food sovereignty for africa

8/14/2019 Food Sovereignty for Africa

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FOOD SOVEREIGNTY FOR AFRICA:A CHALLENGE AT FINGERTIPS

January 2008


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This publication is a compilation of the documents produced in Nyeleni 2007(Mali, 23rd to 27th Febbruary 2007) and the outcomes of several

conferences held at the same place in November-December 2007.


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DECLARATION OF NYLNI27 February 2007

Nylni Village, Slingu, Mali

We, more than 500 representatives from more than80 countries, of organizations of peasants/familyfarmers, artisanal fisher-folk, indigenous peoples,landless peoples, rural workers, migrants,pastoralists, forest communities, women, youth,consumers, environmental and urban movementshave gathered together in the village of Nylni inSlingu, Mali to strengthen a global movement forfood sovereignty. We are doing this, brick by brick,have been living in huts constructed by hand in thelocal tradition, and eating food that is being producedand prepared by the Slingu community. We giveour collective endeavour the name Nylni as atribute to and inspiration from a legendary Malianpeasant woman who farmed and fed her peoples well.

Most of us are food producers and are ready, able andwilling to feed all the world's peoples. Our heritage asfood producers is critical to the future of humanity.This is specially so in the case of women andindigenous peoples who are historical creators ofknowledge about food and agriculture and aredevalued. But this heritage and our capacities toproduce healthy, good and abundant food are beingthreatened and undermined by neo-liberalism andglobal capitalism.

Food sovereignty gives us the hope and power topreserve, recover and build on our food producing

knowledge and capacity.Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthyand culturally appropriate food produced throughecologically sound and sustainable methods, andtheir right to define their own food and agriculturesystems. It puts those who produce, distribute andconsume food at the heart of food systems andpolicies rather than the demands of markets andcorporations. It defends the interests and inclusion ofthe next generation. It offers a strategy to resist anddismantle the current corporate trade and foodregime, and directions for food, farming, pastoral and

fisheries systems determined by local producers.Food sovereignty prioritizes local and nationaleconomies and markets and empowers peasant andfamily farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal - fishing,pastoralist-led grazing, and food production,d istr ibut ion and consumption based onenvironmental, social and economic sustainability.Food sovereignty promotes transparent trade thatguarantees just income to all peoples and the rightsof consumers to control their food and nutrition. Itensures that the rights to use and manage our lands,territories, waters, seeds, livestock and biodiversityare in the hands of those of us who produce food.

Food sovereignty implies new social relations free ofoppression and inequality between men and women,peoples, racial groups, social classes andgenerations.In Nylni, through numerous debates and

interactions, we are deepening our collectiveunderstanding of food sovereignty and learned aboutthe reality of the struggles of our respectivemovements to retain autonomy and regain ourpowers. We now understand better the tools we needto build our movement and advance our collectivevision.

A world whereall peoples, nations and states are able todetermine their own food producing systems andpolicies that provide every one of us with goodquality, adequate, affordable, healthy, and culturallyappropriate food;

...recognition and respect of women's roles andrights in food production, and representation ofwomen in all decision making bodies;

all peoples in each of our countries are able to livewith dignity, earn a living wage for their labour andhave the opportunity to remain in their homes;

...where food sovereignty is considered a basichuman right, recognized and implemented bycommunities, peoples, states and internationalbodies;

we are able to conserve and rehabilitate ruralenvironments, fish stocks, landscapes and foodtraditions based on ecologically sustainablemanagement of land, soils, water, seas, seeds,livestock and other biodiversity;

we value, recognize and respect our diversity oftraditional knowledge, food, language and culture,and the way we organise and express ourselves;

. there is genuine and integral agrarian reform that

guarantees peasants full rights to land, defends andrecovers the territories of indigenous peoples,ensures fishing communities' access and control overtheir fishing areas and eco-systems, honours accessand control over pastoral lands and migratory routes,assures decent jobs with fair remuneration andlabour rights for all, and a future for young people inthe countryside;

...where agrarian reform revitalises interdependencebetween producers and consumers, ensurescommunity survival, social and economic justice andecological sustainability, and respect for local

autonomy and governance with equal rights forwomen and men

...where it guarantees the right to territory and self-determination for our peoples;

What are w e fighting for?

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...where we share our lands and territories peacefullyand fairly among our peoples, be we peasants,indigenous peoples, artisanal fishers, pastoralists, orothers;

in the case of natural and human-created disastersand conflict-recovery situations, food sovereigntyacts as a kind of insurance that strengthens localrecovery efforts and mitigates negative impacts...where we remember that affected communities arenot helpless, and where strong local organization forself-help is the key to recovery;

...where peoples' power to make decisions abouttheir material, natural and spiritual heritage aredefended;

... where all peoples have the right to defend theirterritories from the actions of transnationalcorporations;

Imperialism, neo-liberalism, neo-colonialism andpatriarchy, and all systems that impoverish life,resources and eco-systems, and the agents thatpromote the above such as international financialinstitutions, the World Trade Organization, free tradeagreements, transnational corporations, and

governments that are antagonistic to their peoples;

The dumping of food at prices below the cost ofproduction in the global economy;

The domination of our food and food producingsystems by corporations that place profits beforepeople, health and the environment;

Technologies and practices that undercut our futurefood producing capacities, damage the environmentand put our health at risk. Those include transgenic

crops and animals, terminator technology, industrialaquaculture and destructive fishing practices, the so-called white revolution of industrial dairy practices,the so-called 'old' and 'new' Green Revolutions, andthe Green Deserts of industrial bio-fuelmonocultures and other plantations;

The privatization and commodification of food, basicand public services, knowledge, land, water, seeds,livestock and our natural heritage;

Development projects/models and extractiveindustry that displace people and destroy our

environments and natural heritage;

Wars, conflicts, occupations, economic blockades,famines, forced displacement of people and

What are w e fighting against?

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confiscation of their land, and all forces andgovernments that cause and support them; postdisaster and conflict reconstruction programs thatdestroy our environments and capacities;

The criminalization of all those who struggle toprotect and defend our rights;

Food aid that disguises dumping, introduces GMOsinto local environments and food systems andcreates new colonialism patterns;

The internationalization and globalization ofpaternalistic and patriarchal values that marginalizewomen, diverse agricultural, indigenous, pastoraland fisher communities around the world.

Just as we are working with the local community inSlingu to create a meeting space at Nylni, we arecommitted to building our collective movement forfood sovereignty by forging alliances, supportingeach others' struggles and extending our solidarity,strengths, and creativity to peoples all over the worldwho are committed to food sovereignty. Everystruggle, in any part of the world for food sovereignty,is our struggle.

We have arrived at a number of collective actions toshare our vision of food sovereignty with all peoplesof this world, which are elaborated in our synthesisdocument. We will implement these actions in ourrespective local areas and regions, in our ownmovements and jointly in solidarity with othermovements. We will share our vision and actionagenda for food sovereignty with others who are notable to be with us here in Nylni so that the spirit ofNylni permeates across the world and becomes apowerful force to make food sovereignty a reality forpeoples all over the world.

Finally, we give our unconditional and unwaveringsupport to the peasant movements of Mali and ROPPAin their demands that food sovereignty become areality in Mali and by extension in all of Africa.

What can and will w e do about it?

Now is the time for food sovereignty!

DECLARATION OF NYLNI27 February 2007

Nylni Village, Slingu, Mali


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We, women of 86 countries and diverse Indigenous peoples, from Africa, the Americas,

Europe, Asia, Oceania and various sectors and social movements, are gathered at Nyeleni2007 in Slingu, Mali, to work together on the construction of a new rightthe right tofood sovereignty. We reaffirm our will to act together to change the capitalist andpatriarchal world that prioritizes market interests at the expense of human rights.

Women, who have historically held the knowledge about agriculture and food, whocontinue to produce up to 80% of the food in the poorest countries, and who today are theprincipal custodians of biodiversity and seeds for farming, are particularly affected byneoliberal and sexist policies.

We suffer the grave consequences of these policies: poverty, inadequate access toresources, patents on life, rural exodus and forced migration, war and all forms ofphysical and sexual violence. Monocultures, including those used to produce agro-fuel,and the massive use of chemicals and genetically modified organisms, have a negativeimpact on the environment and human health, particularly reproductive health.

