(This case study appeared in the Newsletter of Hurights Osaka.) by Aliansi Petani Indonesia* The peasants are the backbone of the agrarian sector in Indonesia. They have that status since the colonial period till the present. And yet since colonial period, they have largely been deprived of freedom – freedom from oppression and poverty. While […]
The participants of the Global Food Sufficiency Videoconference*, which took place in Manila (Philippines), Dakar (Senegal), Brasilia (Brazil), Washington (USA) and Brussels (Europe) on 29. April 2009, suggest working closely together towards: 1. Influencing agriculture policies in our regions (Common Agriculture and Rural Development Policy in the EU, US Farm Bill, etc.) so that farm […]
Farmers claim to be stewards of the environment, some would say it’s best friend; others, its worst enemy. The truth is we can be both. Humans have never left a small footprint, we have always tried to shape the environment to suit our needs. Initially farming had one purpose, food; farming provided a more stable […]
The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), a regional alliance of nine national farmers’ organizations in Southeast and East Asia, representing ten million small-scale men and women farmers, supports the campaign to declare an International Year of Family Farming. The World Rural Forum (WRF), an international platform for meeting, analysing and observing rural […]
Our unsustainable way of life is causing a crisis in our environment at a global scale. Climate change is threatening the future of our planet. The crisis is largely our own doing, and we also have the means to solve it, if we are willing to act on it. Farmers, fishers, and indigenous peoples, who […]
By Elenita Dano and Juan Hoffmaister THE current thematic cycle of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) could not have come at a more opportune time. As the world faces perhaps the most serious convergence of crises in food and finance, climate change, environment and energy, the 17th session of the CSD will tackle […]
“We did not know much about the situation of farmers before, but after this internship in AFA, we now understand the problems that they are facing and how farmers’ organizations like AFA are working to help improve their condition.” This was one of the insights by Samuel Reddy and Jyothirmai Paritala, 2 MA students from […]
Landlessness, poverty, unjust and unfair trade — these are just some of the problems faced by small scale men and women farmers in Asia. In this video entitled “Farmers’ Rights, Farmers’ Lives,” AFA leaders share similar situations of farmers — their struggles and their dreams for a better life for those who form the majority […]
