Commentary on the position of -La Viacampesina - About the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit

Basheer Sakr
2021 / 5 / 2

السادة الحوار المتمدن
سبق لي نشر هذا المقال باللغة العربية علي موقعنا ( الحوار المتمدن بالعدد رقم 6768 بتاريخ 2020 / 12 / 22 - 14:28 تحت عنوان ( تعقيب علي موقف منظمة - فيا كامبيسينا - الفلاحية بشأن قمة الأمم المتحدة للأنظمة الغذائية لعام 2021
ونظرا لترجمته للإنجليزية أرجو نشره علي النسخة الأنجليزية للموقع لأني فقدت الاتصال بالمنظمة الدولية الفلاحية ومن ثم لا أستطيع إيصاله إليها وفي نفس الوقت يتمكن من قراءته القراء العرب الذين يجيدون الإنجليزية.
مع خالص التقدير،،
أول مايو 2021 بشير صقر


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The organization "La Via Campesina" seeks to stop the ongoing gradual occupation and infiltration of the global companies operating in the fields of agricultural production and marketing of agricultural inputs to a number of United Nations organizations in general, and specifically the food and agricultural organizations and programs.


This endeavor on the part of "La Via Campesina" was represented in confronting that occupation and infiltration carried out by these companies with a clear and specific position, which we summarize as follows:


•Condemning and denouncing the agreement concluded between the World Economic Forum (W.E.F) and the Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2019-;- This resulted in the United Nations Secretary-General s decision approving the convening of the United Nations Food Systems Summit in 2021. Note that (W.E.F) is the de facto political representative of the global companies operating in the two previously mentioned fields of agriculture.

•The aforementioned global companies, through the W.E.F, concluded partnership agreements with many UN international organizations and bodies (such as UNICEF, the United Nations Development Program, the World Health Organization, and UNESCO). The (L.V.C) organization expresses its concerns about the reflection of those agreements on the independence, integrity and impartiality of the United Nations with regard to the protection and promotion of human rights.

•Demonstration of the dangers of the UN Secretary-General appointing Dr (Agnes Calipta) to oversee the summit to be held in 2021-;- At a time when she is besieged by her failure to stop hunger in Africa, as (Calpetta) assumed the presidency of the "Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa." This failure have sparked widespread controversy between civil society organizations and social movements in Africa.

The United Nations Food Systems Summit in 2021 means nothing but a repeat of the failure that occurred in its previous experience in Africa-;- rather, the United Nations insistence on clearing the way broadly for the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the major global companies operating in the fields of production and marketing of agricultural crops and agricultural requirements, to shaping the future Food and nutrition of the people of the world while profit-making is their primary goal of their broad activity in these two fields…

•(LVC) also explained that the preparation for the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 is characterized by lack of inclusion as it excludes all (farmers, fishermen, indigenous people, pastoralists, forest dwellers, agricultural workers, and food consumers in rural and urban areas) from the active presence at the summit even though they represent "the heart of food systems" and allow wide space for the aforementioned global companies-;- In addition to the blackout that surrounds the invitation to the summit.

•In opposition to this approach, whether on the part of the (WEF) and its global companies´-or-the Secretary-General of the United Nations, (LVC) rejected this approach and launched a counter-mechanism called the (Civil Society Mechanism (CSM)) and invited the head of the United Nations World Food Program to join the advisory committee of this mechanism, which calls for ‘to reject and confront the -dir-ection of the World Economic Forum and the Secretary-General of the United Nations”. (L.V.C) indicated that this approach aims to undermine the UN committee and the World Food Program.

•Depriving (peasants, agricultural workers, hunters, pastoralists, forest dwellers, indigenous people and others) from an effective presence at the summit means that it does not include the primary groups with care and attention, as it means the prevalence of the logic of distinguishing between those who cultivate the land and feed the peoples of the world and those who trade in food and seek profit, in addition to that it is an undemocratic behavior and contributes to the domination of undemocratic public policies over many of the world s food resources.

That if there is a desire to make real changes in food systems-;- then the voice of those poor and hungry producers and consumers who are really the "heart of food systems" must be heard. As previously mentioned, for this to happen it is necessary to:

1.Build food and ecological systems of local people, undertake real agrarian reform, and support popularization of local seeds.

2.Make systematic changes to face the current climate crisis caused by industrial agricultural systems and food systems imposed by these global companies.

3.Transforming the current trade policies into supporting and protecting local food production, enhancing agricultural production at all levels, and protecting local markets.

4.Also support human rights and labor rights to ensure the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Peasants and People of Rural Areas.

With our - the Peasant Solidarity Committee / Egypt - agreement on that approach ... and our support for the general position of (L.V.C) from the United Nations Food Systems Summit that was included in its article, we present the following proposals and observations, and we believe that (L.V.C) takes them into account: So that the position on the agreement between the World Economic Forum (W.E.F) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations regarding the upcoming summit 2021 is not-limit-ed to political remarks and takes the practical nature:

Firstly, Proposals:

1.To start reading the set of partnership agreements concluded between the (WEF) and its global companies and between each of the following United Nations organizations (UNICEF, UNESCO, the United Nations Development Program, the World Health Organization) and take a critical position on them and clarify the link that links them to the position on the real amendment that we are targeting for the Food systems. As this will add to our camp of supporters large sectors of intellectuals, politicians and trade -union-ists in many countries of the world, which greatly expands the circle of sympathizers and the resistance front.

2.To initiate holding of local conferences in many areas that have supporters and members of the (L.V.C)-;- This is to discuss the conflicting positions about the "United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021", which raises the awareness of the public that supports our position, and increases the rate of resistance to the summit.

3.Writing more explanations and clarifications of the position of the (L.V.C) opposing the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 ... and translating it into many languages ... and publishing it to cover most countries of the world.

4.Creation of a committee within (L.V.C) to receive proposals and observations that have not been published, and the new perceptions of members and supporters.

Secondly, Notes:

Whereas, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (F.A.O) is made up of government representatives (Ministers of Agriculture) at the international level. And because we know that since before the 1996 and 2000 conferences, it has taken a position consistent with the ideas of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and global companies - at least in the Middle East and Egypt - the Peasants Solidarity Committee / Egypt believes that FAO’s position cannot be relied upon ... and it cannot be cited in the camp “Confronting the positions of the World Economic Forum (WEF).’ Therefore, we believe that this observation should be taken into account in the future and taken into consideration, since we - through experiences and -dir-ect meetings with her representatives - are well aware of her estimates ... and we are aware of the extent of the danger that is expected from her participation in such activities.

In the end - it concerns the Peasants Solidarity Committee / Egypt - to emphasize that the (WEF) has informational, material and political capabilities that enable it to transform its ideas and perceptions into a practical reality ... Therefore, confronting it requires capabilities on the same level, and because this will not be easily available to us .. There is no room to resist it except with the mobilization of more supporters in all countries of the world ... In addition to the importance of raising the level of awareness among our audience of farmers, fishermen, agricultural workers, pastoralists, indigenous people, food consumers and all the poor and hungry.
It is really a heavy task ... but it is not impossible ...

So forward,

Basheer Sakr
Peasant Solidarity committee / Egypt

Monday 12/21/2020




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