The industrial model and transnational companies threaten the existence of peasantagriculture, artisanal fisheries, pastoralism, artisanal production, and local foodbusinesses in urban and rural areasall sectors in which women play a major role.

We want to remove food and agriculture from the WTO and free trade treaties. More thanthat, we reject the capitalist and patriarchal institutions that consider food, water, land,people's knowledge and women's bodies simply as merchandise.

In our struggle for equality between the sexes, we want an end to the oppression we facein both traditional and modern societies and the market system. We want to use thisopportunity to put sexist prejudice behind us and develop a new vision of the world basedon the principles of respect, equality, justice, solidarity, peace and freedom.

We are mobilized. We are struggling for access to land, territories, water, and seeds. Weare struggling for decent working conditions. We are struggling for access to training and

information. We are struggling for our autonomy and the right to make our own decisionsand participate fully in decision-making bodies.

Under the eye of Nyeleni, an African woman who defied discriminatory regulations andburned with creativity and agricultural prowess, we will find the energy to transform theright to food sovereignty into a beacon for the construction of another world.

We will find this energy in our solidarity. We will bear this message to women across theworld.

Nyeleni, February 27, 2007

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NYELENI 2007: WOMEN'S DECLARATION ONFOOD SOVEREIGNTY


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Nyelenis steering committee:Via Campesina, ROPPA,World March of Women, World Forum of Fish Harvestersand Fisherworkers (WFF), World Forum of Fisher Peoples(WFFP), Friends of the Earth International, some

representatives of NGOs members of Food SovereigntyNetwork.

NYLNI was the inspiration for the name of ourForum for Food Sovereignty in Slingu, Mali. Nylniwas a legendary Malian peasant woman who farmedand fed her peoples well she embodied foodsovereignty through hard work, innovation andcaring for her people. We, peasant farmers,pastoralists, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, migrantworkers, women and young people, who gathered atNylni 2007 are food providers who are ready, ableand willing to feed all the world's peoples.

Our heritage as providers of food is critical to thefuture of humanity. This is especially so in the case ofwomen and indigenous peoples who are historicalcreators of knowledge about food, agriculture andtraditional aquaculture. But this heritage and ourcapacity to produce healthy, good and abundant foodare being threatened and undermined by neo-liberalism and global capitalism.

We debated food sovereignty issues in order to: A)deepen collective understanding; B) strengthen

dialogue among and between sectors and interestgroups; and C) formulate joint strategies and anaction agenda. Our debates gave food providers aswell as environmentalists, consumers and urbanmovements the strength and power to fight for foodsovereignty in Mali, the rest of Africa and worldwide.

Through our alliances, we can join together topreserve, recover and build on our knowledge inorder to strengthen the essential capacity that leadsto sustaining localized food systems. In realizing foodsovereignty, we will also ensure the survival of ourcultures, our peoples and of the Earth.

FOOD SOVEREIGNTY puts those who produce,distribute and need wholesome, local food at theheart of food, agricultural, livestock and fisheriessystems and policies, rather than the demands ofmarkets and corporations that reduce food tointernationally tradable commodities andcomponents. It offers a strategy to resist anddismantle this inequitable and unsustainable systemthat perversely results in both chronic under nutritionand rapidly rising obesity.

Food sovereignty includes the right to food the rightof peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate foodproduced through socially just and ecologicallysensitive methods. It entails peoples' right toparticipate in decision making and define their ownfood, agriculture, livestock and fisheries systems. It

access to, and the sharing of, productive territoriesfree from the threat of privatization and expulsion.

Food sovereignty defends the interests and the rightto food and to produce food of peoples andcommunities, including those under occupation, inconflict zones, facing and/or recovering fromdisasters, as well as those who are socially andeconomically marginalized, such as dalits,indigenous peoples and migrant workers.

Food sovereignty provides a policy framework forfood, farming, pastoral, fisheries and other foodproduction, harvesting and gathering systemsdetermined by local communities.

, we deepened our collectiveunderstanding ofFood Sovereignty which:1.Focuses on Food for People: Food sovereigntyputs the right to sufficient, healthy and culturallyappropriate food for all individuals, peoples andcommunities, including those who are hungry, underoccupation, in conflict zones and marginalized, at thecentre of food, agriculture, livestock and fisheriespolicies; and rejects the proposition that food is justanother commodity or component for internationalagri-business.

2.Values Food P roviders: Food sovereignty values

and supports the contributions, and respects therights, of women and men, peasants and small scalefamily farmers, pastoralists, artisanal fisherfolk,forest dwellers, indigenous peoples and agriculturaland fisheries workers, including migrants, whocultivate, grow, harvest and process food; andrejects those policies, actions and programs thatundervalue them, threaten their livelihoods andeliminate them.

3. Localizes Food Systems: Food sovereigntybrings food providers and consumers closer

together; puts providers and consumers at the centreof decision-making on food issues; protects foodproviders from the dumping of food and food aid inlocal markets; protects consumers from poor qualityand unhealthy food, inappropriate food aid and foodtainted with genetically modified organisms; andresists governance structures, agreements andpractices that depend on and promote unsustainableand inequitable international trade and give power toremote and unaccountable corporations.

4. Puts Control Locally: Food sovereignty placescontrol over territory, land, grazing, water, seeds,

livestock and fish populations on local food providersand respects their rights. They can use and sharethem in socially and environmentally sustainableways which conserve diversity; it recognizes that

A)AT NYLNI 2007

Mali 23/27 fvrier 2007

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NYELENI 2007: SYNTHESIS REPORT


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local territories often cross geopolitical borders andensures the right of local communities to inhabit anduse their territories; it promotes positive interactionbetween food providers in different regions andterritories and from different sectors that helpsresolve internal conflicts or conflicts with local andnational authorities; and rejects the privatization ofnatural resources through laws, commercialcontracts and intellectual property rights regimes.

5.Builds Know ledge and Skills:Food sovereigntybuilds on the skills and local knowledge of foodproviders and their local organizations that conservedevelop and manage localized food production andharvesting systems, developing appropriate researchsystems to support this and passing on this wisdom

to future generations; and rejects technologies thatundermine, threaten or contaminate these, e.g.genetic engineering.

6.Works w ith Nature: Food sovereignty uses thecontributions of nature in diverse, low external inputagro ecological production and harvesting methodsthat maximize the contribution of ecosystems andimprove resilience and adaptation, especially in theface of climate change; it seeks to heal the planet sothat the planet may heal us; and, rejects methodsthat harm beneficial ecosystem functions, thatdepend on energy intensive monocultures and

livestock factories, destructive fishing practices andother industrialized production methods, whichdamage the environment and contribute to globalwarming.

AT NYLNI 2007, we strengthened dialogueamong and between sectors and interest groups. Thiswas through the main work of the forum which was

spent discussing seven themes related to foodsovereignty: local markets and international trade;local knowledge and technology; access and controlof natural resources; sharing territories; conflicts,occupation, and disasters; social conditions andforced migration; and production models. There isbackground information for these discussions and oneach of these themes in the paper Towards a FoodSovereignty Action Agenda presented in the Nylniprogram book and on the Nylni 2007 website

.

What follows is a brief synthesis of the discussions ineach thematic working group. The report concludeswith a Food Sovereignty Action Agenda that wasdiscussed by the sectors, interest groups and

B) THEMATIC DISCUSSIONS ON FOODSOVEREIGNTY

http://www.nyeleni2007.org/IMG/pdf/TOWARDS_A_FOOD_SOVEREIGNTY_ACTION_AGENDAII.pdf

regions. The Action Agenda summarizes the jointactions to be taken by the organisations of farmersand peasants, pastoralists, fisherfolk, indigenouspeoples, migrant workers, consumer and urbanmovements, women, environmentalists and youngpeople represented at Nylni 2007. Examples ofspecific actions agreed by Regions and Sectors arealso included.More extensive and illustrative outcomes of thediscussions will be captured in a longer follow upreport.

1. LOCAL MARKETS AND INTERNATIONALTRADEFood is for people's health and nutrition it shouldnot be simply a tradable commodity. In order to

ensure the right to food for all and the right ofpeasant farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk and othersto produce healthy food sustainably, we must buildnew mechanisms for fairness in trading, with fairprices that are in the hands of producers andconsumers, that are transparent at all steps in thefood chain, and where priority is given to localproduction for local markets. We must fight for radicalchange in agricultural, fisheries and food policies sothat they are based on food sovereignty and not onfree trade as promoted by its neo-liberal proponents governments, multinational corporations andinternational institutions, such as the World Bank and

the World Trade Organization.

