La Via Campesina – Farmers movement mobilize in Copenhagen

(Brussels, 2 December 2009) Industrial agriculture is the skeleton in the closet of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). If we consider production, processing and transportation, the whole food chain could be responsible for up to half of all global greenhouse gas emissions (1). However negotiators do not seem ready to acknowledge the impact of our current food and agricultural system – and the need to radically change our food policies.

The international farmers movement La Via Campesina which gathers hundreds of millions of small farmers from around the world is going to Copenhagen to claim that sustainable small scale agriculture is the way out of the current crises.

It is time to relocalise food production, to put an end to fossil fuel hungry corporate farming, give land to farmers and to implement food sovereignty. Such a move would provoke a reduction of ½ to 2/3 of current global emissions. Combined with a strong reduction in consumption it would lead to a significant effective reduction contrary to the false solutions such as carbon trading and the technical fixes presented for corporate agriculture schemes as currently discussed by the UNFCCC.

Such a transformation of world agriculture would not only greatly contribute to solving the climate crisis – it would also provide healthy food for all – as well as provide livelihoods to millions of women and men.

Around 100 Via Campesina farmers – women and men – from about 30 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas will join the mobilisations, workshops, debates and protests with a wide range of other social movements from December 10 to 18 in Copenhagen.

Via Campesina highlights for the media

• 10 December: Candle light vigil at 6pm at Gammeltorv – Nytorv (city center) in solidarity with the peasant victims of climate change, carbon trading, land evictions, REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation), climate ready genetically modified seeds and other false solutions to climate change.

• 11 December: Press conference from 12:00 to 12:30 at Klimaforum: “Farmers mobilisations for a cool planet”

• 13 December: Action and street press conference at 12:00 in front of Axelborg building (Verstrobrogade/Axeltorv) : “Industrial agriculture is frying the planet”

• 15 December: Press conference at 9:00 at Bella Center, Asger Jorn room, Hall H. “ Agriculture and Climate: the small scale farmers’ solution”

• 15 December: Mass mobilisation starting at Havne Parken at 12pm “Change the food system not climate!” (by the Harbour pool, near Langebrd bridge)

(Action’s places will be confirmed)

Interviews with farmers leaders and information:

Boaventura Monjane: [email protected]

Isabelle Delforge: [email protected]

Mobile numbers: +32 498522163 (before December 5) and +45 5059 8325 (from December 5)

Or meet us at the Via Campesina stand at Klimaforum –

More information on www.viacampesina.org

(1) http://viacampesina.net/downloads/PAPER5/Sustainable-farmers2.pdf

La Via Campesina is an international movement which brings together millions of peasants, small producers, landless people, agricultural workers and rural women and youth around the world. Our movement is made up of 150 member organisations active in 70 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.