Denpasar, Bali,
From the 7th to the 9th of December, over 200 delegates from the Via
Campesina, representing 20 countries from Africa, Asia, America and
Europe, are holding events with social movements parallel to the COP 13th,
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in
Denpasar, Bali.
The representatives of the peasant and farmer organizations are holding
various activities to address the problems that climate change present for
the planet, and the role that transnational corporations, and neoliberal
governments play against the development of a sustainable.
The government delegations at the official convention are dedicating
themselves to the promotion of agrofuels and other forms of exploiting
natural resources, all in the name of environmental protection and
reduction of global warming. This contradictory policy shared by many
governments coincides with the transnational corporate agenda to use
climate disaster as a new business opportunity.
Small farmers and peasant communities are among the first victims of
climate change, and natural disasters. They also recognize themselves as
part of the solution. The international peasant movement, Via Campesina,
asserts that sustainable peasant agriculture and local food production
will significantly reduce global warming while agribusiness deepens the
crisis.
Henry Saragih, general coordinator of Via Campesina said, “We must combat
global warming with solidarity and not with market based policies.”
For more information contact
Isabelle Delforge: +62 81513224565
or
Tejo Pramono: +62 81586699975
See our background paper on global warming on www.viacampesina.org
La Via Campesina is the international movement of peasants, small and
medium sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural
youth and agricultural workers active in 56 countries in Asia, Africa,
Europe and the Americas.