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Farmers
From Africa and Asia March to Demand the Freedom to
Trade
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Press release Contact:
Kendra Okonski, Johannesburg
(mobile) +27-72-477-2371
Date: Wednesday,
28 August
9:30AM: Gathering at George Lea Park
10:00 AM: March via Sandton Drive and 5th Street, to end at
Speaker's Corner, near Sandton Convention Centre.
11:00 AM Rally at Speaker's Corner
27 August Johannesburg
- Tomorrow, Wednesday, 28 August, at 10am, hundreds of Indian
and African farmers will gather at George Lea Park and will
march to Speaker's Corner, at the Sandton Convention Centre.
They will join Johannesburg's street hawkers in a mass march
to defend the freedom to trade.
Despite the rhetoric
of the World Summit on Sustainable Development of poverty
'reduction' and development, many delegates promote the view
that farmers should continue to use - as they have for thousands
of years - backbreaking agricultural techniques.
Farmers from India,
Africa, and other developing nations have united for this
march to represent millions of rural subsistence farmers,
to show their belief that farmers in poor countries should
not be denied the freedom to test for themselves the economic
and technological viability of any new technology, including
agricultural biotechnology.
Commenting on the
march, Chengal Reddy, President of the Indian Federation of
Farmers Associations from Andhra Pradesh, India, said, "Hundreds
of the world's farmers are here to represent the world's farmers
at this summit. Asian farmers associations are joining hands
with African farmers to articulate their demands, including
the freedom to farm."
The farmers believe
that increased agricultural productivity not only helps in
alleviating rural poverty, but also contributes to reduced
environmental stress, and helps in improving the quality of
environmental resources.
TJ Buthelezi, the
leader of Ubongwa Farmers Union, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
said, "Farmers in all parts of the world should be free
to determine for themselves whether technologies meet their
requirements of staying competitive in the world market, and
regaining economic viability."
The demands of
the farmers include:
- Freedom to grow
any crop of their choice.
- Freedom to access
the best available technology.
- Freedom to trade
within and outside the country.
- Freedom to improve
agricultural productivity.
- Freedom to enhance
agricultural productivity in order to improve economic well-being
and reduce environmental stress.
- Freedom to sell
their goods at a price that is not distorted by agricultural
subsidies, tariffs or quotas.
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