We will continue to reject all bilateral and multilateralagreements that do not respond to the needs of localproducers and consumers. Food Sovereignty is notagainst international, regional or national trade butplaces priority on local production for local markets inorder to guarantee food sovereignty. It values theproduction of culturally appropriate foods withoutforcing people to consume things they do not want,such as genetically modified organisms.

The local markets emphasis also supports the use ofland for food production rather than for theproduction of agrofuels and other monocultures;coastal marine resources for local fishing rather thandestructive fisheries; pastoral grazing territories forsustainable livestock keeping; and so on. We willcontinue to fight against free trade and other marketmechanisms that promote over-production and thedumping of cheap food and unnecessary importedfood aid, which benefit large corporate producers andharm food sovereignty. Instead, we will encouragelaws and policies that promote local autonomy in foodproduction and consumption so that indigenous

peoples, peasant farmers, fishers, pastoralists,forest dwellers and other local food providers are ableto produce for themselves, their local communitiesand wider society.

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2. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGYThe majority of the world's food is still beingproduced or harvested at relatively small scales bylocal communities, based on local knowledge, usinglocally based technologies and locally availableresources. Our knowledge and wisdom is what theworld needs for food sovereignty. We are the womenand men, peasant farmers, pastoralists, artisanalfisherfolk, indigenous peoples, forest dwellers andothers who for millennia have created, maintainedand developed the basis not only for our survival butalso the survival of society. This includes theknowledge and skills to produce food, clothing,medicines, seeds, livestock etc, to sustainbiodiversity and to respect the environment andecosystems.

Our knowledge is alive, shows itself in many waysand is essential for food sovereignty. It is local,collective, and diverse and is ever changing anddynamic not static and gathers strength throughexchange and solidarity. Fighting for foodsovereignty means recognizing women'scontributions and experiences and makingindigenous knowledge and production systems acentral element in strengthening local food systemsunder the control of local communities. The impactsof the technologies for intensive monoculturesincluding those for agrofuel production, industrialaquaculture and destructive fisheries that are

imposed through the green (crops), blue(aquaculture) and white (milk) revolutions, are nowbeing re-imposed on Africa, are having devastatingimpacts on our local knowledge systems,technologies and environment. It actively leads tothe consolidation of the market power oftransnational corporations throughout the entire foodchain from production to distribution.

This corporate control and domination, supported bylocal elites, leads to the concentration of land, erosionof soils, poisoning of waters from nitrates and

pesticides, damage to productive ecosystems,culminating in the disappearance of farmers,pastoralists and fisherfolk. With this distortion ofpower come new genetically modified organisms,nanotechnologies and seed ster i l izat iontechnologies, protected by patents and otherintellectual property rights. Also, the privatization ofagricultural research moves knowledge, seedvarieties and livestock breeds from the public domaininto corporate hands; thus, damaging transformativelocal knowledge development. In the name ofhunger, bird' flu, climate change and the thirst for fuelby the wealthy, unsuitable and unsustainable

technologies are being imposed in our territories, arepoisoning our water bodies and, with the impacts ofindustrial extractive fisheries and aquaculture, arekilling our seas.

3. ACCESS AND CONTROL OVER RESOURCESThe access, control and stewardship of the naturalresources that peasant farming, pastoral, artisanalfishing, forest dwelling and indigenous communitiesrely on for food and livelihoods for example, land,forests, water, seeds, livestock, fish and otheraquatic species are essential for food sovereignty.For generations, local communities have conservedthe richness and diversity of these resources bycontrolling access to them for the practice ofagroecologically sustainable and biodiverseagriculture, livestock production, pastoralism andartisanal fishing, saving and protecting their lands,territories, forests and water bodies from over-use,depletion and contamination. We must ensurewomen's access to land, abolishing discriminatory

laws of inheritance and repartition in the event ofdivorce; transforming customs that deny women'sright to the land; and equality between women andmen in processes of agrarian reform.A genuine agrarian reform is needed that allows uscontinued rights of access to and control over ourterritories, including for Indigenous Peoples andpastoralists, that can then be used exclusively forecologically and socially sustainable production. Werequire similar rights to water bodies and coastalcommons for artisanal fisheries, preventing theimposition of industrial aquaculture or destructivefishing practices, as well as guaranteeing riparian and

beach access to these resources. We must develop acommon plan of action around the fight against waterprivatization, commodification of water andexploitation of ground water by transnationalcorporations. Access to and control over our seedvarieties, livestock breeds and fish species that arethe basis of food sovereignty should not becompromised by intellectual property rights norshould they be contaminated by genetically modifiedorganisms.We must guard against humanitarian anddevelopment assistance that reduce access and our

control over natural resources, as happened, forexample, after the December 2004 Indian OceanTsunami. We must force governments either to applyexisting international laws and agreements, ordesign national laws, that guarantee the rights ofaccess to the resources to which people are entitledand prevent the privatization of common resourcesand the actions of transnational corporations, whichlimit our access to the natural resources we need torealize food sovereignty.

4. SHARING TERRITORIESWe must first define territories beyond geopolitical

boundaries so as to include the territories ofindigenous peoples, nomadic and pastoralistcommunities and beach-based fisherfolk. We shouldalso view nature as material and spiritual beings, not

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as 'resources' that exist to be exploited. Weunderstand the holistic nature of territories asincluding land, water, seeds, livestock breeds andaquatic organisms. Local communities and peoplesthat share territories should have equitable, butcontrolled, access. One of the biggest obstacles toequitable access to territories is the privatization ofland, water and material beings. We need to fightagainst all forms of expulsion of peoples from theirterritories and against mechanisms that favourremote, corporate or centralized control ofterritories.

We need to ensure the peaceful coexistence ofdiverse communities in territories by strengtheningour organizations and multi-sectoral alliances so as

to democratically negotiate and share territories. Astrong, aware and organized civil society will be ableto assert the rights of peasants/farmers, artisanalfisherfolk, pastoralists and indigenous communities.We must also assert the rights of young people andwomen to access territories. We can solve conflictsover shared territories between different sectors byimproving our traditional management of territories,particularly since one major source of conflict is theoverexploitation of nature and unsustainablemanagement of territories by one sector to thedetriment of another, by one generation to thedetriment of future generations. We need to fight for

genuine comprehensive agrarian reform based onthe diverse needs of peoples and for governments toprotect the rights of those who inhabit territories.Anchored in our traditional knowledge, we need tocreate our own research activities to collect andimagine alternative solutions to the obstacles tosharing territories by diverse communities. One suchsolution is the creation of an alternative economicsystem of exchanges among local producers thatresists global market domination.

5. CONFLICTS, OCCUPATIONS AND NATURAL

DISASTERS:Food sovereignty is threatened by conflicts,occupations and disasters, as well as by efforts toameliorate the situation such as throughinappropriate food aid and development /reconstruction projects, which themselves cangenerate more conflicts. Environmental degradationas a result of warfare and disasters also compromisesfood sovereignty, as it affects local production. At thesame time, we see that where food sovereignty ispresent, communities and their production systemsare better able to survive and recover includingsourcing local foods to avert famine. Examples were

given about the loss of food sovereignty due tooccupation in Palestine and Lebanon; as a result ofconflicts over natural resources in Cameroon andColombia; and due to the precarious living conditions

because of human-made and natural disasters in SriLanka and the Philippines. These and many otherstories articulated the importance of foodsovereignty in areas deeply affected by conflicts,occupations, and disasters.We often speak of access to markets for localproducers and peoples who want to consume localproducts. But for communities living with conflicts,occupation and the aftermath of disasters, access tomarkets is a basic physical issue when there is, forexample, a wall between the producer and themarket, or where the transport infrastructuredisappears in a flood. Also, after conflict or a disaster,people are often displaced from their lands andterritories, which are then appropriated for otherpurposes, such as tourism or occupation by others.

