La Vía Campesina Brasil

La Vía Campesina Brasil
Name	La Vía Campesina Brasil
Founded	1990s
Location	Brazil
Fields	Agrarian reform; peasant rights; food sovereignty

La Vía Campesina Brasil is the Brazilian expression of an international peasant movement originally connected to La Vía Campesina. It brings together landless and smallholder organizations, rural workers, indigenous allies and agroecology advocates to press for land reform, food sovereignty, and collective rights. The coalition operates within the political landscapes of Brazil and engages with national institutions such as the Ministry of Agrarian Development, regional bodies like the Union of South American Nations frameworks, and international fora including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations.

History

La Vía Campesina Brasil traces roots to peasant struggles in the late 20th century influenced by movements such as the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), the Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores na Agricultura (CONTAG), and the agrarian reform debates following the 1988 Brazilian Constitution. Key antecedents include land occupations related to the Canudos War legacy in regional memory, agrarian conflicts in the Cerrado, and organizing traditions from groups like the Comissão Pastoral da Terra and the Partido dos Trabalhadores. The national network consolidated during transnational gatherings influenced by the international La Vía Campesina assemblies and by alliances with the World Social Forum and the International Peasant Movement.

Organization and Structure

The coalition comprises federations, cooperatives, unions and peasant associations drawn from states such as Maranhão, Bahia, Pará, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo. Member organizations include offshoots of the Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, sections of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores, and grassroots collectives with ties to the Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores na Agricultura Familiar. Decision-making typically occurs through assemblies modeled on participatory practices seen in the Zapatista Army of National Liberation sympathizers and the Via Campesina international statutes. Leadership rotates among delegates from regional bases, cooperatives registered with state agencies like the Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária, and representatives from indigenous federations linked to the Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira.

Goals and Principles

The movement advances agrarian reform framed by principles associated with food sovereignty campaigns, agroecology promoted by the Agroecology Network, and peasants’ rights recognized in declarations such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Its platform intersects with policy instruments from the Mercosur dialogues, social programs like the Bolsa Família legacy debates, and international norms discussed at the World Trade Organization negotiations. Philosophically, it aligns with land redistribution themes reminiscent of the Landless Workers' Movement (MST) and human rights frameworks advanced by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Key Campaigns and Activities

Campaigns include land occupations and settlements echoing historical actions by the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, agroecological training linked to universities such as the University of São Paulo extension projects, and solidarity mobilizations during national protests involving the Partido dos Trabalhadores and allied unions like the Central dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras do Brasil. Agricultural fairs, cooperative markets, and participation in international summits like the Rio+20 conference showcase produce and policy proposals. The coalition has engaged in legal advocacy through connections with public defenders and civil society organizations such as Amnesty International-affiliated campaigns and has lobbied legislative processes in the National Congress of Brazil and state assemblies.

Relations with Other Social Movements and Institutions

Relations extend to leftist parties and trade unions including the Partido Comunista do Brasil, alliances with indigenous movements such as the Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil, environmental NGOs like Greenpeace and WWF, and solidarity from international networks including Via Campesina International and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations. The coalition negotiates with public agencies like the Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária and international bodies including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Council, while engaging in dialogues at venues such as the World Social Forum and regional forums under the Union of South American Nations.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics from agribusiness sectors represented by federations such as the Confederação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Brasil and political opponents in the Brazilian Social Democracy Party have accused the movement of fostering illegal occupations and disrupting commodity production. Legal disputes have involved courts at the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil and confrontations with law enforcement linked to state police in states like Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul. Some human rights organizations and academic commentators from institutions like the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have debated the movement’s tactics and relations with partisan actors including the Partido dos Trabalhadores, while environmentalists have both lauded and critiqued its impact on ecosystems such as the Amazon Rainforest and the Cerrado.

Category:Social movements in Brazil Category:Agrarian movements