Action in Jakarta

Jakarta, July, 21, 2008—Responding to the WTO mini-ministerial meeting, we are from Gerak Lawan, a broad coalition of Indonesian people's movements. We feel it is pertinent to alert the Government of Indonesia (GOI) and the people to the major issues at stake if you agree to the proposals for agriculture and nonagricultural market access (NAMA) and services that are on the table for the Doha Round in Geneva on July, 21-26.

La Via Campesina release regarding the WTO bilateral and mini Ministerial Meeting

WTO pushes for more trade liberalisation to solve food crisis: more fuel on the fire!

14^th July,2008-Bangalore
Farmers, Rural Women of Karnataka in solidarity with various farmers organizations of India, resolve that the latest drafts on Agriculture and Non Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) that were released on the 10^th of July, 2008 in Geneva, are the final nails on the coffin of the food security and sovereignty of the nation.  Both the drafts are an orchestrated attempt to open up the Indian markets for highly subsidized cheaper imports. Importing food is importing unemployment and poverty that will destroy livelihoods and the country's food self-sufficiency.

Jaipur, July 9: Braving heavy monsoon rains, hundreds of small and marginal farmers from 25 districts of Rajasthan took part in a huge rally organised here today to register protest against a mini-ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) planning to conclude the Doha Development Agreement in Geneva on July 21, 2008.

Farmers, peasants and agricultural labourers, carrying banners and placards opposing the WTO policies, took exception to India’s intention to sign the draft agreement in the Geneva meeting without regard to the food security of the country and livelihoods of lakhs of farmers.

The European Coordination of Via Campesina and Young Friends of the Earth Europe are organizing a  youth camp alongside the next European Social Forum in Malmö. 

Press Release 

Reacting to the G8 Leaders statement on Global Food Security issued last night in Hokkaido, Via Campesina farmer leader Mr. Yoshitaka Mashima said: «We do not understand why the G8 leaders pretend to solve the food crisis with more free trade while it is the liberalisation of agriculture and food markets that continue to lead us to the current crisis. People need to eat local food to protect themselves from the instability of world markets. We do not need more imported food».
At a press conference today, farmers leaders said that the G8 governments were mistakenly using the current food and climate crisis to promote the free trade agenda that is serving large companies and not producers of food and consumers. The G8 leader's statement insists on reviving the agonising WTO negotiations and on preventing countries from regulating food exports.