case study la via campesina-1
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Policy AdvocacyAnna Baker and Molly MeehanCase Study AssignmentJeff Unsicker
La Via Campesina
Context
The modern global food system faces economic, social, and environment issues.
Post industrial revolution, the face of agriculture has transformed from primarily small
scale locally controlled and operated subsistence farming and food systems to large scale,
agro-chemical and fossil fuel intensive mono-agricultural conglomerates. The ecological,
social, cultural, and economic impacts of these changes have been vast and devastating in
many ways. The increase in transnational agribusiness has left local communities unable
to determine they way they produce, distribute and consume their own food. Trade
policies that favor large scale production for export has compromised the ability of
communities to have say and control over their food systems, and many have been
forcibly displaced from their lands, have had to leave their cultural and family lands to
work as farm laborers, and are continually exposed to various toxic chemicals and
exploitative working conditions, etc. Many times richer countries “dump” their crops
such as wheat and corn on poorer nations which drives down local prices and eliminates
farmers ability to compete. The negative effects of this system tend to fall
disproportionately on the poor, especially the rural poor. Interestingly, many of the
worlds poor and hungry are agricultural workers themselves. Many of the resources are
concentrated in the hands of a few, including land and capitol. The elimination of
cultures, traditional practices, has caused the rapid decrease in biodiversity as it is
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replaced by dependence on a few crops, some of which are genetically modified. This
shift has caused alarm and been a pivotal catalyst for movements such as La Via
Campesina to get organized and to begin to have a voice to represent their interests and
needs. (Grassroots International, 2009)
La Via Campesina believes that the largest obstacle to a just and sustainable food
system are both international and national policies as well as the agro industry instating
practices which force farmers to adopt unsustainable methods. “The current model of
industrialized food production is inherently unsustainable. It makes farmers increasingly
dependent on external inputs (pesticides, fertilizers, veterinary treatment, growth
promoters, etc.) and external capital. It is often export orientated, as with big cereal
producers in Europe and North America. These export oriented production systems are
not geared to enhance local ecological conditions or to meet local food needs. In this
model farmers lose control over production decisions.” (La Via Campesina, 2002)
The food sovereignty movement has grown out of the broken and unjust system.
The term food sovereignty was coined by La Via Campesina and it is a movement of
small farmers, fishers, consumers, environmentalists and indigenous peoples, all seeking
to reclaim the right of nations and communities to define their own agricultural, labor,
fishing, food and land policies. The food sovereignty movement calls for policies that are
ecologically, socially, economically and culturally appropriate for their circumstances.
(Grassroots International, 2009)
La Via Campesina is an international movement of peasants, small and medium-
sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural youth and agricultural
workers. The movement is actually an umbrella of hundreds of organizations and
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millions of people organizing to promote justice and change and defend their livelihoods,
cultures, interests, and values. (www.viacampesina.org) Before holding their first
conference, a group of peasant leaders from Central, North America and Europe met in
Nicaragua at the Congress of the National Union of Farmers and Livestock Owners to
discuss issues involving Cold War food aid as well as economic “development”
programs, all under the contemporary neo liberal agricultural policy context. In order to
transform these policies and address what the state seemed unable to do, they formed La
Via Campesina. La Via Campesina does not just aim to critique neo liberalism and what
they perceive to be unjust policy, they actively seek to change these policies. (Menser,
2008) In May of 1993 La Via Campesina held its first conferences, where its first
strategic guidelines and structure were defined. La Via Campesina has held worldwide
conferences every four years since then, as well as participating in various other large-
scale conferences worldwide (www.viacampesina.org).
The goal of La Via Campesina is to develop solidarity among various farming
organizations world wide, and they are present in over 70 countries in Asia, Africa,
Europe and the Americas. It is an international advocacy network. Small farmers and
producers as well as rural peasants face many of the same challenges world wide and La
Via Campesina is seeks to bring unity among its members as well as be a unifying voice
while doing advocacy work internationally.
