La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | February, 2017

This edition of the newsletter is the result of a collective effort of organisations, which are part of La Via Campesina movement worldwide.
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MARCH OF THE WOMEN

For the women of La Via Campesina from all over the world, 8^th of March is a day of struggle, resistance and denunciation of the capitalist system, transnational corporations (TNCs), patriarchy and masochism. These oppress, exploit and violate women. It's also a day of solidarity with women's struggles. Here is a glimpse of our actions worldwide. For more visit our Facebook Album

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Indonesia bargaining position in EU CEPA is questionable

Zainal Arifin Fuad, from Serikat Petani Indonesia / Indonesian Peasant Union, argued that the flow of free trade and agricultural products from EU will marginalize the agricultural products from Indonesian farmers. Read More

UAWC appeal against law to legalize West Bank settlement spots

This law would allow the Israeli occupation to authorize thousands of Israeli settlements units, and 53 Israeli spots, as well as, to confiscate 8,000 dunums from privately owned Palestinian lands. Read More

Food Sovereignty within a new Agricultural Policy!

CAP hasn't addressed the near extinction of small farmers in many regions of Europe (90% of farms have been lost in the last 30 years in certain regions), or the abusive use of antibiotics in high concentration animal farms. Read More

"CETA is a false solution to economic and political woes" - National Farmers Union

Farmers in Europe understand that CETA is another threat to their livelihood. In Canada, some farmers will see immediate income pressures as CETA comes into effect. Read More

Crofters gather to discuss Brexit implications

The event aimed at setting a 'crofting agenda' for the upcoming Brexit negotiations and a post-Brexit agricultural policy that is fit for crofting. Read More

Condemnation of the murder of Suleiman Hammad, Palestinian farmer

La Vía Campesina strongly condemns the brutal and intentional murder of our comrade Suleiman Hammad, an 85-year-old Palestinian farmer who on February 8th, 2017 was run over by an Israeli settler, while walking to work on his land near Al-Khader Village, south of Bethlehem. Read More

Indian farmers' groups write an open letter to Roberto Azevedo, Director General, WTO

Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Roberto Azevedo, is in Delhi, on 8-9th of February 2017. Indian farmers's groups have written an open letter citing numerous instances of violations of their rights brought about by ujnust policies of the trade body. Here is the full text: Read More

Defeat DivSeek: FAO refuses to collaborate in biopiracy

DivSeek was set up with money from the World Bank to carry out the genetic sequencing of all the seeds held in the genebanks of the various countries of the planet. It then publishes these sequences accompanied by information on the characters of interest of the plants concerned. Read More

Resolution: Call to action in support of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

The North American Region of La Via Campesina sends its most sincere solidarity to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the water defenders in their heroic struggle to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and in defense of Mother Nature and their sacred land. Read More

"We want to come out stronger and have our rights respected"

Andalusian Inmaculada Ibáñez, member of the women's articulation group and leader of the women's faction of the Coordinadora Agricultores Ganaderos (a major farmer organisation in Spain), spoke with Radio Mundo Real. Read More

Statement of Solidarity with Palestine activist who was prevented from traveling

The International Women's Articulation of La Via Campesina, issued a statement following the unfair decision of the Israeli forces to prevent comrade Meriam Ismael from leaving Palestine. Read More

Taking Agroecology to Scale

Zero Budget Natural Farming peasant movement in Karnataka, India

This paper, produced as part of the self-study process, specifically examines Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), a grassroots peasant agroecology movement in Karnataka, India. ZBNF ends reliance on purchased inputs and loans for farming, positioning itself as a solution to extreme indebtedness and suicides among Indian farmers. Access the full version of the paper

We are the women's strike. Solidarity is our weapon. Watch Now

Marco Aurelio, from MST (Brazilian Landless Workers Movement), spoke to Newsclick on current developments in Brazil. Since the constitutional coup in September 2016, that deposed President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's rightwing politicians have been busy cutting allocations in social sectors, revising labour laws and undermining the progressive Constitution. Social movements such as MST have been in the forefront in creating broad based progressive platforms to oppose the Temer Government. With the rightwing increasingly losing legitimacy, Former President Lula of the Workers Party is widely expected to win the 2018 elections. Watch Now

PODCAST: ZoominKorea's Julian Cho and Hyun Lee explore these questions in our pilot podcast, which includes an exclusive interview with women farmers in Seongju and Gimcheon–Lee Hae-kyoung, Kim Jong, Yoon Geum-soon and Ham Soo-yeon–who have been on the front lines of the fight against the THAAD deployment. Listen in

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