Food sovereignty is challenged by repression andstate terrorism, particularly as conflicts affectcommunities' control over territories. This limits theiraccess to land, water, food and excludes theirparticipation in decisionmaking. For peoples livingunder occupation, self-determination and localautonomy becomes crucial in order to achieve foodsovereignty. Self-determination can also prepareagainst the impacts of natural and human-madedisasters by ensuring ecological community-basedmanagement, reliant on traditional knowledge andlifestyles that increase the resilience of ecosystems

to catastrophic events. In order to achieve foodsovereignty, we must ensure that those who arevictims/survivors of disaster/conflict can determineand lead the relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts.We assert that food sovereignty is essential forcommunity resilience and response to all disasters.In this context, we discussed: how to secure thebenefits from legal frameworks that should maintainbiodiversity and provide compensation when thelivelihoods of communities are intentionallydestroyed; as well as an international convention onfood sovereignty, especially for communities living

with conflict, occupation or disaster.6 . SOCIAL CONDIT IONS AND FORCEDMIGRATIONWe need to integrate the struggle for foodsovereignty in the fight for migrants' rights. Thecauses of forced migration, often to work inagriculture and fisheries, include internationalfinancial and development policies, warfare, anddestruction of habitats and cultures due to social andenvironmental injustices, among other factors. Thecharacteristics of forced migrations include racismand sexual exploitation, human trafficking, the use of

migrants for cheap or slave labour, and the treatmentof migrants as second class citizens.We see an increased awareness of the contributionsof migrant workers as evidenced by the mobilizations

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in the United States and France in 2006, and by theweight placed on remittances by migrants to theirfamilies in their countries of origin. However, thereare no policies in place to support the right ofdisplaced peoples to return to their homecommunities, particularly those who have beendisplaced by occupation, disaster, or conflict. In orderto confront the problems generated by forcedmigrations, the following proposals are made asstrategies to contain forced migration:

1) The defense of territories, cultures, foodsovereignty and self-reliance and the defense ofrural, farmer, agrarian and urban organizations thatare essential to ensuring dignity in the countrysideand the city;

2) Articulating the value of peasant production andthe creation of sustainable economic relationshipsthat are outside of capitalist market rules.

We need to strengthen and promote independentmigrants' organizations and movements, from localto international. This includes strengthening alliancesbetween organizations and social movements incountries of origin and the places where migrants liveand work. We need to increase awareness aboutforced migration and the conditions that migrantsface, especially in the food, fishing and agriculturalsectors, and we need to stand in solidarity with

migrant organizations as crucial allies in the fight forfood sovereignty.

7. PRODUCTION MODELSFood sovereignty and environmental stability areunderpinned by agroecological production of foodand the use of ecologically sensitive artisanalfisheries practices. But this form of production canonly continue if society values and supports it andbuys local foods whilst at the same time removingprivileges and subsidies from industrial productionsystems that benefit transnational corporations.

Industrial production models are capturing anddestroying local markets, the livelihoods of smallscale food providers and the diverse ecosystemsupon which sustainable, low energy productiondepends. This industrial model pushes monoculturesas well as the use of food crops and land for agrofuelproduction rather than to feed people. It also causesdownstream pollution which, together with industrialfisheries and aquaculture, is killing our seas. Thecorporate- led product ion model is a lsoenvironmentally damaging, destroying nature'scapacity to adapt and flourish and greatly contributesto climate change.

The models of production and the way in which food issold and distributed are more important than thescale of production (small scale in one country can beseen as large scale in others) or where productiontakes place: food sovereignty is as applicable in

Northern industrialized countries as in the globalSouth.Strengthening the links between producers andconsumers and persuading them to switch to a'solidarity economy' that supports local farmers,livestock keepers, artisanal fisherfolk and theirsystems of agroecological production and harvesting,as well as persuading authorities at all levels to buylocally produced foods for schools, hospitals andother public institutions, are key strategies. Achallenge for the current generation is not only tochange policy and societal support in favour ofecologically sustainable production but also to keepalive the values and the resources needed for thisproduction system so that they can be taken up andused by the next.

WHAT WI LL WE DO?

AT NYLNI 2007 we formulated the following jointstrategies and action agenda to realize foodsovereignty through actions to PROMOTE ouragenda, to RESIST policies and practices thatundermine it and to STRENGTHEN OUR MOVEMENT.

We will PROMOTE strategies, policies and lifestylesthat strengthen community control, ecological

sustainability, local knowledge and autonomy, andtraditional wisdoms to assert food sovereignty in allof its dimensions as well as our associated Rights. We

will identify and strengthen existing autonomouspractices that provide food sovereignty as well aspush our governments to respect and protect our

rights to food sovereignty.

LOCAL MARKETSWe will assert the right of food providers and

consumers to have autonomous control overlocal marketsas a crucial space for foodsovereignty. We will strengthen local formal andinformal markets and direct links between consumersand food providers by promoting communitysupported agriculture and fisheries that builds thenecessary trust. We will promote food cooperatives,local processing, consumer forums and solidarityeconomies that favour local markets and fair pricesfor small scale producers. We will support fairness intrading and fair trade where it contributes to foodsovereignty. We will create opportunities for analternative market through initiatives such as

community funds and product exchanges, such asbartering, seed fairs etc., which will reinforce linksand solidarity among small scale food providers. Wewill propose to governments, policies that protectlocal production and markets.

C) FOOD SOVEREIGNTY ACTION AGENDA

PROMOTE

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LOCAL KNOWLEDGEWe w ill assert that local knowledge and culturalvalues are paths to realizing food sovereigntyand will identify local, collective, and diverseexperiences and practices, as examples, recognizingthat they are ever changing and dynamic not static and gather strength through exchange andsolidarity. We will respect, recognize and strengthenlocal wisdom through preserving seeds, local seednetworks, natural and traditional farming andalternative markets. Most importantly, we willconserve local knowledge by encouraging its use andsupporting peoples who keep this knowledge alivethrough daily life, particularly women and indigenouscommunities. We will fight against all forms ofintellectual property over life and knowledge,

including the privatization and patenting oftraditional wisdoms associated with food production.We will encourage the teaching of local knowledge inschools. We will organize research activities in orderto compile and develop alternative solutions toproblems faced by the different communities in theirterritories, emphasizing and promoting traditionalknowledge and wisdom. We will support researchthat is done by the people themselves and their localorganizations, that strengthens food sovereignty andhelps preserve productive land, water, seeds andlivestock.

A G R O E C O L O G I C A L P R O D U C T I O N A N DHARVESTINGWe will promote socially and environmentallysensitive production systems that can becontrolled by local food providers. These include:Agroecological production of food by peasant andfamily farmers; Pastoralism by traditional migratoryand cross-border pastoralists that conserves grazingterritories and utilizes them for meat, milk, otherfoods, as well as fibre, fuel and other goods; Artisanalfisheries by fisherfolk that limit catching of fish andother aquatic organisms in order to conserve fish

populations, fishing grounds, coral reefs, mangroveswamps and other areas and fish habitats essentialfor the regeneration of fish populations; Productionfrom forests by forest dwellers who recognize and liveby the diversity of forest products.

USE OF INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ANDPROGRAMSWe w ill assert food sovereignty and associatedr igh ts by u t i l i z i ng in te rna t i ona l l ega linstruments such as the UN Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights, the UN Declaration on the Rights ofIndigenous Peoples, and protocols, decisions,

guidelines and programs developed through, e.g.,Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations, Convention on Biological Diversity andInternational Fund for Agricultural Development,

such as: the Voluntary Guidelines on the progressiverealization of the right to adequate food; instrumentsthat can limit imports of genetically modifiedorganisms and granting of intellectual property rightson living organisms; and policies and programs thatpromote small scale production. We will pressuregovernments to implement international agreementsthat enforce policies in support of food sovereigntyand, in the framework of these agreements, to enactlegislation that eliminates policies and practices thatundermine food sovereignty. Through theseinstruments and related international negotiatingforums we will promote the rights of farmers,livestock keepers, nomads, pastoralists, artisanalfisherfolk, indigenous peoples and others.