The Case of Syngenta in Brazil
One example of an advocacy case taken on by La Via Campesina in the name of
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peasant solidarity, food sovereignty, and biodiversity in recent years is that of Syngenta
in Brazil. The history of this Swiss corporation in Brazil is decades old, but has become
more prominent in the last 15 years since Brazil became the last Latin American country
to open up its policies to genetically modified crops. The company Syngenta officially
entered Brazil in February 2001, opening two subsidiaries to focus on sales, production,
and research. (La Via Campesina, 2008)
Upon opening these subsidiaries, the company established a testing site of 127
hectares in Santa Tereza de Oeste in Paraná where it was experimenting on genetically
modified corn and soy (La Via Campesina, 2008) located 6 kilometers from a protected
conservation area, Iguacu National Park.
It was proved that Syngenta planted GM crops on its testing site despite its close
proximity to the Park after a site visit by the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and
Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), prompted by complaints by neighboring
farmers. IBAMA then issued a press release stating that “all activities involving GMOs
that the multinational conducted at its testing site were prohibited (. . .) a fine of one
million reais is being assessed”. (La Via Campesina, 2008)
Advocates
La Via Campesina is an international advocacy network, providing a voice for its
members and member organizations. They have clear mission and objectives that
member organizations are aware of when joining. La Via Campesina is made up
primarily of peasants, small and medium-sized producers, environmentalists, landless,
rural women, indigenous, rural youth as well as agricultural laborers. Member
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organizations are all over the world in over 70 countries. Structurally La Via Campesina
considers itself “autonomous, pluralist and multicultural movement, independent of any
political, economic, or other type of affiliation.” (www.viacampesina.org) Within La Via
Campesina are many member organizations which all define their own structures,
leadership etc.
“La Via Campesina stands out as a robust case of a transnational political
organization not only because of its size but because of its geographic scope and
cultural diversity. Many so-called global organizations and NGOs are made up of
and/or run by organizations from only a few (often very wealthy) countries or
many countries from only one or two regions. This is not the case with LVC. It
operates in dozens of countries from the First to Third World, North and South,
including South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Mexico,
United States, Brazil, Chile, Thailand, France, Italy, Madagascar, Senegal, and
Mali. Furthermore, as this list indicates, it is not only geographically inclusive but
also is extremely diverse with respect to race, language, and religion.35 And all are
united in their opposition to neo liberalism and the realization of an alternative
kind of agricultural production.” (Menser, 2008)
The headquarters of La Via Campesina is located in Jakarta, Indonesia. La Via
Campesina has an International Coordinating Committee. Mr. Henry Saragih is the
General Coordinator of La Via Campesina and very present in the media as a
representive. La Via Campesina website does not publicize their internal organizational
structure, employees, funding sources etc. Various Internet searches as well as looking in
journals have lead to somewhat vague results as described above.
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Their defined constituency of La Via Campesina is the various member
organizations. These organizations really partner with La Via Campesina and take on
issues in their respective countries and areas, weather it is workers strikes and protests,
factory take overs etc. In this way La Via Campesina on the ground is really rooted in
local communities taking action on local issues, all of course part of the larger issues of a
just food system.
One document, a pamphlet describing the basic mission, vision, goals and values
of Via Campesina includes contacts all over the world for those who would like to get
involved. It includes contact information for people in North, Central, and South
America, the Caribbean, Europe, South East Asia, South Asia and Africa. Most contacts
are affiliated with other organizations, member organizations of La Via Campesina. It is
not indicated whether they are employees of the organization or not.
Upon contacting them through their website, an email was received back from
Tejo Pramono stating the following, “Related to your questions, yes we have secretariat
in Indonesia . . . We are non vertical organization then the political decisions making is
decided in the national, to regional level. Things comes from Via Campesina is based on
the consultation with farmers. There are some organizations interest in the work of food
sovereignty and agrarian reform then support the work of Via Campesina.” (Tejo
Pramono, Via Campesina , 2009) Apparently they have what they refer to as a secretariat
in Indonesia. Tejo states at all decisions are based upon consultation with the farmers
and that decisions are made on the national or even regional level. This coincides with
their decentralized approach to leadership and decision making. Their exact
organizational structure is unclear in terms of paid employees and leadership, location of
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offices, funding sources, and the sources of information appearing in position papers that
La Via Campesina produces etc. This could merely represent their decentralized nature,
or could have other intentional reasons. This could also be a protective measure.
