SAFaR COVENANT

We, THE PARTICIPANTS from the Asia Partnership for Human Development (APHD), working in solidarity with the poor, marginalized and oppressed peoples and farmers’ of Asia, gathered here at the Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, from 18-22 October 2007, on the occasion of the 3rd Asia Partnership for Human Development Pan-Asia Farmers’ Conference. After the sharing of experiences, deliberations and joint analyses,

WE HAVE AGREED THAT:

Food and agriculture are elements fundamental to all human beings. Access to sufficient and appropriate food is a human right. Peoples and governments acknowledge this right through various international laws, treaties and instruments. As such, it is the obligation of states to ensure that food is accessible to all regardless of gender, religion, societal standing and ethnicity.

In order to guarantee food sovereignty, it is important that food is produced through biodiversity and community-based systems of production. Food sovereignty is about self sufficiency at all levels, and governments must uphold this through the adoption and implementation of pro-poor agricultural policies that promote sustainable and family-based agricultural production systems, rather than the input intensive and export-oriented production.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and hybrid seeds will not contribute to food security and sovereignty. Instead, they threaten the environment, and bring about genetic erosion and the displacement of local crop varieties, which undermine farmer’s control of the basic means of production – the seed.

GMOs and Hybrid seeds place Asia’s staple crop production in the context of “profit-making” and commercialization, subsequently eroding the traditional Asian farmers’ practice of sharing, saving, and replanting seeds.

GMOs and Hybrid seeds will only benefit the resource-rich farmers, as the technology is not scale-neutral. These seeds necessitate high chemical inputs and neglect the inherent value of traditional varieties. Such systems give seed and agrochemical companies unprecedented control over agricultural production as they provide both the seeds and the chemicals needed to grow it. It greatly increases corporate monopoly of agriculture prices and markets narrowing the choices for farmers and consumers and leaving them vulnerable to TNC control.

WE THEREFORE DECLARE THAT:
We want GMO and Hybrid seeds out of Asian farmers’ fields! We say: “No to GMOs!” and “No to hybrid seeds!” Instead, we say: Yes to Indigenous seeds! Yes to farmers’ Rights! Yes to sustainable agriculture!

WITH THE FOREGOING, WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO:
1. Establish an effective exchange and flow of information amongst partners and share information about the issues of farmers, cause-oriented groups and the general public.
2. Refrain from, and campaign against the planting and use of GMOs and hybrid seeds.
3. Strengthen our efforts in the development of sustainable agriculture technology options, and the collection, maintenance, multiplication, evaluation and improvement of local seeds and planting materials.
4. Solicit the support of the other faith-based groups and civil society organizations on pro-poor farmer development agenda and other agricultural issues, particularly those threatening sustainable agriculture.
5. Maintain and further strengthen our networks and linkages at the local, national, regional and international levels for effective lobbying and advocacy.