A G R A R I A N R E F O R M A N D C O M M U N I T YCONTROL OF TERRITORIESWe will fight for a comprehensive genuineagrarian reform that upholds the rights of women,indigenous peoples, peasants, fisherfolk, workers,pastoralists, migrants and future generations andenables the coexistence of different communities intheir territories. Customary rights to territory mustbe recognized but must be adapted if theydiscriminate against women or marginalizedcommunities. Agrarian reform must ensure priority inthe use of land, water, seeds and livestock breeds,etc. for food production and other local needs rather

than production for export. We will promotecommunity-based management of territories thatrecognizes the needs of diverse users and thatprotects territories from environmental threats, suchas the destruction of mangroves and the fragility ofcoastal and marine ecosystems. We will protect ourterritories by promoting traditional low impactproduction mechanisms and fighting againstindustrial aquaculture and agribusiness. We willpromote the just sharing and management of waterterritories by, among other strategies, presenting aunited alternative to the 2009 Istanbul Summit on

Water.

We will RESIST the corporate-led global capitalistmodel and its institutions and policies that prevent

communities from asserting and achieving foodsovereignty. This includes challenging governmentpolicies that facilitate corporate control of our food

production and distribution, as well as taking directaction against corporate practices.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

We will combine fights against trade liberalizationwith struggles to promote local production andmarkets and thus build food sovereignty. We willcontinue to target the World Trade Organization,

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regional and bilateral trade agreements, dumping,the politicization and manipulation of food aid andwin back the right of every country to protect itsdomestic production and markets. We will fight foralternative policies in large food and agro-exportingcountries that include supply management and pricesupports to prevent dumping, including analternative Farm Bill in the United States of Americaand an alternative Common Agricultural Policy inEurope that promote family farm agriculture ratherthan agribusiness. We will also take actions againstthe massive imports of cheap food, which threatensustainable local production. We will fight againsttrade rules and international financial policies thatundermine food sovereignty. We will continue toresist any bilateral and multilateral agreements that

threaten the needs of local producers and consumersand threaten food sovereignty.

TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONSWe will fight against the corporate control ofthe food chain by reclaiming control over ourterritories, production, markets and the wayswe use food. We will demand that our governmentsenact policies that eliminate corporate control and,instead, facilitate community control over foodproduction and distribution. We will promoteecological production (agroecology, pastoralism,artisanal fisheries etc.) as a direct strategy against

transnational corporations. We will join internationalboycotts and campaigns to dismantle the power ofspecific corporations in the food system. We willstrengthen joint strategies by sharing information onthe impact of these corporations on food sovereignty.

CONFLICTS AND OCCUPATI ONWe will join struggles against occupation andfight the walls and militarization of borders thatsplinter peoples and prevent their access to local foodand productive territories, recognizing that conflictsand occupations present a serious threat to food

sovereignty and that asserting food sovereignty iscrucial for peoples and communities to survive andthrive under adverse conditions. This includesstanding in solidarity with all peoples who live underoccupation, whose territories are divided by walls andwho suffer from conflicts and disasters. We willstrengthen our struggles, resistances and responsesto conflict, occupation and disasters through learningfrom the experiences and strategies of each others'communities and movements.

TOXIC TECHNOLOGYWe will continue to fight against genetically

modified crops, animals, and trees; againstindus t r i a l aquacu l tu re ; aga ins t c l oned

livestock; and against the irradiation of food.We will fight against the Alliance for a GreenRevolution in Africa and the introduction ofgenetically modified crops through food aid. We willorganize national campaigns to prohibit Terminatorand other technologies that lead to the sterilization ofseeds and animals, in addition to supporting theinternational moratorium. We will work towards animmediate moratorium on new technologies such asnanotechnology, which has already been introducedinto food and agriculture, and now presents newthreats to health, the environment and peasant andfishing economies.

MONOCULTURES & AGROFUELSWe will mobilize and engage in international

campaigns against the industrial production ofagrofuels; these are often under the control oftransnational corporations and have negativeimpacts on people and the environment. We willhighlight the destructive impacts of the productionmodel that pushes the conversion of productive landinto monocultural production for agrofuels, paperpulp, genetically modified trees, and similarindustrial crops (e.g. through the International GreenDesert Campaign).

CLIMATE CHANGEWe will denounce industrial agriculture as a

contributor to climate change and question theutility and effectiveness of carbon markets toreduce emissions and ensure climate justice .We will evaluate the impact at local and regionallevels of climate change on food sovereignty,particularly how climate change affects our seeds,animals, fish etc, and the resilience of diversity to theeffects and impacts of climate change. We will alsolook at climate change as a creator of naturaldisasters and support communities affected byclimate change in developing mechanisms foradaptation and survival. We will develop strategies

based on solidarity and exchanges between regions,but always ensuring local control. Finally, we willpromote food sovereignty as an effective response tothe impact of climate change.

We will STRENGTHEN THE MOVEMENTS for foodsovereignty through mobilization, alliance building,

education, communication and joint action amongmovements throughout the world; and we will win.

MOBILIZATION

We will mobilize across sectors in our jointstruggles against those governmental policies,corporations and institutions that prevent therealization of food sovereignty. Importantly, we

STRENGTHEN THE MOVEMENT

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will come together as pastoralists, fisherfolk, peasantfarmers, women, indigenous peoples, and othercommunities from all regions of the world to practiceand expand food sovereignty. By forging a commonagenda and developing joint policy proposals we willbe able to build a united movement that is strongenough to win the struggle for food sovereignty.

ALLIANCE BUILDING AND STRENGTHING OUROWN MOVEMENTSWe wi l l bu i ld the movement fo r foodsovereignty by strengthening organizations,cooperatives, associations and networks, andbuilding strategic alliances among diverseconstituencies such as consumers, students,

academics, health practitioners, religiouscommunities, the environmental justice movement,water justice movements and people affected bylarge dams, extractive industry, wars, occupationand disasters. We will encourage constructiverelationships between urban and rural communities,between producers and consumers and betweenpeasants/farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists, andindigenous peoples. We will work with migrants'organizations to build solidarity with them andincrease our understanding of their priorities. We willstrengthen networks and alliances between socialmovements and migrants' organizations, in both

their countries of origin and the places where theylive and work, and promote a code of rights from theirpoint of view. We will support women's organizationsengaged in food sovereignty and the defense of localseeds and culture. We will reach out to peoples andcommunities that are not present at this forum andyet are essential in our collective struggle for foodsovereignty.

EDUCATIONWe w ill promote political education in order to

assert food sovereignty. We will increaseawareness within our organizations and movements,by learning from each other, and will also raiseawareness in other constituencies that include urbanconsumers and environmentalists in both North andSouth. Some education tools include: awarenessraising days; workshops based on local wisdom;popular and political education and outreach inschool systems. We will rely on our own wisdoms andhands-on education experiences that bring foodsovereignty to life. We will implement educationstrategies on, for example: migration, the conditionsof migrants and the links to our food; how our

customary rights and land ownership laws affect ourfood sovereignty; the importance of consuminghealthy local foods; and the effects of usinggenetically modified organisms and pesticides.

COMMUNICATIONWe wi l l strengthen our own means of communication based on our cultures and localconditions, in order to counter corporatepropaganda, challenge the globalized industrial foodsystem and highlight good local experiences andknowledge. We will use diverse media, such as RadioMundo Real, websites and community radio, workingto bridge the digital divide. We will maintain theNyeleni2007 website.

DAYS OF ACTIONWe will coordinate and participate in days ofaction that are organized and promoted by alliedorganizations, bringing a focus on food sovereigntyand encouraging the participation of all

constituencies, especially women.

For example:

8 March: International Women's day14 March: International day against large dams17 April: International Day of Peasants' Struggle12 October: Day of Indigenous Resistance16 October: World Food Sovereignty Day21 November: Small scale Fisherfolk Day10 December: Human Rights day18 December: International Migrants' Day

The joint strategies and action agenda describedabove are summarized from the reports of theThematic Working Groups and Sectoral and Regionaldiscussions. They are a synthesis of all the proposalsmade.

The following pages provide examples of some of thespecific actions proposed by Regions and Sectors.

Examples of Specific Actions proposed by Regions

Africa Calls for agriculture to be removed from theWorld Trade Organization; and rejectsEconomic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)that are currently being foisted on our peopleand calls for a moratorium on this process.

Rejects a ll moves by Transnat ionalCorporations and their international supportinstitutions to control our seed and demandsa moratorium on the introduction ofgenetically modified organisms andparticularly Terminator seeds into ourcontinent.