There is little or no information available about the funding sources of Via
Campesina. Tejo explained that various organizations that are interested in food
sovereignty and agrarian reform support La Via Campesina. The one example found was
a grant was given from Frances Moore Lappe’s Small Planet Fund to Via Campesina’s
efforts in the Tsnami relief. (http://www.smallplanetfund.org/grantees/) However it
remains unclear how such a mass movement and advocacy group works as far as funding.
Advocates of the Syngenta Case
Several groups have banded together to advocate for the transition of Syngenta’s
testing site in Santa Tereza de Oeste to a agroecology center intended to reverse the
environmental harm they claimed was inflicted by the Swiss corporation. Farmers
identifying themselves as members of La Via Campesina and Movimento dos
Trablhadores Ruais Sem Terra (MST) (Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement) make up
the majority of the group involved. They have worked together with the Brazilian
Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) to publicly
denounce the actions of Syngenta as illegal and call for a fine of 1,000,000 reais
($500,000 US$).
Policy
“Almost half of the people in the world are peasants. Even in the high-tech
world, people eat food produced by peasants. Small-scale agriculture is not just an
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economic activity; it means life for many people. The security of the population depends
on the well being of peasants and sustainable agriculture. To protect human life it is
important to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of peasants.” (La Via Campesina,
2009)
The principle objectives of La Via Campesina are to develop solidarity and unity
among their members, including the organizations as well as the millions of members
within. They promote social justice in the context of fair economic relations, the
preservation of land, water, seeds, and other natural resources, food sovereignty,
sustainable agricultural production based on small and medium-sized producers.
(www.viacampesina.org)
The main solutions La Via Campesina advocates include peasant, family farm-
based production, food sovereignty, and the decentralization of food production and
supply chains. They describe the model of peasant and family-farm agriculture using
sustainable practices as well as local resources that respect and do not replace local
tradition and culture. They argue against the increased use of external inputs such as
agro-chemicals, machinery, capitol etc. and production is instead labor (not capitol)
intensive, mainly for local and domestic distribution and consumption, which helps local
economies thrive, as well as decreases dependency. (www.viacampesina.org)
La Via Campesina also advocates for food sovereignty, a term it has coined and is
at the forefront of this movement. They define food sovereignty as the right of peoples,
countries, and state unions to define their agricultural and food. Food sovereignty
organizes food production and consumption according to the needs of local communities,
giving priority to production for local consumption. Food sovereignty includes the right
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to protect and regulate the national agricultural and livestock production and to shield the
domestic market from the dumping of agricultural surpluses and low-price imports from
other countries. Landless people, peasants, and small farmers must get access to land,
water, and seed as well as productive resources and adequate public services.
(www.viacampesina.org)
The third main area of advocacy pertains to the decentralization of food
production and supply chains. As opposed to our current system dominated and
controlled by large transnational agribusiness, La Via Campesina proposes a replacement
of the current system with one is decentralized, “where production, processing,
distribution and consumption are controlled by the people the communities themselves
and not by transnational corporations.” (www.viacampesina.org)
A few examples of general policy changes La Via Campesina has outlined and
advocates include governments making the sustainable and non exploitative use of
natural resources a high priority, that they support family farm based low external output
agriculture, that governments make long term investments into public resources in the
development of socially and ecologically appropriate rural infrastructure. The
establishment of decentralized rural credit systems, the end to the privatization of water
resources as the end to the privatization of natural resources for food production
including the reversal and prevention of corporate ownership of these resources, the ban
the patenting of life forms, banning of genetically modified seeds, return the right of
farmers to grow, save, sell their own seeds. Also they advocate trade policies that
prioritize local trade to the nearest consumers reducing unnecessary transportation as well
as insuring transparency to customers. They advocate for more specific changes within
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trade policy such as, “international trade policy makers must “ conduct a worldwide audit
on the serious consequences resulting from the inclusion of agriculture in the
GATT/WTO agreements and an immediate correction of existing injustices.
