Social movements back the FAO in agrarian reform

09/03/2006 - 21h42

Spensy Pimentel
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Porto Alegre - Social movements from around the world are willing to act as "accomplices" of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in resuming the global debate on agrarian reform. This declaration was made, yesterday (9), by the group in charge of the Land, Territory, and Dignity forum, which was held concomitantly with the 2nd International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, sponsored by the FAO in conjunction with the Brazilian government.

"We, movements, pledge to be accomplices of the FAO," said Paul Nicholson, a Basque leader of the International Via Campesina. "Our goal is for agrarian reform to become an indispensable element in every international negotiation."

The prerequisite for this support, the activists maintained, is for the FAO "to carry out its mandate" and strive to be the focus of international debates on agricultural trade and food. "It is not the World Trade Organization that should negotiate our basic human rights," Nicholson said with respect to food products. "We demand that governments and the FAO assume this responsibility."

The social movements defend food as one of the basic human rights, in a broader concept of food sovereignty - which includes the right to produce one's own food (and enjoy political and economic conditions to do so). "The conference is not a stopping point; otherwise, we will have to embark on a new process."

Throughout the conference, FAO representatives have signaled the importance of expanding the dialogue with civil society. The activists, however, have cannily insisted on conditions for this to be put in practice. They say that, at present, the FAO has only one person responsible for interfacing with civil society in this area.

Translation: David Silberstein