Africa can definitely feed itself but threesuccessive globalizations have obstructed us;our farmers and especially women who

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today do most of the work in food productionand whose rights must be fully recognized,supported and realized - are thequintessential practitioners of agroecologicalfarming practices.

Initiate solidarity campaigns with farmersaffected by occupation and wars, especiallythose denied access to their lands due toconfiscation, unexploited ordinances/clusterbombs and apartheid walls; including mediaactions, boycott products of occupants andstrengthening market opportunities ofaffected farmers.

Run eco-friendly local markets and fight

against Government policies that stopsubsidies being applied to mall scaleproduction but which are in favour of largescale production.

Plan joint regional actions and campaigns toreclaim and protect agricultural biodiversityin the region, starting with wheat.

South Asia Campaign as a region against eviction of

farmers from the land, fisher people from thesea; and mobilize landless people to acquireland.

Organize a regional campaign againstprivatization of water, land and seeds; takedirect action against genetically modifiedorganisms and Bt Cotton; declare GM-freevillages.

Organize a forum similar to Nylni 2007 inSouth Asia to develop a regional levelplatform and train a wide group of peoplefrom different sectors in food sovereigntyissues.

Campaign against Free Trade Agreements(FTAs), the international fish trade andagainst transnational corporations (TNCs).

Support the struggles of peasants, fisherfolkand indigenous peoples for a comprehensiveand genuine agrarian reform in the region.

Further substantiate the Food Sovereigntyframework and strengthen alliance buildingand communication among and betweensectors and countries in the region throughpeople-to-people exchanges

Latin America and Caribbean

Campaigns against mono-cropping, greendeserts, genetically modified organisms andagrofuels (not biofuels).

Campaigns against the Free Trade Area of the

Americas (FTAA), Free Trade Agreements,World Trade Organization and Plan Colombo.

Campaign to defend and restore marine andcoastal resources, defend access to water andagainst its privatization and against largedams.

North America and Mexico Carry out massive education campaigns on

food sovereignty and campaign, withinternational support, to change the US farmBill.

Demand that Free Trade Agreements berenegotiated and agriculture taken out;demonstrations with Canadians on US border,US in Washington, Mexicans on US border.

Fisherfolk joining our struggle; IndigenousPeoples embraced and supported; women,youth, workers included.

Continue anti-GMO and Ban Terminatorcampaigns, working for national bans aroundthe world, and target ing speci f icTransnational Corporations.

EuropeCampaign against Free Trade Agreements /Economic Partnership Agreements withregional trade blocks and link with activistsfrom the respective regions; join Global Week

of Action against Economic PartnershipAgreements; change the CommonAgricultural Policy with one based on FoodSovereignty.

Build on existing campaigns - such as thoseagainst genetically modified organisms,Terminator technology (especially at theConvention on Biological Diversity/9thConference of the Parties CBD/COP9 in Bonn,Germany), agrofuels and TransnationalCorporation control - identifying andpromoting food sovereignty elements in

these campaigns and incorporating newactors who support the Declaration ofNylni.

Promote Community Supported Agriculture(CSA) systems including in countries wherethey are not yet present; strengthen localmarkets; campaign to break the armlock ofsupermarkets

Examples of Specific Actions proposed bySectors

Peasants / Farmers

Undertake a massive global awarenesscampaign on food sovereignty.

Fight against Transnational Corporations andthe corporate control of the food chain from

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seeds to supermarkets. F ight aga inst t ransgeni c indust ri al

monocultures which are destroyingbiodiversity and promote agroecologicalagriculture as our option and a weaponagainst Transnational Corporations.

Fisherfolk Step up our fight for the protection of marine

and coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves,through community based management ofthese ecosystems and with a central role forwomen.

Continue to struggle against industrialaquaculture and destructive fishing and forthe rights of subsistence and artisanal

fisheries. Unite with others against the privatizationand liberalization of coastal areas and theopen seas and for the access to and controlover these areas by traditional fisheries andartisanal aquaculturalists.

Increase recognition that pastoralism isessential for food sovereignty and thatpastoralists need to be mobile in order tosurvive. Build alliances with other sectors insupport of pastoralism. We will organize an

international day of support for pastoralism.Work with other sectors to ensure HumanRights and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Strengthen the pastoral movement at alllevels and base our movement on traditionalsocial organizations and tribal structures andfind ways of sharing territories with othercommunities. Improve communication withinour communities and learn more about ourrights.

With the support of the food sovereigntymovement, pastoralists will pressure local

governments and states to set laws to allowmigration and Trans-boundary migration

Protect territory of indigenous peoples.Continue producing our food in a traditionalway, as we have done. Publicize, throughalternative media, the struggles ofindigenous peoples to gain food sovereignty.

Strengthen local and national networks ofindigenous peoples as well as national andinternational coordination spaces and seekinternational support for national and local

mobilizations: for example on April 17throughout the world to join the campesinomovemen t aga i n s t T ran sna t i ona lCorporations, asking the campesino

movement to join indigenous peoples onOctober 12 (Day of Indigenous Resistance).

Adopt the Atitlan (Guatemala) IndigenousPeoples declaration on food sovereignty andother similar international declarations.

Migrants Participate in and, in solidarity, support the

fights against the walls in e.g. Palestine,Ceuta-Melilla, and on the Mexican-US border;militarization of borders; detention centers;criminalization of migrants and their families;deportation.

Work for the legalization of migrants and theirfamilies to enjoy the rights that others have;promote a legal rights framework for

Migrants. Oppose policies and models of TransnationalCorporations and the states that serve them.Oppose agreements, wars and violence thatcause displacement and make the situationworse for migrants.

Promote local markets as well as publicprocurement for schools, hospitals,government offices and get a fair price forproducers.

Diffuse information and share experiences

about Community Supported Agriculturemovements and local food systems, fromcountries where these systems already work,to countries that do not have these: link localinitiatives into a global movement.

Raise awareness of urban consumers throughfarmers as educators not exhibits for tourists,bearing in mind that consumer attitudes aremainly formed by elites and the media; in thiscontext, hands-on education has a vital role,from city farms to edible school gardens.

For more information about Nyeleni 2007:www.nyeleni2007.org

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Organizers:

Climate Network Africa, International Alliance AgainstHunger, More and Better, Unio Nacional de Camponeses

Mozambique, Coordination Nationale des OrganisationsPaysannes (CNOP Mali), IRPAD-Mali (Institut derecherche et de promotion des alternatives endveloppement), African Centre for Biosafety, FoodFirst,Terra Nuova (Italy), Development Fund (Norway)

More than 150 participants from 25 African countriesand 10 countries from other continent representingfarmers', pastoralists, environmental, women, youthand development organizations, gathered at the

thNylni center in Selengue, Mali from November 26ndto December 2 . Different networks and

organizations joined hands to cooperate and organizefield trips to visit farmers and to discuss issues ofcrucial importance for the majority of people in Africaand the environment;

Climate change and agriculture, fisheries andpastoralism in Africa

The fight against hunger

Development aid for agriculture and ruraldevelopment in Africa

African Agroecological Alternatives to theGreen Revolution

We, the participants, shared information andviewpoints, and discussed our responses to thechallenges. We have undertaken to take back thesediscussions and information which we found to havebeen inspiring and useful to our organizations andnetworks. We agreed that the real test of thesignificance of our week at the Nylni centre will bewhat we are doing in practice in the next weeks,months and years.

There was a rich diversity of experiences andviewpoints, but there was also a broad consensus onkey issues. We have, however, decided not to make

declarations from the conferences because we did nothave any mandate to sign on to declarations which ithad not been possible to discuss in the organizations.In this document we therefore outline some of themain common viewpoints, some information andproposals for further work. Presentations and notesfrom the group discussions will also be available onthe websites of the organizers.

The situation with tremendous poverty and hunger inAfrica is totally unacceptable. Women are especially

effected and carry the heaviest burdens. Climatechange, mainly caused by the unsustainable way ofproduction, transport and life style in industrializedcountries, is killing people and destroying livelihoods

New policies and practices are needed

today, and will create even worse problems in thefuture. Africa's situation is closely linked to thecolonial oppression and continuous oppression byrich countries. But the political leaders in Africa havealso failed its people. There is an urgent need for newpolicies and practices.