Immediately cancel the obligation within the WTO of accepting the minimum
importation of 5% of internal consumption. All compulsory market access clauses must
be cancelled.” (La Via Campesina, 2002)
La Via Campesina is on a self-proclaimed fight against neo liberal globalization
that places economic interests over and above social and environmental conditions. Via
Campesina are proponents of participatory democracy, especially at the local level, and
contest that it is a viable and spreading phenomenon. This model of participatory
democracy also forwards a unique conceptual frame-work for linking together social and
environmental issues by way of understanding democracy not just as reason-giving,
deliberation, and/or representation but as self-determination and socio-ecologically
sustainable production. (Menser, 2008)
La Via Campesina is counter to many of the large development institutions
policies such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade
Organization. They implore the United Nations to enforce policies that will serve as
protection as well as truly nurture sustainable development in these countries. La Via
Campesina is against large scale, cookie cutter, neo-liberal economic based approaches to
development, and they see the World Bank, IMF, and WTO perpetuating these
development models. Instead, they are in favor of countries and regions making their
own decisions based on their social, ecological, and economic health and welfare, as
opposed to purely economically driven policy that is in the hands of a few.
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La Via Campesina’s ideals and goals are applaudable. They have solid points and
their advocacy uses language and tactics that has successfully mobilized a large
movement which has gained attention around these important issues. They do
magnificent work unifying and giving voice to organizations and people who may not
usually have a voice. One issue that could give them more credibility is citing more
thoroughly their position papers and documents they distribute, as well as having a more
transparent view into the organization and their funding. They have great points, but
could emphasize their credibility if their points were well documented and backed up.
Case Study Policy
When Syngenta began planting GM crops on its testing site in Santa Teresa de
Oeste, there were legal barriers in place to de-legitimize its actions. Law 10.814/2003
prohibits the planting of GM crops within 10 kilometers of established conservation areas
such as the Iguacu National Park, and the site was located approximately 6 kilometers
away from this park. During the course of the struggle, however, Syngenta lobbied the
Brazilian government of President Lula de Silva to reduce this buffer zone to only 5
meters. (Via Campesina, 2008)
Nonetheless, the actions of the corporate giant are still illegal given the existence
of Law 14.980, passed on December 28th, 2006 designated the area for the Paraná Center
for Agroecology to research sustainable agricultural models in semi-deciduous forest
areas. (Via Campesina, 2008). Considering this law, the continued testing of GM crops
would invoke unnecessary damage on the environment in a site that should be temporary.
The 70 peasant families who occupied the site from March 14, 2006 to November
2006 did so July 17, 2007 did so on the grounds that the Clause 186 in the Brazilian
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Constitution states that private property must serve a public function, which the Syngenta
property was not doing (Ahni, 2007). These families left after Syngenta filed a law suit
forcing them off the land, but several members of the movement returned in October
when Syngenta was suspected of continuing to plant GM crops on the testing site.
Politics
The targets as identified by La Via Campesina are the international corporations
that produce genetically modified crops and actively pursue the planting of these crops in
countries whose governments allow. Furthermore, La Via Campesina targets the
“neoliberal policies promoted by the World Trade Organization, Free Trade Agreements
(FTAs), other institutions and many governments in the North as well as in the South”.
(La Via Campesina,2009). Also included in the targets of La Via Campesina are the
transnational corporations responsible for spreading the genetically modified seeds used
to produce large scale, monoculture crops around the world. These corporations, such as
Monsanto, Syngenta, Margil, and Bayer, have proven to be the actors most responsible
for the downfall of food sovereignty and biodiversity in the agricultural world.
Intermediary targets tend to be the governments who have some stake in the
actions of corporations that carry specific threats to the peasants living in any given
country. These governments, provided they are stable, have the ability to create and
enforce laws which prevent the corporations from carrying out certain actions. It is also
interesting to note that the governments are also the targets of the corporations
themselves, as in the Syngenta case in Brazil.
The significant group of stakeholders involved in the mission of La Via
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Campesina who are not directly advocating for solidarity among peasants, peasant rights,
and food sovereignty are the environmental groups whose stake in smaller scale farming
is directly tied to the end of GMOs and monoculture crops. These groups are allies and
have worked with La Via Campesina in various projects to this effect. Their stake is the
environmental health that would be promoted by increased biodiversity across the globe,
which is being destroyed by the current systems of large scale corporate farms and
genetically modified crops.
Case Study Politics
The case of Syngenta in Brazil is one example of a very publicized advocacy
campaign in which La Via Campesina was involved alongside several other national and
international groups. Although global awareness was arguably heightened by the violent
nature of one particular incident relating to this campaign, this case represents some of
the integral values for which La Via Campesina struggles.
