended everyone’s right to protest and repeated their call for a one-day nationwide strike by farmers and trade unions on February 16th, especially in the rural areas. The unions calling for this national strike have demanded pensions for farmers, minimum support price for crops, withdrawal of the amendment of labour laws and more.
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.
In Sri Lanka, MONLAR joined the National Collective of Community-Based Savings and Credit Services Providers in denouncing the newly proposed Regulatory Authority for Microfinance and Credit, alleging that its over-reaching mandates would criminalize community savings and credit initiatives—with catastrophic consequences for rural women, fishing communities, and peasants.
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.
It is imperative to put an end to the destruction and horror caused by an unjust and unsustainable model of monoculture forestry and unscrupulous real estate practices. This model has led to over 500 thousand hectares burning uncontrollably, resulting in the destruction of entire villages, homes, crops, animals, native vegetation, vehicles, and tools.
As the Israeli genocide war reaches Day 113, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies with each passing day. The toll on human life and well-being is devastating and continues to grow daily. The Union of Agricultural Work Committees urgently calls for heightened global support. The dire situation, marked by widespread hunger, relentless blockade, and continuous bombardment, has led to a catastrophic scenario.
Tanzania is pursuing another round of foreign agribusiness investment. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of lands are being turned into block farms to produce export crops, whose increasing demand is setting the stage for another wave of land grabs. With China looking to Tanzania as a new supply source for soybeans, the stage could be set for another wave of land grabs.
Landless Rural Workers Movement launched a commitment letter to the struggle and the Brazilian people on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. Forty years after women and men, rural workers challenged the large estates and created the MST, its National Coordination gathered in Guararema to reflect on the struggles and made commitments to continue the fight to democratize land access and guarantee the rights of people and communities.