Multinational companies, some internationalinstitutions and Foundations, and some politicalleaders and scientists are now pushing very hard for a

New Green Revolution in Africa. They say that sucha green revolution will eradicate hunger andpoverty in Africa, and make it possible for peasants toovercome the problems caused by climate change.The experiences from the first green revolutionshow that it did not eradicate hunger and poverty

(India has still more than 200 million hungry people),and it has had very negative impact on theenvironment, for instance loss of biodiversity and soilfertility. We will strongly oppose and fight againstsuch policies and practices promoted as a new greenrevolution for Africa.. Instead of solving the mainproblems for Africa, the Green Revolution willexacerbate current problems and create newproblems in the long run. Their policy isenvironmental unsustainable, and will create morehunger and poverty.

Our ove r a l l a l t e r na t i ve i s f ood sove r e ign t y ,ag r oeco logy and o t he r sus t a inab le f o r m s o f

s u s t a i n a b l e f o o d p r o d u c t i o n , a n d

s t r e n g t h e n i n g o f t h e s o c i a l m o v e m e n t s ,especially the farmers' and pastoralists'organizations.

Food sovereignty is increasingly getting moresupport as the alternative political model for food,agriculture, fisheries and pastoralism. We encourageorganizations and individuals to study the documentsfrom Nylni 2007 World Forum for Food

Sovereignty that took place here at the Nylnicentre in February this year ( )

Agroecology and other sustainable food productionsystems are preserving the biodiversity andincreasing food productivity. These systems have inpractice shown alternatives to the high tech,expensive and unsustainable model of the greenrevolution. We will share experiences of andknowledge about agroecology and other methods forsustainable food production, and we encourageeverybody to study and use such productionmethods.

Strengthening of the social movements, especiallythe farmers', pastoralists', rural women's and youthorganizations is needed to mobilize the majority of

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people, to put pressure on the political leaders tochange policies, to stop the attempts frommultinational companies to take over andindustrialize agriculture, and to put into practicesustainable production methods. The eradication ofhunger and poverty, stopping the climate change,preserving the natural resources and createsustainable development will not be possible withoutstrong and democratic social movements.

Climate change has for a number of years had seriousand damaging impact on farmers, pastoralists andfisherfolk. Women are especially hard hit. People

have been pushed into poverty, millions have diedand many more have been forced to migrate. Thelarge scale use of fossil fuels since the industrialrevolution, mainly in the rich countries, is the maincause for climate change. The production, transportsystems, and energy production based on fossil fuelsare not sustainable. However, industrializedagriculture, accounting for almost 20% of greenhouses emissions in rich countries, has alsocontributed to climate change. Several developingcountries are now also following the sameunsustainable model of development.The political leaders, big business and other elites in

rich countries have for many decades, at least thelast 20 years, known that they are responsible for thekilling of people and destroying livelihoods in thedeveloping world, as well as for the destruction ofbiodiversity and natural resources, caused by theclimate change. Despite of this, they have continuedtheir destructive policies and practices. It is time forthem to pay for their destruction, and it's time topressure them to change policies.

Peoples' lives, livelihood and the destruction ofnature cannot be measured in money. Nevertheless,it is time for the rich countries and big companies to

pay compensation to the developing countries. Thetotal development aid from the rich countries is just avery small portion of what they should pay.

The concerns for the consequences of climate changeare now being used as a cover for promoting theinterests of the multinational companies and the rich.The big scale production of agrofuels is one example.It is not possible to replace most of the fossil fuelswith agrofuel because of the enormous quantitiesneeded. Most of the production of agrofuel is veryharmful for the environment, especially biodiversity,people's livelihoods and food production, and does

not reduce but will increase greenhouse gas emissionin the long run. With agrofuels, multinationalcompanies will be able to earn huge profits andprovide rich countries an opportunity to reduce theirdependence on oil imports.

Climate change and agriculture, fisheries andpastoralism in Africa

Some initiatives which pretend to combat climatechange are also being used to promote the newgreen revolution in Africa and GMO's. We willstrongly oppose and protest against such misuse ofthis serious threat for people and nature to promotethe interest of the biotech, fertilizer and chemicalcompanies.

No technical fix can stop the climate change or solvethe problems caused by climate change. Substantial

changes in industrial production, transport systems,energy production and life styles, especially in therich countries, are urgently needed. New policies forproduction, transport and consumption of food is alsonecessary. Our alternatives are respect for andimplementation of food sovereignty and the

promotion and use of agroecological and othersustainable farming methods.

People, especially peasants, pastoralists, herders,gatherers and fisherfolks, need to find ways toovercome the effects of climate change.

Strong social movements with alternative policiesand practices for sustainable development areneeded to pressure decision makers to follow policiesand take actions which can stop the climate changeand support people to overcome the consequences ofclimate change.

We commit ourselves to

document the serious impact of climatechange for agriculture, pastoralism andfisheries in Africa,

share experiences on how peasants,pastoralists and fisherfolks overcome theconsequences of climate change, andincrease our own scientific and practical workin this area,

strengthen the social movements, especiallythe organizations of peasants, pastoralists,

fisherfolks and women and their pressure onpeople in power to change the unsustainablepolicies and practices causing climatechange,

co-operate with social movements and NGOsin the North to increase the pressure on therich countries and multinational companies topay down on their enormous debt to peoplesand counties in the South because of theirexploitation and oppression of the South,destruction of nature and causing climatechange,

co-operate with other organizations andnetworks in our countries, regions and thewhole Africa as well as on other continents tostrengthen our common struggle forsustainable development,

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develop and promote sustainable alternativepolicies and practices, and especially toimplement and promote food sovereignty,agroecology and other sustainable foodproducing systems,

support and co-operate with scientists andorganizations which defend Africanbiodiversity and culture.

The right to food is a human right. It is totallyunacceptable that 200 million people in Africa arepermanently undernourished. The political leaders inthe world, including the elites and people in power inAfrica, are responsible for the continuation of hungerin Africa. While they have been talking and settingnew targets for the fight against hunger, for instance,at the World Food Summits and the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, the number of hungry people inAfrica and the world has increased.

The causes of hunger are many and diverse, butsome of the main causes of hunger in Africa include:

For a very long time, African systems andpractices have been ignored and destroyed,since the colonial period. This has been acontributing factor to the current crisis inAfrica.

The neo-liberal policies and practices of theinternational institutions like the World Bank,IMF and the World Trade Organization (WTO)have forced Africa to privatize, deregulate,cut down government services, open up theirmarkets to cheap imports, and exportorientate their agricultural productionsystems

Wars and conflict, many of them rooted inconflicts created by the colonial powers andthe conditions of colonialism

Africa's priority issues are not addressed interms of actions and resources. Low priority isgiven to the needs of farmers, pastoralistsand fisherfolks by African leaders andgovernments and by the international donorcommunity

C limate change wh ich has lead tounpredictable weather, stronger and morefrequent natural disasters like droughts,erratic rain and floods.

Promotion of hybrid seeds and chemicalfertilizer by multinational companies,international institutions and foundations,people in power and some scientists.

Food aid and dumping of food from rich

The fight against hunger

countries in developing countries whichdestroy local markets, livelihoods, culturalfoods and local production systems

Lack of knowledge in sustainable farmingtechniques for the majority of poor peasants.

HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases arealso very important causes of hunger in manyareas and countries.

What is needed to eradicate hunger in Africa?

There is no doubt that Africa can feed itself. Africa is arich continent with huge resources for foodproduction, rich biological and cultural diversity, goodand sustainable traditions and practices for food

production. There are strong needs for fundamentalchanges in many polices and practices. Here we justpoint out a few:

The neoliberal policies much be replaced bypolicies based on the needs of peoples,societies and the environment.

Countries must have the right to protect andsupport food production for domesticconsumption, and to regulate import.

Food sovereignty has to be respected andimplemented.

Agroecology and other sustainable methodsfor food production have to be promoted andused instead of high-tech, quick fixagricultural solutions imported and imposedfrom outside of Africa.

The power of the multinational companies infood, agriculture and fisheries has to bereduced.

The push for a new green revolution inAfrica, GMOs and other initiatives of thebiotech, chemical fertilizer and seedcompanies have to be stopped.

Get governments and donor agencies to givemore and better support to agriculture andother food production, based on the demandsfrom the food producers and localcommunities.

