Although La Via Campesina was initially formed and led by men, rural women have dramatically increased their participation in all levels and activities of the global peasant organization. A feminist perspective has emerged as a fundamental component of the fight for food and land.
National Peasants Union: "We vehemently condemn any initiative which aims to resettle communities and expropriate the land of peasants to give way to mega farming projects for monocrop production"
Diego Pacheco, head of the Bolivian delegation to CBD: "Everything connected with nature is being commodified, putting at risk the livelihoods of indigenous and local people, and of the common goods."
"One thing I can say right off the bat is: we're winning..."
The world's farms produce more than enough feed everyone well, but big business control of the food system condemns hundreds of millions to constant hunger, and starves 2.5 million children to death every year.
Illawarra, Australia: 3000 activists build a huge human sign
Statement of collective withdrawal, protesting "a gross violation of academic freedom, scholarly standards, scientific responsibility, and business ethics."
Environment Minister Peter Kent gets an unexpected welcome in London
An important book argues that conservationists who focus on creating nature preserves are undermining their own cause. To truly protect biodiversity, environmentalists must support the global struggle of peasant farmers for human rights, land, and sustainable agriculture.
77 million Bangladeshis are drinking arsenic-affected water. The arsenic is naturally occurring, but the failure to stop it, and the resulting health disaster, have deep social causes.
