The recognition of the right to land, a historic demand by peasant movements throughout the world, is gaining momentum at the international level. This publication takes stock of this major issue of our times, fundamental not only for all peasants but also for the rest of humanity, at a time when we are rediscovering the importance of peasants for food security and the fulfillment of the right to food, the conservation of biodiversity and the fight against climate change. Whereas hundreds of millions of peasants are still deprived of access to land or survive on tiny plots, others are daily evicted, and land grabbing is increasing. The recognition of a right to land for peasants is more relevant than ever.

This publication is the result of major research and inquiry, and the fruit of close collaboration with La Vía Campesina. It presents the main issues regarding land in rural areas, in particular from the perspective of agriculture and the right to food, and explains why a recognition of the right to land is necessary. Four peasant organizations (from Colombia, France, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe), members of La Vía Campesina, present their struggles for the right to land as well the practices of their governments in land management at the national level. The text also analyzes in detail the content of existing instruments and presents specific examples of jurisprudence that plead in favor of a recognition of the right to land, at the international, regional and national level. Finally, several issues related to the content and implementation of the right to land are revisited, on the basis of the proposals formulated within the framework of the negotiations regarding the Declaration on the rights of peasants at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

You can read the book in PDF version here

See also CETIM’s training sheet on the right to land

La entrada The right to land se publicó primero en Defending Peasants' Rights.

All these violations, which often go unpunished in most countries, have direct and devastating impacts on the lives and livelihoods of rural and urban communities. Communities have fought back. Sustained and organized resistance by peasants, fishers, migrants and indigenous communities have, in many instances, exposed these Corporations and their crimes. Yet, the lack of an international and legally binding treaty to check violations by TNCs has meant that these partial victories scored by communities often go unnoticed. At the same time, corporate-led human-rights abuses continue to take place worldwide.

Corporations have also been called out and penalized in many countries. But instead of mending their ways, they are attempting to “greenwash their crimes” by taking seats at these international governance spaces meant to regulate them, often with the tacit approval from the highest officials at the United Nations and its affiliated organs.

Social movements and civil society organizations are pushing back against the growing influence of corporations in the international and national food and nutrition policy arena. The stiff resistance put up by civil society against the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021 is among the recent examples of this pushback. Despite such clear and united opposition from the global civil society, corporate grip continues to expand in international, regional, and national policy places. This increasing influence of corporations and their “sustainability-talk” at the international fora hides the reality on the ground: rising global food prices and farm inputs aggravated by the speculation on commodities, deterioration of soil health, destruction of biodiversity, criminal levels of greenhouse gas emissions that emanate out of industrial food chain and blatant attempts to privatize and patent native seeds that are the heritage of the people! Today, transnational corporations are behind the main threats and violence experienced by peasants and rural workers all along the food production chain.

All is not doom, though.

This unrelenting push for the Corporatization of our food systems has faced stiff resistance everywhere from peasants, waged workers and indigenous peoples. La Via Campesina is one expression of this resistance. For nearly three decades, the global peasant movement has advocated a counter-vision on how to feed the world. In this vision built on the principles of food sovereignty, people and local communities are the principal actors in the fight against poverty and hunger. It demands autonomy and objective conditions to use local resources and calls for agrarian reform. It defends the rights of peasant communities to use, save, and exchange seeds. It stands for the rights of people to eat healthy, nutritious food.

It encourages agroecological production cycles, respecting climatic and cultural diversities in every community. It defends the rights of peasants, indigenous peoples, waged workers and migrants at all levels of the global food system.

In this illustrated book, “We Feed the World“La Via Campesina with artist and activist Annelise Verdier collaborates to demonstrate the contrast between agribusiness-led and peasant-led visions of producing, distributing and consuming food. Social justice, gender justice and solidarity economies are essential pre-conditions for realizing food sovereignty. La Via Campesina calls for an international trade order based on cooperation and human rights instead of competition and coercion.

It captures the attempt to corporatize agriculture and food production and expresses the brave resistance of peasants, workers and indigenous peoples. It advocates for a food system with the interest of the people and the planet at its very core. It denounces the industrial food system, exploiting cheap labour and encouraging cutthroat competition for profits.

La Via Campesina reiterates that a legally binding global treaty coherent with the Articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas is urgently necessary. These instruments, alongside other International Conventions and treaties, will apply brakes on corporate control and its undue influence on the food systems.

Download as PDF

Download as PDF

La entrada ‘We Feed the World’ | An illustrated book in defense of peasant agriculture se publicó primero en Defending Peasants' Rights.

The UN is the place of excellence for the elaboration of international norms and must be invested by the people. Peasants have done it, demonstrating that the people and organized social movements can change international law.

And, after 17 years of struggle, peasants and their allies are seeing their efforts rewarded: a “UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants” has been adopted by the UN General Assembly.

How did this happen? This book bears witness to this: the high points, the correlation of forces, the strategies and the stages of this incredible adventure are recounted here.

The Declaration is also presented: an indispensable instrument for healthy food, peasants’ seeds, the preservation of the environment, biodiversity, and the protection of food producers themselves. An instrument for many other future common struggles…

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE E-Pub: The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants.epub

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF: The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants.pdf

La entrada The UNDROP: A Tool of Struggle for Our Common Future se publicó primero en Defending Peasants' Rights.