The corporation Syngenta is the primary opposing player in this specific case.
Syngenta has had a lucrative 80 year history in Brazil, making $973 million in the first
nine months of 2007 (Food First, 2007). The local groups that worked with Syngenta
were the Rural Society of the West (SRO), an association of large landowners opposed to
agrarian reform, and the Movement of Rural Producers (MPR), formed by SRO to
oppose supporters of agrarian reform such as the peasants of La Via Campesina and
MST. An additional group was NF Security, contracted by SRO to act against the
peasants of La Via Campesina who were occupying the site in Santa Teresa de Oeste.
The government of Paraná has the power to enforce Law 14.980, which would
effectively end Syngenta’s ability to continue to plant GM crops on its testing site in
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Santa Teresa de Oeste. The corporation has repeatedly appealed the fine for planting
within the buffer zone outside of the National Park and still has not paid (La Via
Campesina, 2008).
Syngenta was part of a coalition of multinational corporations that lobbied the
Brazilian government to accept GM crops, which have been legal since 1998. (Reed
Business Information Limited, 1998). These corporations along with several others,
including Monsanto, have been lobbying the government to reduce restrictions on the
planting of GM soy and corn crops nationally. Over the years, they have succeeded in
reducing restrictions around GMO planting dramatically. It is worth noting that during
the struggle with La Via Campesina and the MST, Syngenta successfully lobbied the
Brazilian government to reduce the buffer zone between nationally conserved areas and
land on which GM crops could legally be planted from 10 kilometers to 5 meters.
Although the peasant movement continued its struggle against this testing site, the actual
legal barriers to the experimental planting of GM crops have been removed since the
onset of this specific struggle.
Strategies
The strategies used to advocate for the policies of Via Campesina vary from
grassroots organizing to coalition building between organizations to lobbying local and
international governmental institutions. The specific strategy is dependent on the context
and generally relies on a combination of methods over the course of time. The long-term
objective of La Via Campesina as stated on its website is to “defend peasant and family
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farm agriculture, and cultures and our right to exist as peoples with our own identity.” As
mentioned above, many of the goals of this organization revolve around the solidarity of
peasants and small farmers worldwide, as well as food sovereignty and a sustainable
method of agriculture. Currently, this means promoting more biodiversity in crops and
small farmer owned production of food that sustains us and provides livelihood for the
population of peasant farmers.
The short term goals and objectives depend on the location of the specific case.
Generally, short-term goals focus on the preventing of key corporations from
implementing specific pieces of legislation that would solidify their ability to produce on
the mass level despite the loss of work and environmental degradation that would result.
Constituency
La Via Campesina is composed of peasant workers from across the international
community. This constituency is developed through shared interest in the safety of
farmers and agricultural workers everywhere as the interconnection of the problems that
are commonly faced grow more evident.
La Via Campesina serves as a coalition which includes the work done on the topic
of GMOs and monoculture is done as part of the work by La Via Campesina as a whole,
who also work on several other topics related to peasant rights. This larger network
allows them to utilize communities and connections that are already existent in order to
function more effectively in the short term.
This coalition has several messages that are communicated among its constituents
and targets. These messages primarily focus around the general vision of La Via
Campesina, but are articulated through different lenses to accommodate a variety of
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audiences and address a spectrum of issues. Some of the messages as posted on the La
Via Campesina website include:
- “Via Campesina demands the end of corporate driven, monoculture-based
production of agrofuels”. (www.viacampesina.org)
- “Ban Terminator”: ‘terminator seeds’ are an inherently unsustainable method of
agriculture and should be banned universally. (www.viacampesina.org)
- The promotion and development of small scale production and local consumption
models and the rejection of consumerism as necessary to the sustained
development of the world.
- “Combat Monsanto: Building a World Free From Monsanto”
(www.viacampesina.org)
- The positive effect that a continued struggle for biodiversity would have on global
warming, articulating the poignant argument that fertile soils are the best way to
capture CO2.
- The reorientation of agricultural policies towards sustainable rural communities
and livelihoods based on food sovereignty and genuine agrarian reform as a form
of protecting this lifestyle that is a right of peasants everywhere.
