Food Sovereignty

By Zainal Arifin Fuad

Indonesian Peasant Union La Via Campesina – International Peasant Movement

Bangkok, 25 November 2015

Presentation of

The Results of two Asia Wide Food Producers Meetings

on Agro ecology

Food Sovereignty:

The Results of two Asia Wide

Food Producers Meetings on

Agro Ecology

Agro ecology Movement

( Taking back Peasant/People

Food System ) Food

Security

Logical Frame - Presentation

Food Sovereignty:

Agro ecology Movement

( Taking back Peasant/People

Food System )

Logical Frame -

Colombo

Declaration

2010

Surin

Declaration

2012

Nyeleni Forum ( International

Forum of Agroecology

- 2007 and 2015

Food Security

Agroecology is a way of life and the language

of Nature, that we learn as her children.

It is not a mere set of technologies or production

practices. It cannot be implemented the same

way in all territories.

Rather it is based on principles that, while they

may be similar across the diversity of our

territories, can and are practiced in many

different ways, with each sector contributing

their own colors of their local reality and culture,

while always respecting Mother Earth and our

common, shared values.

Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food

produced through sustainable methods and their right to define their own food and

agriculture systems.

It puts the aspirations, needs and livelihoods of those who produce, distribute and consume

food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and

corporations.

Food sovereignty prioritizes local food production and consumption.

It gives a country the right to protect its local producers from imports, and to control

production.

FOOD SOVEREIGNTY-

Peasant Movement –

“Food, Fuel, Climate, Biodiversity, Economy Crisis”

“Land

water

&

seed”

Small-

medium

Field

Plantation/

Monoculture

Small

Medium

Large

Industry

Short distance

Transportation

Medium/long

Transportation

Altntf

Fossil

Fuel

Peasants

Agriculture/

Family

Agribussines

Company

( Corporation)

Agroecology

Green Revo./

Biotechnology/

GMO

Food Security

Food Sovereignty: Agro ecology

Movement

Global Food Regime ( 1500- 1945– now) :

Green Revolution and Industrial Agriculture

Food Security

Global Food Regime : Green Revolution, Industrial Agriculture, Free Market are on the ‘track” with

and to achieve Food Security (Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life)

Agro ecology

Land Grabbing Through Colonialism +

Imperialism

( Green Revolution,Industrial Agriculture, Free Market)

Peasants are now as End-user Of Production inputs, such as seed,

Pectiside, chemical fertilizer

No incentive for Peasants in Supply-chain,

Weakness under Market Mechanism

Global Food, Trade, Climate and Financial Regime

World Bank/ADB : SAP & Land Market ( Land Bank

WTO Bali Package – Trade Facilitation

Peasant as Victim Poverty and Hunger

Asean FTA, RCEP, TPP

Loi –IMF: Deregulation Privatitation Liberalization

Agribussiness Companies

Market of Agrarian Resourcess

Market of Consumers

Goods

Agrarian Conflict

Green Revolution and Biotechnology

Seed Treaty –ITPGFRA, UPOV ( Seed Paten)

Asean Economic Community

Investment Zone

Climate Regime ( REDD, Climate Smart Agriculture)

Traditional

Breeding Farmers /

Participatory

Breeding Center-based

breeding Corporate Seed

Technology

Traditional Varieties/

Landraces

Farmer-developed

varieties

HYVs/

Modern

varieties

Hybrid

Seeds GMOs

Terminator

Technology

(GURTs)

Free and Open

Access

Centralized /Regulated

Access

Privatized /

Monopolized Access

Through IPRs

CBD & ITPGRFA WTO, FTAs, UPOV

Traditional

Seed

System

Participatory,

Collaborative

Formal

Seed Systems

Corporate

Seed Systems

Global Food Regime ( 1500- 1945– now) :

Green Revolution and Industrial Agriculture

Smbr: Searice,2014:

