Alexandra Strickner, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
Rome, Italy, 3 June 2008

Watch the 3 minute video on http://wsftv.net

Farmer and civil society leaders carrying out a peaceful action today in Rome, Italy at the FAO Summit on the Food Crisis were forcefully removed from the premises. At around 1:30pm farmers and representatives of civil society organizations staged an action at the press room to deliver a message that millions of additional people are joining the ranks of the hungry as the corporations that control the global food system are making record profits.

The issues of corporate control and speculation, which are leading causes of recent spikes in food prices, are not being discussed by the government delegations and the international agencies meeting in Rome to debate solutions to the crisis.

“We are outraged that such fundamental aspects of the food crisis were nowhere on the agenda for the Summit,” says Paul Nicholson, member of the International Coordinating Committee of Via Campesina and one of the farmer leaders who was expelled from the Summit.The 10 people involved in the action carried posters contrasting the record profits of agribusiness corporations during the lastest reporting financial quarter of 2008 with the estimated 100 million people in the world who now, alongside 800 million or so others, are hungry because they cannot afford to eat.

Profits for Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, were up 108 percent, while Cargill and Archer Daniel Midlands, the world’s largest food traders, registered profit increases of 86 and 42 per cent respectively. Profits for Mosaic, one of the world’s largest fertilizer companies, rose 1,134 percent.

The action was necessary to bring to the world’s attention that the main causes of the world food crisis are not being dealt with and that the world’s food producers– the farmers, fisherfolk, agricultural workers and indigenous people– have been shut out of the discussion. In previous high-level FAO events, civil society was given more space to express its views and to have a dialogue with the delegates. For this Summit, civil society was blocked from meaningful participation in the preparation and in the event itself.

“We are concerned that this Summit will only reinforce corporate control of the food system and lead to a further destruction of the way of life of indigenous peoples and their survival,” says Saul Vicente Vasquez of the International Indian Treaty Council and one of the supporters of the action. “It is time for indigenous people and other food producers to take charge of food policy.”Those involved in the action have been meeting with other civil society organizations at the Terra Preta* civil society forum, parallel to the FAO Summit.

A video of the action and the suppression of the action is available on http://wsftv.net. During the action, the security guards seized a banner reading: “Stop corporate control over food!”.

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Information about Terra Preta and a statement from the forum can be found
at www.foodsovereignty.org

Here’s some of their responses:

- “The biggest threats facing small farmers in Nicaragua are transnational companies in the food system and the impact of environmental degradation. These are the two most important issues we must address.” Pedro Rojas, General Manager, Tierra Nueva Union of Co-operatives, Boaco, Nicaragua

- “Soy parte de una red de productores y quisiera que en los próximos años construyamos relacciones comerciales que nos aseguren una vida digna.” “I’m part of a network of farmers and I’d like to see us build commercial relationships which will assure us a dignified life.”

- “Develop an effective lobby to influence U.S. government trade policies.”

- “Que siga creciendo con sotenibilidad el consumo de café de Equal Exchange y que comprometidos a todos con la conservación del medio ambiente.” “May the consumption of Equal Exchange coffee continue growing in a sustainable way and that together we all commit ourselves to protect our environment.” Beltran Apaza Enriquez, CECOVASA, Peru

- “Unify grassroots organizations around a platform which can be acted on at a federal level.”

- “Un negocio rentable para toda la cadena.” “A profitable business for everyone in the [supply] chain.”

“Hacer un gran bloque para hacer un comercio justo mas grande y unir mejor el Norte y el Sur.” “Create a strong block to expand the Fair Trade movement and better unite those in the North and the South.”

- “Que se fortalezca y consolide el nivel economico del productor – crear una alianza fuerte de consumidores y productores.” “Strengthen and consolidate the economic levels of the producers; create a strong alliance of consumers and producers.”

- “Un consumidor mas sensibilizado con relacion al comercio justo. No perder de vista el trabajo con la gente y para la gente.” “Consumers who are more aware of Fair Trade. Don’t lose sight of working with the people and for the people.”

-”Ser socios de toda la cadena – un mayor acercamiento entre productores, comericalizadores y consumidores.” “Be partners throughout the supply chain; that there be a closer relationship between producers, sellers, and consumers.” Hernando Restrepo, Expocafe, Colombia

- “Que no ha necesidad de certificación Fair Trade porque todo el comercio es justo.” “There will be no need for Fair Trade certification because all trade will be fair.”

- “Un comercio con verdadera justicia social ambiental.” “Trade with true social and environmental justice.”

Please let us know what you think! What are the biggest threats, challenges, and opportunities facing small farmers? Why should we care? What can we do to bring about changes in our food system, to build healthy communities, and to contribute to a greener planet?

Many of our farmer co-operative partners in Peru have been very concerned about the impacts the U.S. – Peru Free Trade Agreement will have on their members and other small-scale farmers in Peru. CEPICAFE, the Association of Piuran Coffee Farmers, with over 6,600 producer members, worked hard with Peruvian congressional representatives to improve the agreement. In the U.S., there was widespread opposition to the FTA from consumer, interfaith, labor, environmental, and small farmer organizations. Despite the many concerns that were raised, the Free Trade Agreement was approved by Congress in December.

To read more about the U.S. – Peru Free Trade Agreement, visit Grassroots International’s web-site: http://grassrootsonline.org/news-publications/articles_op-eds/