- The promotion and development of responsible consumption models
Tactics Used to Engage the Media
The media have been engaged in the struggle of La Via Campesina through
educational conferences, press releases, and public protests around specific issues across
the globe. (Friends of the MST, 2007)
The advocates have utilized a variety of methods to educate the public, catering to the
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specific context of each country. Some examples include educational conferences,
videos, pamphlets, website, publications. Via Campesina has utilized new technology,
specifically the internet, very effectively in order to raise awareness on the global level
between specific local member organizations. This allows organizations to learn from
each other and voice support across large geographical distances.
Many methods and tactics have been used to influence the targets, varying in degree
and scope in accordance with the geographical region and specific policy case. Some
examples of these include hunger strikes in France, the destruction of trees and other
property at research and production sites (Rising Tide 2008), the peaceful occupation of
key locations such as the Syngenta testing site in Brazil (Via Campesina 2008), and
public protests in Germany and throughout most countries in which member groups of La
Via Campesina are active. In addition, many groups lobby specific governments to
change or reverse legislation such as Law 14.980 in Brazil (La Via Campesina 2008).
Most of the lobbying and protests that take place do require mobilization of
constituents and the public; various member groups have used publicity via internet
websites, conferences, emails, local meetings, and press conferences to raise awareness
and call for action around specific policy cases. One example of annual dates for action
include the 17th of April, which is named the International Peasant Struggle Day in
commemoration of the murder of nineteen peasants participating in the struggle in
Eldorado dos Carajas (Brazil) on April 17, 1996. Another important day of the movement
is the 10th of September, which is the international struggle day against WTO. On that
date in 2003, Mr. Lee Kyun Hae, a Korean peasant, stabbed himself to death during a
massive protest against the WTO in Cancun, Mexico. He was holding a banner saying
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“WTO kills farmers”. (Agence France Presse, 2003)
Case Study Strategies
The long term goals of the group working against Syngenta in the case study were
in line with those of La Via Campesina, but the short term goals in this movement were
much more measurable. In this case, La Via Campesina and the MST demanded that
Syngenta paid a fine of $500,000 US for planting experimental GM crops within the 10
kilometer buffer zone established by the Brazilian national government. An additional
short term goal was to shift the testing site in Santa Teresa de Oeste to an agroecology
center which would be used to research and develop sustainable agricultural models.
The strategies utilized by the La Via Campesina and Movimento dos
Trabalhadores were centered on the peaceful occupation of the testing site for more than
a year. These protests were carried out in conjunction with lobbying of the government of
Paraná to establish Law 14.980, to change the Syngenta testing site to the Paraná Center
for Agroecology. Member groups throughout the world supported the groups involved in
the case by spreading the word in action alerts and several individuals from all over the
world flew into Brazil to participate in the peaceful occupation.
Tactics Messages and Media
Many of the tactics used by the member groups of La Via Campesina on the
grassroots level involve some form of peaceful protest. For example, on the International
Day of Peasant’s Struggle, April 17th, the La Via Campesina website celebrated 100
actions around the world taken in solidarity with the growing resistance among farmer,
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including “demonstrations, street theater, video screenings, direct action, conferences, art
shows, local food markets, publications and exchanges. . . “ (www.viacampesina.org).
Additionally, member groups of La Via Campesina participate in direct lobbying efforts
to change the policies shaping the agricultural community.
The mainstream media has given little to no coverage of the issues that La Via
Campesina is raising around the topic. Smaller left-wing media sources cover certain
events and developments fairly accurately, but on the global scale the possible media
coverage that this campaign has not received has probably hampered the awareness of
many groups and individuals who would be possible allies in the struggles of this
movement. Conversely, there is a fairly high level of alternative media coverage on the
policy cases in which member groups are involved, which means that individuals seeking
out information regarding certain campaigns.
Case Study Tactics Messages and Media
The tactics used in the Syngenta case were parallel to many of the global efforts
of La Via Campesina. This group of peasants used a combination of peaceful protest with
policy advocacy in the Brazilian government in order to be more effective. The message
used was in this case shifted over the course of the campaign, after the peasants returned
to the testing site in October 2007. This group of peasants was attacked by a group called
NF Security, hired by Syngenta in the case of peasants’ return. Although weapons by
such security services is illegal, this group carried guns and shot six of the protesters,
killing one of the leaders named Valmir Mota, also known as Keno. NF Security was
established as an armed gang in the Criminal Case No. 2007.3982-4 of the Criminal
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Court of Cascavel (La Via Campesina, 2008). After this event, the focus and message of
the campaign were re-centered around human rights. There was no substantial
mainstream media coverage of this case before or after the events of October 2007, but in
the alternative media the Syngenta case became famous worldwide; synonymous with
human rights violations in addition to corporate GM crops and peasant rights.
