Press Release- La Via Campesina

(Nagoya, 26 October 2010) Small farmer delegates from different parts of the world who are members of the international peasant movement La Via Campesina are attending the Convention of Biodiversity conference in Nagoya, Japan. They represent hundreds of millions of small farmers and family farmers in the world.

Colleen Ross from the National Farmers Union of Canada following the process said “We are disappointed in many of the initiatives discussed in the working groups of the conference, such as “sustainable biofuels”. What we call “agrofuels” are actually not sustainable and do not constitute a renewable source of energy. It is really no solution to climate change, or of any benefit to farmers, indigenous people or local communities, but just a way for agribusiness to make more money”.

Over a thousand women and men, farmers, indigenous people, urban and rural people affected by social and environmental destruction are planning to march in 5 caravans towards Cancun, Mexico, in protest against the indolence of the dominant countries and capitalists of the world gathering for the conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change from November 29 to December 10, 2010.

The caravans co-organised by the National Assembly of People Affected by the Environment and the international peasant's movement La Via Campesina and by a convergence of diverse social movements from the United States, Canada and Mexico will kick off in San Luis Potosi, Guadalajara, and Acapulco, joining other rural, urban and student movements in Mexico City on November 30 for a mass protest for environmental and social justice . Two other caravans will then depart from Oaxaca and Chiapas, all converging to Cancun on December 3 for the inauguration of the Farmers's and Indigenous Camp organized by La Via Campesina. 

Media Advisory

Small farmers from different regions of the world (Asia, Europe and North America) are participating at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP10 in Nagoya, Japan. They are members of La Via Campesina, an international peasant and family farmers movement. As small farmers, they grow food and agriculture ecologically. They are here representing millions of small farmers who defend biodiversity.

Together with biodiversity, the biodiversity of food crops is also declining sharply. More than 60% of the world’s population relies on only 4 crop species of plant as their source of food (maize, rice, wheat, and potato). 75 persent of the species in agriculture have already been lost.

Biodiversity loss is making the food crisis worse. We have not yet recovered from the 2008 World Food Crisis. Almost 1 billion people are still hungry. Land grabbing and agrofuel expansion by corporations in developing countries  is leading to more biodiversity loss.

INVITATION TO A PRESS CONFERENCE

Rome, 14^th of October 2010

Farmers from the international peasant movement La Via Campesina participating in the the plenary session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) of the UN in Rome (October 11-16) will present their evaluation of the discussion during a press conference tomorrow.

- 15th of October – 10h30: Press Conference by La Via Campesina

Venue: Philippines room (2nd floor building C)

FAO, Via delle Terme di Caracalla)