[Pirateninfo] Take Food out of the WTO! INVITATION OF VIA CAMPESINA FOR CANCUN

[Silke Pohl]

From: "Matthias Bauer" <matthias.bauer at dnr.de>
Subject: Fw: Take Food out of the WTO! INVITATION OF VIA CAMPESINA FOR CANCUN
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 14:15:19 +0200

From: Pia.Eberhardt at weed-online.org


> http://www.viacampesina.org/art_english.php3?id_article=228
>
> INVITATION OF VIA CAMPESINA FOR CANCUN
>
> Via Campesina
>
> WTO out of agriculture! Take Food out of the WTO! No Patents on life
> forms!
>
> Organizations of peasants, indigenous peoples, family farmers,
fishers,
> farm workers, migrants, landless workers, and rural women from
various
> countries believes that:
>
> ∑ The "liberalization" of agricultural trade - the principle
objective
> of
> the WTO - has exacerbated a crisis in rural societies and has
worsened
> their living conditions. Hunger, unemployment, poverty, inequality
and
> the
> degradation of natural resources are increasing in rural areas around
> the
> world.
>
> ∑ When considering the needs of the general population and rural
> societies
> the WTO Agreement on Agriculture has no legitimacy. Instead it serves
> the
> interests of large export companies that are supported by their
> governments. The USA and EU have forced WTO rules that enable them to
> continue to dump their surpluses at very low prices. Meanwhile,
> developing
> countries are obliged to reduce their tariffs and eliminate
protection
> to
> agriculture.
>
> ∑ One of the WTO's priorities is to reduce agricultural prices --
both
> in
> domestic and international markets -- by reducing taxes on imports,
and
> dismantling supply management and socially-just marketing structures.
> For
> farmers this leads to artificially depressed prices. The fall in
> agricultural prices has not benefitted consumers and threatens the
> survival
> of peasants and small farmers everywhere.
>
> ∑ Transnational corporations are increasing their control over
global
> agricultural trade. They flood markets with agricultural products and
> food
> at prices lower than the local cost of production which goes against
> food
> sovereignty. Through Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)
transnational
> corporations gain ownership of biological resources and knowledge
> traditionally used by local farmers and indigenous communities.
>
> ∑ The WTO seeks the liberalization and privitization of public
> services.
> This will have a negative effect especially on the poor and
> marginalized in
> our societies.
>
> Agriculture is the most controversial theme on the agenda of the
Fifth
> Ministerial Meeting of the WTO scheduled for September 10-14, 2003 in
> Cancun Mexico.
>
> Agriculture has been converted to currency and is being used in WTO
> negotiations to promote new issues like investment, competition, and
> government procurement. Negotiations on agriculture could define the
> results of the Cancun Round.
>
> Given the risks involved in these negotiations we urgently call on
> organizations of peasants, farmers, indigenous peoples, fishers, farm
> workers, migrants, landless workers, rural women, and all civil
society
> organizations to mobilize to: ∑ stop the WTO negotiations ∑
defend
> peasants' rights and food sovereignty ∑ get the WTO out of
agriculture
> ∑
> stop policies of privatization of public services ∑ no to patenting
of
> life
> forms
>
> We ask all organizations and social movements to spread this
> invitation to
> action everywhere and joion us in the INTERNATIONAL PEASANT FORUM
that
> will
> be held in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico from September 8-11, 2003.
>
> We call on all organizations and social movements to support the
> objectives
> listed above and join us in local marches and international
> demonstrations
> that will organized concurrently in Cancun and around the world:
> September
> 10: International March for Peasants' Rights and Food Sovereignty
> September
> 13: International march and global action day against the WTO
>
> Lets globalize the struggle Lets globalize hope
>
> Peasant Program in the framework of the Fifth WTO Ministerial Cancun,
> Mexico, August-September 2003
>
> Mexico City August 4th: 9:00 to 18:00 VÃŒa Campesina, UNORCA, Amigos
de
> la
> Tierra Internacional, GRAIN, FoodFirst; Focus on Global South, Grupo
> ETC,
> CECCAM
>
> Public Seminar: Peasant Rights and the WTO: Agriculture, Patentes and
> Trade. Mexico City.
>
> Hotel Bamer: Avenida Ju·rez # 50. Colonia Centro. Ciudad de MÈxico
>
> August 4th at 19:00 Public Conference at the Casa Lamm: Road to
Canc˙n
>
> Augsut 5th Press conference
>
> Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
>
> VÃŒa Campesina, UNORCA
>
> September 8-9: International Peasant Forum: Food Sovereignty and Free
> Trade
> September 10: International Peasant March "For Peasant Rights and
Food
> Sovereignty" September 11-14: Participation in the People's Forum
> September
> 13: International March and Global Day of Action Against the WTO