Analysis
Although La Via Campesina has made monumental progress in bringing these
crucial issues to international awareness, some aspects of its work could be made more
effective. While La Via Campesina is inclusive in the diversity among its members, the
fact that members and member organizations is necessarily exclusionary. Little is known
about the membership process and how to become a member. There is evidence of
tensions between member organizations within the movement, involving politics or other
specific differences. Additionally, La Via Campesina has succeeded in adapting
recognition and the inclusion of such organizations at the table with other
intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations; however, language used to
mandate such inclusion dictates representation for only the organized. This excludes
groups and/or individuals who are not formally organized as well as those unable to
organize as a result of political or unsafe conditions in their country.
Questions have emerged concerning whether La Via Campesina qualifies
as a movement or a network, the definitions of each of these words and the significance
of such a distinction. While movements tend to be more open, La Via Campesina has
limited its membership to those exclusively listed in its publications or on its website.
Despite the fact that La Via Campesina describes itself as a multilateral and decentralized
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movement, it has an international coordinating committee as well as certain central
figures and is not forthcoming with information about who they are, their exact roles, or
the selection process for these individuals.
Decentralizing as far as having a wide variety of member organizations, but
somehow received funding to continue operations, including producing position papers,
holding international conferences, and the maintenance of a website. Lastly, with regards
to transparency, La Via Campesina publish position papers as well as advocacy
concerning issues of food justice and food sovereignty. However, these are all poorly
documented. While it is our belief that they have strong points, they lose credibility in the
eyes of critics when they are unable or un-inclined to back up their claims with specific
sources.
Another notable area for improvement of La Via Campesina is its lack of success
to date in achieving large scale policy change. While they have achieved in taking a
human rights based approach to food and convinced organizations such as the United
Nations to adopt language that includes this ideology, we do not see effective long-term
policy change towards food policy and justice. Despite this critique of its current
achievements, it is our belief that in time, through the success of the advocacy and
organization on which La Via Campesina has focused its efforts, these long-term policy
changes will be achieved.
La Via Campesina has been extraordinarily successful in bringing together a
unified and powerful voice to an extremely diverse and often marginalized body of
people. Due to their decentralized organizational structure based in local communities, La
Via Campesina is able to be especially responsive to its members. The power is truly
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from below. Additionally, La Via Campesina enjoys international recognition of its
mission and actions due to its effective advocacy.
References
Ahni. (2007, October 24). Syngenta-Hired Militia Attacks Peaceful Occupation. Message
posted to http://intercontinentalcry.org/syngenta-hired-militia-attacks-peaceful-
occupation
Agence France Presse. (2003, September 11). Korean Activist Kills Himself, Others
Injured in Cancun Protest. Commondreams.org. Author: Retrieved April 28,
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2009 from http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0911-06.htm
Ewing, Reese. (2005, Mar 1). End of Brazil GMO Ban to Curb Rampant Black Market.
USA Today: Reuters Limited. Retrieved Apr 20, 2009, from
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gmo-ban_x.htm
Friends of the MST. 2006, March 16). La Via Campesina Holds a Parallel Conference to
Coincide with UN Conferences. Global Exchange: San Francisco: Author.
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Campesina Work to Expel Syngenta After Murder of Campesino Activist.
Oakland, CA: Author. Retrieved Apr 20, 2009, from
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Jakarta: Author.
La Via Campesina International Peasant Movement. (2009, Mar.). Declaration of Rights
of Peasants - Women and Men Seoul, 20: Author.
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Rising Tide North America. (2008, Mar 9.) Brazilian Women Destroy Monsanto GMO
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destroy-monsanto-gmo-corn-and-trees
Small Planet Fund, (2008). Small Planet Fund Emergency Grantees Message posted to
http://www.smallplanetfund.org/grantees/