Today, NFFC joins agrarian communities across the globe demanding a food system rooted in food sovereignty, not the profits of multinational corporations! Farmers in the US must be in solidarity with farmers around the globe to build power against the challenges that unite us all.
The “Nos Plantamos” movement, aligned with La Via Campesina on the International Day of Peasant Struggles, emphasizes the necessity of an immediate agroecological transition. The Galician Farmer Syndicate-Labour Commissions (SLG-CCLL) also joined in, stressing support for family and social agriculture.
In the framework of the International Day of Peasant Struggles, the V International Seminar on Agroecology and Seeds took place in Chile on April 17th and 18th. The struggle for land, seeds, and food sovereignty involves collaborative efforts among peasant organizations, allies from rural and urban areas, all increasingly recognizing themselves as political actors fighting for workers’ rights.
In 2021, peasants in Siliana, notably in Henshir Laqasba, contested land speculation. A prolonged sit-in by workers and farmers led to arrests. Among nine peasants facing trial is also the peasant leader of the ‘Million Rural Women and Landless Association’. The trial continues since 2021.
On April 17th, the National Federation of the Agricultural Sector commemorated the International Day of Peasant Struggle, highlighting global and national peasant resistance for social justice. It called for advocating for policies ensuring food sovereignty, environmental justice, and peasants’ rights.
LVC Haiti calls for a transitional government to replace the criminal Ariel regime and that political and financial measures be taken to restore security as quickly as possible in the country. And that peasants be provided with the means to rebuild food sovereignty and to lead a peaceful life.
The new transition plan proposed by CARICOM, seemingly endorsed by the Core Group and involving PHTK stakeholders, is unlikely to resolve the crisis. Similar past interventions introduced leadership and policies supposedly to alleviate the crisis but, only made it worse. A solution from its people is already there.
El Salvador has experienced a recession in agriculture, marked by a rise in rural poverty from 22.8% to 26.6% (2019-2022) in total poverty, and from 4.5% to 8.6% in extreme poverty. Additionally, maize cultivation decreased by at least 10,000 hectares between 2019 and 2022.
Little has changed in Brazil’s context of rural violence. According to a report called Conflicts Booklet (Caderno de Conflitos), published by the Pastoral Land Commission (Comissão Pastoral da Terra), 973 rural conflicts occurred in the first half of 2023, most of which (791) were struggles for land. This represents an 8% increase in comparison to the same period in 2022.
European farmer protests persist, drawing global attention. While marking the International Day of Peasant Struggles, Korean farmers held a cross-continental dialogue titled ‘Why are European Farmers Protesting?’ to study the context of this protest that resonates with the lived realities of Korean peasants.
Europe today has around 9 million farms, down from 15 million in 2003, and the average age of farmers is 57 years old. They struggle to access seeds, land, water and the market. Public policies prioritise market interests and corporate profits over human rights and feeding the population.
“We join the struggle of the peasants of El Seibo who were dispossessed by landowners with the support of government officials in that area. We stand with the peasants of Monte Grande, involuntarily evicted from their lands due to the construction of the dam…”
17 April 2024 – Today is the International Day of Peasant Struggles. A moment when we, La Via Campesina, commemorate the 28th anniversary of the El Dorado de Carajás Massacre in Brazil and denounce the impunity with which peasant and indigenous people are harassed, attacked and criminalized around the world.
The peasants in Mozambique commemorated the International Day of Peasant Struggles, the 17th of April, by carrying out various activities to highlight their struggles. In this month of peasant struggles, UPC-Z has been training advocacy agents and the community leaders in conflict management as a way to strengthen conflict measurement skills within their communities.
ESAFF Uganda proudly joins the global community in commemorating the International Day of Peasant Struggles, a day that honors the resilience and sacrifices of small-scale farmers worldwide. On this significant day, ESAFF Uganda stands in unwavering solidarity with all those currently facing violent repression and unjust criminalization of their struggles.
In 1979, the state-owned sugar company PG Rajawali II earmarked the land for sugarcane plantations, igniting a prolonged dispute between peasant families and the corporation. Some were forcefully evicted, others reluctantly entered partnerships with the sugar company, while a resilient few refused to yield.
Driven by an expansion of the industrial food system, including global sourcing and retail structures, and corporate concentration and power within this system, Ultra Processed Food are replacing fresh and minimally processed foods and home-cooked meals in our diets. Dietary patterns are becoming increasingly homogenized and culinary traditions are disappearing.
In Haiti, the anti-colonial struggle remains intertwined with geopolitics. Facing existential challenges, Haitians seek emancipation and sovereignty. International solidarity is vital to counter dominant imperialist forces hindering true independence.
Data from FEGA shows women-owned farms receive disproportionately less CAP aid than men, with only 27.5% of direct aid and 26.34% of Rural Development aid. Women farmers face marginalization due to smaller sizes and ineligible production.
“The latest case, the Pong Khunpet Dam, is an example of how even though the dam construction is complete, the people refuse to move out because the government did not provide them with new land. The dam is not working completely, but they opened the water gate a little, which is causing flooding in the community.”
