European Peasants at the European social forum

With the social movements for a Europe of People and food sovereignty

Florence and hinterland 6-10 November '02

Why we are in Florence at the European Social Forum

The criticism to the industrial and production model of European agriculture is the central element in the struggle against neo liberism. Alimentary sovereignty is for us the alternative proposal for European territory. its citizens, as well as for extra European people hit, as our peasants, by the anti social choices of governments. A change in Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) towards a peasant rural model which respects land, health and labour is the centre of out proposal for an alliance between those who work in the fields and those who live in towns, between movements of farmers, of rural workers and social movements heading for an Europe of people alternative to the Europe of armies, of multinationals and of money.
Every day 600 rural establishments stop working, while public money is used to finance the exportation model which destroys rural systems in the South of the world and makes stronger the agro-industrial system aiming to a model of agriculture without peasants but with workers more and more exploited by finance and multinationals.
Repeated crisis in food safety are not due to chance, but they are more and more related to the production model and to the assault at the territory, at the environment and at the working conditions in the country.
The real reform in CAP is not to be found in some niche decision, even if it may have some environmental make up, while the way is opened to the introduction of gmo and genetic assets are given, with patent, to private organisations. The real reform means to guarantee living country with people working in a protected environment, with food distributed according to the self-conscious model of the short cycle, production consumption; real reform means a safe and unadulterated food at a price which is fair both for the producers and for the generality of citizens. not only to those who may buy outside the hard discounts (low price outlets) and the junk food stores.
This is the reason why we are in Florence from the 6th to the 10th November '02; to propose campaigns, to make alimentary sovereignty more central, to make a stronger alliance between social, popular and democratic movements and to contribute to the construction of an Europe and a world which are alternative to neo liberism barbarity.

Who we are

More than 20 rural organisations, from Via Campesina to the CPE (European Peasant Coordination), and the italian movement of the Social Forum Altragricoltura who promote the alimentary sovereignty section together with many other organisations and single citizens. We want to be an open ad democratic space for discussion, participation, and for mobilization. As ngo and movements, we stand with those who, during the FAO and Johannesburg summits. held with great pump but without results; and we are persuaded that we must take upon ourselves the responsibility in proposing solutions against the failure of governments.

Whom we refer to

To those who think that food is not commodities; to those who are conscious, or maybe only feel, that the rural and agro alimentary question is not an old and obsolete problem, but it is one of the most urgent questions in the social and economic field , and of top most importance for democracy; to all citizens, to their organisations, to consumers, and workers who will. with us, give life to 5 days of discussion, proposal, sociality and mobilization.