Nepal: Rice Day Celebrations
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- Published on Thursday, 05 July 2012 07:16
June 29: The All Nepal Peasant Federation (ANPFa) organized a massive rice plantation program in 35 districts of Nepal on Ashar 15 to celebrate Rice day. Ashar 15 is the auspicious day for paddy planting in Hindu culture where peasants start the day by planting rice and then follow up with a feast of curd and beaten rice (Dahi Chiura). Some of the notable celebrations took place in Kathmandu, Kailali, Jhapa, Dhading, Kaski, Nuwakot and Kavre. The Former Prime Minister of Nepal J. N. Khanal started the celebration of the peasant festival in Nuwakot. Peasants planted rice throughout the day and demanded that Nepal’s rice fields be protected from land grabbing and conversion, given that rice is the staple food crop of Asians and holds a deep cultural significance. They also demanded that only agroecological farming methods, or ecological agriculture based on biodiveristy (BEA) be promoted and the land be protected against hybrids and chemicals. The special program was attended by thousands of peasants as well as senior peasant leaders such as the former deputy prime minister of Nepal, Bam Dev Gautam, President of National Co-operative Federation, Keshab Badal, deputy general secretary of ANPFa Balram Banskota , and Secretary of ANPFa Hari Parajuli.
Weakening the CAP reform again
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- Published on Tuesday, 26 June 2012 08:38
The EU agriculture Council and the European Parliament want to weaken a proposal for reform that us already disappointing in terms of the way it addresses the challenges we are facing. Yet what is at stake is the farmers’ future, consumers/taxpayers food, the countryside and the environment.
The European Commission’ proposed legislation, although it remains within a destructive framework of market deregulation , does propose some positive notions in the future CAP on the issues of the goals of food security, sustainable management of resources and territorial balance. Although the food security objective is translated in the proposal into the need to improve companies’ competitiveness, the Commission has nonetheless proposed the capping and a better distribution of direct payments between Member States and within each Member State, mandatory measures for the environment, and has taken small farms into account.
After hearing of the proposals presented on 18-19 June by the reporters of the agriculture committee of the European Parliament, the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) notes the following points :
« The European Parliament, as the Council, appears to be working hard to weaken the proposals », declared Geneviève Savigny, member of the Coordination committee of ECVC.
Mali, Declaration of the Forum of Civil Society organisations
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- Published on Monday, 26 March 2012 15:49
Bamako, on March 22, 2012
Following the events that occurred in the night of March 21, 2012 in Bamako and in the regions, the Forum of Civil Society Organisations of Mali has held a meeting at its headquarters.
After analysis and review of the situation, the Forum of Civil Society Organizations condemns, as a principle all forms of coup d'état and acts of violence for the settlement of problems within the Malian nation. The Civil Society Forum takes note of the declaration made on March 22, 2012 by the CNRDR, and among them the following points:
- The establishment of an inclusive Government of National Unity to be constituted after consultation with all the active social forces of the country;
- The non-confiscation of power;
- The restoration of national unity and territorial integrity;
- The commitment to work with all forces of the nation without any distinction;
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Tanzania, MVIWATA asks for agricultural sector`s budget raise
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- Published on Wednesday, 21 March 2012 05:03
Activists and farmers’ representatives from across Africa on 1st March, 2012 handed President Jakaya Kikwete a petition signed by over 16,000 of them urging the continent’s leaders to increase budgetary allocations to the sector.
The group and ordinary citizens marched a kilometer from the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) to the State House - to deliver their petition, calling on African leaders to provide greater food security for ordinary Africans by increasing investments in agriculture.
Led by South Africa-based NGO, dubbed One Organization, Tanzania’s NGO, ANASAF, the National Network of Small-Scale Farmers Groups in Tanzania (MVIWATA) and other African partners, the group is part of a broader campaign for more investment in agriculture, dubbed the back-bone of many African countries, employing about 80 per cent of the continent’s population.
Among demonstrators, 30 were small scale farmers of which 17 were members of MVIWATA.