Access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food is a fundamental human right. The agricultural sector employs half of the world’s labour force which includes 450 million waged agricultural workers. Agricultural workers form as high as 80% of the workforce in some developing countries. Seventy percent of all child labour is employed in agriculture.
All agricultural workers, peasants and small farmers are both producers and consumers of food. Their livelihood is dependent on the livelihoods of those who consume the food they produce. It is reported that the annual global exports in agricultural products is USD 545 billion.
So much food is produced but at whose expense? Ironically this raises a few questions: Why are agricultural workers, peasants and small farmers who produce food but have none to eat? Why are 170,000 agricultural workers killed every year as a result of workplace accidents? Why 3-4 million suffer yearly from pesticides poisoning? Why are peasants and small farmers losing their lands?
Inspite of this, WTO is still aggressively pursuing the agenda of corporate globalisation for the benefit of TNCs by pushing for trade liberalisation, deregulation and less social protection. Therefore the speak-out aims to bring together the personal experiences of diverse groups who are facing similar problems and challenges, and to highlight the magnitude of this crime to humanity. It further aims to build solidarity and with concerted efforts to resist WTO and its destructive forces to regain the rights and dignity of agricultural workers.
The event will kick-off with the launching of CAWI and followed by the speak-out by various groups. There will also be photo exhibition, cultural dances and showing of documentary films. It will also provide space for discussions, information exchange, sharing of experiences, solidarity building and networking.
Programme:
| Launching | ||
| 09:00 | – | Cultural Performance by SRED |
| Â | – | Introduction of CAWI by P.Chennaiah, Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union, India |
| Speak-out of Agricultural Workers : “Building Solidarity for their Rights and Welfare.” | ||
| Facilitator – Gilbert Sape and John Milton | ||
| 09:40 – 13:00 | ||
| Documentary Film – “Kapait” | – | Sugar Workers, Philippines |
| Struggles of Sugar Workers | – | Cynthia Deduro, Sugar Workers Solidarity Network, Philippines |
| Cultural Performance | ||
| Dalits and Agricultural Workers | – | Fatima Burnad, Society for Rural Education and Development, India |
| Floriculture and Trade | – | Yahya Msangi, Tanzanian Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union, Tanzania |
| Struggles of Plantation Workers | – | Sukarman, PERBBUNI, Indonesia |
| Cultural Performance | ||
| Toxic Pesticides and Agrochemical Industries – Impact on health of Agricultural Workers |
– | R.Nagamah, TENAGANITA, Malaysia |
| Kamukhaan – “A Poisoned Village” | – | Cause DS and Dr.Romy Quijano, PAN Philippines |
| Struggles of Landless Agricultural Workers | – | P.Chennaiah, Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union, India |
| Documentary Film – “Sa Ngalan Ng Tubo” | – | Hacienda Luisita, Philippines |
| 13:00 – 14:00 – Lunch | ||
| 14:00 – 15:30 | ||
| Cultural Performance | ||
| Impact of AoA on Agricultural and Rural workers in Bangladesh | – | Zainal Abedin , BAFLF |
| Documentary Film – “Peoples Caravan For Food Sovereignty” |
– | PAN Asia and the Pacific |
| From Agricultural to Migrant worker | – | Testimony by a migrant worker in Hong Kong |
| Reading of the Position Paper on WTO | ||
| Closing – Cultural Performances | ||