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     Country with a member organization of Via Campesina

Via Campesina (from Spanish la vía campesina, the campesino way, or the Peasants' Way) is an international peasant's movement which coordinates peasant organizations of small and middle-scale farmers, agricultural workers, landless people, rural women, and indigenous communities from Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. It is a coalition of over 150 organizations, advocating family-farm-based sustainable agriculture and was the group that first coined the term "food sovereignty". Food sovereignty refers to the right of peoples to control and define their own food systems, and in strong opposition to the commodified global food system.

Organization

Via Campesina has participating members and organizations globally in 70 countries, divided into nine regions. Via Campesina claims to represent an estimated 200 million people globally. It receives support from various charities, foundations and public institutions around the world. Via Campesina is a global grassroots movement and is decentralized on many local and national levels. An International Coordinating Committee coordinates between the nine regions, with its members elected by each region. Via Campesina has formed a collective identify for peasants and peasants struggles. This has aided in alliances, coalition building, and interactions between organizations to respond to international and corporate market forces that they believe are to the detriment of peasants around the world.

History

The organization was founded in 1993 by farmers organizations from Europe, Latin America and Africa and it had its original headquarters in Belgium. It then moved to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The headquarters office of Via Campesina is now in Jakarta, Indonesia. Henry Saragih is the General Coordinator.

In 2004 the organization was awarded the International Human Rights Award by Global Exchange, in San Francisco.

Food Sovereignty

La Via Campesina coined the term food sovereignty in 1996 at the World Food Summit. Food sovereignty acts as one of the guiding principles of the organization and their efforts work towards fighting for food sovereignty around the world.

Programs

Conferences

Yup.

Campaigns

Via Campesina has carried out several campaigns, including campaigns to defend farmer's seeds, stop violence against women, recognize of the rights of peasants, a Global Campaign for agrarian reform, and others.

Publications

Via Campesina produces many documents on the state of peasant farmers throughout the world. They also compile and distribute publications created by other organizations.

Organizations affiliated with or in support of LVC

• The National Farmers Union in Canada
• Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa
• The Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee in India
• The EZLN in Mexico
• Fanmi Lavalas in Haiti
• Good Food March
• Nyéléni
• The Homeless Workers' Movement in Brazil
• The Landless Peoples Movement in South Africa
• The Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil
• Movement for Justice en el Barrio in the United States of America
• Narmada Bachao Andolan in India
• Take Back the Land in the United States of America
• The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign in South Africa
• Food First / Institute for Food and Development Policy

See Also

• Food Sovereignty
• Food Security
• Peasant movement
• Agroecology
• Indigenous Peoples
• Rural Women
• Corporate farming
• Green Revolution
• Social justice
• IMF
• World Bank
• Vandana Shiva

References

Desmarais, Annette Aurélie (2007): La Vía Campesina, Fernwood Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7453-2704-4

External links

• Via Campesina Home Page (English)
• La Via Campesina: List of Members
• War on Want's Via Campesina project page
• Via Campesina: an evolving transnational social movement
• Thousands March in Cancún at La Via Campesina’s "Global Day of Action for Climate Justice" - video report by Democracy Now!