World’s Top 10 Seed Companies, 2011 Rank Company Seed Sales, 2011

US$ millions % Market

Share

1 Monsanto 8,953 26.0

2 DuPont Pioneer (USA) 6,261 18.2

3 Syngenta (Switzerland) 3,185 9.2

4 Vilmorin (France) (Groupe Limagrain) 1,670 4.8

5 WinField (USA) (Land O Lakes) 1,346 (est.) 3.9

6 KWS (Germany) 1,226 3.6

7 Bayer Cropscience (Germany) 1,140 3.3

8 Dow AgroSciences (USA) 1,074 3.1

9 Sakata (Japan) 548 1.6

10 Takii & Company (Japan) 548 1.6

Total Top 10 25,951 75.3

World’s Top 10 Agrochemical Companies, 2011

Rank Company Crop Protection Sales, 2011 US$ millions

% Market Share

1 Syngenta (Switzerland) 10,162 23.1

2 Bayer Cropscience (Germany) 7,522 17.1

3 BASF (Germany) 5,393 12.3

4 Dow AgroSciences (USA) 4,241 9.6

5 Monsanto (USA) 3,240 7.4

6 DuPont Pioneer (USA) 2,900 6.6

7 Makhteshim-Agan Industries (Israel) acquired by China NACC

2,691 6.1

8 Nufarm (Australia) 2,185 5.0

9 Sumitomo Chemical (Japan) 1,738 3.9

10 Arysta LifeScience (Japan) 1,504 3.4

Total top 10 41,576 94.5

World’s Top 10 Fertilizer Companies, 2011

Rank Company 2011 Sales US$ millions

% Market Share

1 Yara (Norway) 10,277 6.4

2 Agrium Inc. (Canada) 10.113 6.3

3 The Mosaic Company (USA) 9,938 6.2

4 PotashCorp (Canada) 8,715 5.4

5 CF Industries (USA) 6,098 3.8

6 Sinofert Holdings Ltd. (China) 5,760 3.6

7 K+S Group (Germany) 4,349 2.7

8 Israel Chemicals Ltd. (Israel) 3,836 2.4

9 Uralkali (Russia) (includes Silvinit sales May-Dec. 2011)

3,496 2.2

10 Bunge Ltd. (USA) * acquired by Yara in late 2013

3,147 2.0

Total top 10 65,710 41%

Food Insecurity 2015:

International Year of Cooperative -2012:

International Year of Family Farming -2014:

International Year of Soil -2015:

To Reduce Poverty ; Zero Hunger

( Good Initiaf of FAO):

Food Sovereignty:

Agro ecology Movement

( Awareness and Moving

Forward)

Strengthening Member Peasant Organization and Public Police

Farmer’s Field

School

Farmer

to Farmer Public Policy at

International, Regional

and National Level

Food Security

Communication

Research

Network

Region and Thematic Working Group of La Via Campesina

Region

Europa

Thematic Working Group

Africa I

South East & East Asia

South Asia

Africa II

South America

Central Amerika

North Amerika

Caribbean

Land, Water and Territory

Biodiversity & Genetic resources

Peasant Rights

Migration and rural worker

Food Sovereigty & Trade

Woman

Youth

Agroecology

Public Policy

UN-FAO ( Seed, Land, AgroEcology

etc – IPC, CFS, CSM)

UN-IFAD ( Farmer’s

Forum)

UN-Human Rights

UN-FCC

WTO

Strong Position and Collaboration

of Peasant Organization and Social Movement

/Civil Society

Region and Thematic Working Group of La Via Campesina

Public Policy

UN-Human Rights

The Draft Declaration Peasant Right

And People Who work in Rural Area

INDONESIAN PEASANT UNION (SPI) – Activities : Field School & Food Day

INDONESIAN PEASANT UNION (SPI) – Activities : Field School, Exchange, Action, Network

INDONESIAN PEASANT UNION (SPI) – Activities : Field School, Exchange, Action, Network

Surin Declaration on Agreo ecology - 2012

Thailand has been chosen as the place of the meeting because in this country there is a growing shift

made by small-scale farmers to move from the green revolution based model of industrial farming into

agroecology.

Agroecology is the corner stone of food sovereignty. We cannot achieve food sovereignty if agriculture is

dependent of inputs controlled by corporations, if the impact of technology destroys Mother Earth, if

we do not challenge the commodification and speculation of food and land, and if we do not make better

livelihoods for those who make available healthy and accessible food to our communities.

There are countless names for agroecological farming all over the world and Via Campesina is not

concerned with names or labels, whether agroecology, organic farming, natural farming, low external input

sustainable agriculture, or others, but rather wants to specify the key ecological, social and political

principles that the movement defends.

We are clear that a feudal land holding cannot be considered agroecological even if it is chemically free. A

farm that is controlled only by men without decision making power for women or if women's global

workload is higher, it is not agroecological either. Organic farming which replaces expensive chemical

inputs for expensive organic ones without touching the structure of monoculture is not agroecological,

such as in the way neoliberal “organic” programs (such as “India Organics” ) do, and which we strongly

reject.

Through agroecology we will transform the hegemonic food production model; permitting the recovery of

the agricultural ecosystem, reestablishing the functioning of the nature-society metabolism, and harvesting

products to feed humanity. As the Philippine farmers say “Kabuhanan, Kalusugan, Kalikasan” (for

economy, for health, and for Nature).

Surin Declaration on Agreo ecology - 2012

For us, as peasant farmers and family farmers, agroecology is also an instrument to confront

transnational agribusiness and the predominant agri-export model. We won't liberate farmers from

the structure of oppression built up by the corporations unless we gain technological and economical

autonomy from the current forms of agrarian and financial capital. Also, within the context of farm

workers and other agricultural laborers as in the case of the U.S., if we do not recover this labor force that

has been being enslaved by capital. Therefore, agroecology is an essential part of the construction of

social justice in a new equal social system, not dominated by capital.

Agroecology is giving a new meaning to the struggle for agrarian reform to empower the people...

land reform, together with agroecology, has become the contribution of peasant and family farmers to

give better and healthier food to our societies. In Argentina we stand behind this affirmation by saying

“somos tierra para alimentar a los pueblos” (we are land, to feed the peoples).

Agroecology is also an alternative for rural youth to stay in the countryside and have a dignified

livelihood, as well to stay committed to food production and distribution for the community. These are who

will feed future generations.

For 20 years la Via Campesina has fought strongly for land reform, and in this historical moment, it needs

to reflect on its practice to qualify it. As Brazilian landless workers shout “ocupar, resistir, produzir!”

(occupy, resist, produce!), peasants around the world are already fighting for land, resisting to defend it,

and now, we define that agroecological farming will feed the people. It's time to produce.

“Everything else can wait, but not agriculture ( Nehru) Agriculture is about Life or Die of Nation ( Soekarno)

Globalize The Struggle – Globalize Hope

Thank You