Support of women must be increasedsubstantially,

Strengthening of the social movements,especially the organizations of farmers,pastoralists and fisherfolks, and alliances withother social movements to push for new and

sustainable policies and practices.We commi t ourselves to

increase our efforts and cooperation to fighthunger and poverty,

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help to strengthen the social movements,especially the organizations of farmers,pastoralists, fisherfolks and women,

fight against policies and practices whichleads to or preserve hunger and malnutrition,and to fight for sustainable alternativepolicies and practices,

promote food sovereignty, biodiversity, GM-free zones, agroecology and other

sustainable food production,

put pressure on governments and donoragencies to give higher priority to agricultureand to increase the quality of the support,based on the needs and demands of the foodproducers and local communities,

cooperate with social movements and otherorganizations in the North to strengthen thesupport from the North in the fight againsthunger.

More and better support for sustainable agriculture,pastoralism and fisheries is needed to eradicatehunger and poverty. The support for agriculture andrural development in Africa has drastically beenreduced especially in the last two decades.Governments in Africa and donor countries andagencies have given very low priority to agricultureand rural development. This might change now. Thegovernments in Africa have committed themselves toincrease the share of their national budgets foragriculture to 10% by 2010, many donor countriesand agencies have said they will prioritize agriculture.The World Bank Development Report 2008,Agriculture for Development, is arguing that moresupport for agriculture is needed to fight poverty andhunger. The big question is if this will promotesustainable food production and the livelihoods of the

small scale farmers, or support the industrializationof agriculture and the interests of big farmers,multinational companies and agribusiness. We fear itwill be the latter.

Social movement and non governmentalorganizations (NGO's) working on developmentissues are concerned about the quality of aid and aideffectiveness. The support must be based on policiesand programs developed by the food producers, theircommunities and organizations, and supportecological, social and economical sustainabledevelopment. The support must strengthen diversity

and especially support women.Initiatives like the Aid effectiveness by the OECDcountries and the Rural Donor Platform by theEuropean Union are totally top-down. The food,

producers, their organizations and localcommunities have not been involved untilrecently, and in a very small scale. The sameapp l ies to governments in deve lop ingcountries.

We commit ourselves to

share information and viewpoints aboutdevelopment aid for food, agriculture andrural development,

monitor the support for food, agriculture

pastoralism and fisheries,

discuss and promote principles and practicesfor good support for food, agriculture,pastoralism and fisheries to eradicate hungerand poverty. The principles developed by theMore and Better campaign is a good startingpoint.

There are many initiatives from multinationalcompanies, foundations and politicians to push a

new green revolution in Africa. One of them isAlliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). In2006, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation announced a joint $150million Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa(AGRA) to save Africa from hunger. AGRA is actuallythe philanthropic flagship of a large network ofchemical-seed, fertilizer companies and GreenRevolution institutions seeking to industrializeAfrican agriculture. AGRA's high-profile campaign fora new Green Revolution is designed to attract privateinvestment, enroll African governments, andconvince African farmers to buy new seeds andfertilizers. AGRA is preparing researchers,institutions, and African farmers for the introductionof GMO cropsnot only for rice, wheat and maize, but

also for cassava, plantain and other African foodcrops.

The first Green Revolution, introduced by Ford andRockefeller Foundations in 1960-90 deepened thedivide between rich and poor farmers and degradedtropical agro-ecosystems, exposing alreadyvulnerable farmers to increased environmental risk.It led to loss of farmer varieties and agro-biodiversity,the basis for smallholder livelihood security andregional environmental sustainability. Whileproduction per capita increased in Asia and LatinAmerica, the percentage of hungry people increased

even more. Because it responds to corporateinterests rather than the needs of African farmers,the new green revolution, based on an industrialmodel, is likely to worsennot improvethecondition of Africa's small farmers.

African Agroecological Alternatives to theGreen Revolution

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Development aid for agriculture and ruraldevelopment in Africa




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The AGRA-led Green revolution not only threatensthe richness of African traditional agriculture, itignores (and is attempting to co-opt) the manysuccessful African alternatives in organic agriculture,sustainable agriculture, agro-forestry, pastoralism,integrated pest management, farmer-led plantbreeding sustainable watershed management andmany other agroecological approaches. BecauseAGRA is but onehighly visible component of a wideindustrial push, we need to decide where to put ourenergies, and be prepared for the divisive nature ofinvolvement with AGRA.

At its core, the Green Revolution undermines Africa'sfood systems and food sovereignty: People's right tohealthy and culturally appropriate food producedthrough ecologically sound and sustainable methods,

and their right to define their own food andagriculture systems.There is an urgent need for information and publicdebate at local and national levels about the push fora new green revolution. We also have the right totransparency and accountability from AGRA and allGreen Revolution institutions, including our owngovernment and Green Revolution researchers. Weneed to work at the national level to mobilise,building on existing struggles against GMOs,

agrofuels, and for food sovereignty. Sustainableagriculture alternatives are linked to socio-economicand political reforms.We seek to advance a campaign for Africanalternatives to AGRA's campaign for a new Green

Revolution. These alternatives are locally rooted inlocal agroecosystems and struggles for foodsovereignty. Farmer to farmer learning andresearch, grassroots information campaigns, andpolicies that support our agro-biodiversity and therights of pastoralists, women farmers, and all smallfarmers are important pillars of this campaign.

We commit ourselves to:

advancing a campaign for African traditional,sustainable and agroecological alternatives tothe Green Revolution

providing information and promoting publicdebate at local and national levels about thepush for a new green revolution

demanding transparency,and accountabiityfrom all Green Revolution institutions andseed, chemical and fertilizer companies

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Slingu, Mali, December 2007




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Ficha Tcnica:Picture: Tineke DHaese, OxfamDesign: Celso Ngoca

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La Va Campesina : The International Peasant's Voice

Who is La Va Campesina? We are the international movement of peasants, small- and medium-sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenouspeople, rural youth and agricultural workers. We defend the values and the basic interests of our members. We are anautonomous, pluralist and multicultural movement, independent of any political, economic, or other type of affiliation.Our members are from 56 countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

How was La Va Campesina created?In May of 1993, the First Conference of La Va Campesina was held in Mons, Belgium, where it was constituted as a worldorganization, and its first strategic guidelines and structure were defined. The Second International Conference washeld in 1996 in Tlaxcala, Mexico; the third in 2000 in Bangalore, India; and the fourth in 2004 in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

What is our main objective?The principal objective of La Va Campesina is to develop solidarity and unity among small farmer organizations in orderto promote gender parity and social justice in fair economic relations; the preservation of land, water, seeds and othernatural resources; food sovereignty; sustainable agricultural production based on small and medium-sized producers.

EventsTo globalize the struggle against injustice and neo-liberalism worldwide, La Va Campesina has two important dates:

th17 of Apri l : The international peasant struggle dayPeople all around the world will commemorate the killing of 19 peasants struggling for land reform in Eldorado dosCarajas (Brazil) on April 17, 1996.

th10 of Sept ember:The international struggle day against WTO.On that date in 2003, Mr. Lee Kyun Hae, a Korean peasant, stabbed himself to death during a massive protest againstthe WTO in Cancun, Mexico. He was holding a banner saying WTO kills farmers.

The current members of La Via Campesina in Africa are:

For further information, please contact the Regional Office for Via Campesina Africa:

Via Campesina Africa - UNACRua Dr Jaime Ribeiro, 104 2 Dto

Maputo, MozambiqueTel/Fax

GLOBALIZE STRUGGLE! GLOBALIZE HOPE!

CNOP Mali (ICC member), CNOP- Congo, [email protected]@gmail.com COPACO-PRP Democratic Republic of Congo,CNCR Senegal : [email protected], [email protected]@organge.sn Plate-Forme Paysanne du Niger,LPM South Africa, [email protected]@yahoo.com, UNACA, Angola, [email protected]@yahoo.co.ukCPM Madagascar, [email protected] Mozambique (ICC member)[email protected]

: (+258) 21 327 895Email : [email protected]

Web site of La Via Campesina International: www.viacampesina.org


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FOOD SOVEREIGNTY FOR AFRICA:A CHALLENGE AT FINGERTIPS

January 2008

Published with the support of:

food sovereignty for africa

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