Via Campesina

Via Campesina
source
Name	Via Campesina
Formation	1993
Type	International peasants' movement
Headquarters	La Via Campesina International Coordinating Office (originally in the Netherlands; relocated at times)
Region served	Global
Membership	Peasant, small-scale farmer, indigenous, migrant and agricultural worker organizations

Via Campesina Via Campesina is an international movement of peasant, small-scale farmer, indigenous, migrant and agricultural worker organizations founded in 1993 that advocates for agrarian reform, food sovereignty, and social justice. It brings together groups from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America to influence global governance, international trade, and human rights fora. The movement interacts with institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, World Trade Organization, and International Labour Organization while collaborating with social movements like the World Social Forum and unions such as the International Union of Foodworkers.

History

Via Campesina emerged from conferences and networks including the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, International Peasants' Union precursors and regional gatherings in the early 1990s that involved groups like the Confédération Paysanne in France, Tebtebba Foundation partners in the Philippines, and Federación Nacional de Sindicatos de Trabajadores-type organizations. Early meetings drew representatives from La Vía Campesina–Brazil, National Federation of Agricultural Producers (Philippines), Zapatista Army of National Liberation-affected communities in Mexico, and farmers’ organizations in India, Kenya, Bolivia, and Indonesia. The movement gained international prominence at events including the World Food Summit (1996), the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (1999) protests, and the World Social Forum (2001) in Porto Alegre, aligning with campaigns against structural adjustment policies pushed by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Over subsequent decades Via Campesina engaged with the UN Committee on World Food Security, participated in dialogues with the Rome-based agencies, and influenced instruments like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through alliances with groups such as CLOC–La Via Campesina and regional bodies in West Africa and Southeast Asia.

Organization and Structure

Via Campesina is organized as a decentralized network of member organizations including La Via Campesina Brasil, Confédération Paysanne, Federación Sindical Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Guatemala, Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform, and regional platforms like CLOC in Latin America, ASEAN Farmers Confederation-type bodies in Asia, and Pan-African Farmers’ Union counterparts. Governance occurs through an international conference, a coordination committee, thematic working groups, and regional coordinators who convene assemblies in places such as Nairobi, Havana, Manila, New Delhi, and Brussels. The movement liaises with international mechanisms including the Committee on World Food Security, UN Human Rights Council, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and civil society coalitions like Friends of the Earth International, Oxfam International, ActionAid, and Amnesty International on shared campaigns. Prominent leaders and affiliated organizations over time have included figures and groups linked to Elizabeth Mpofu, Chico Mendes Movement (MST), Bharatiya Kisan Union, Union des Paysans du Niger, and national unions in Mexico, Spain, France, South Africa, Peru, Ecuador, Philippines, Vietnam, and Nepal.

Ideology and Objectives

Via Campesina promotes food sovereignty, land reform, agroecology, and collective rights for peasants and indigenous peoples, opposing corporate-driven models supported by entities like the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and trade agreements such as WTO frameworks and bilateral Free trade agreements negotiated by states including United States, European Union, China, and Canada. The movement advances principles embedded in instruments like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and engages with concepts championed by activists linked to Mahatma Gandhi-inspired movements, Karl Polanyi-informed critiques, and contemporary proponents of agroecology such as researchers at Agroecology Europe and academic institutions like University of Wageningen and University of California, Davis. Objectives include achieving recognition of peasants’ rights—echoed later in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas—protecting seeds and biodiversity defended by organizations like Bioversity International and Third World Network, and resisting land grabs associated with investors from countries such as Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates.

Major Campaigns and Actions

Via Campesina has organized global days of action, transnational protests, and campaigns against policies by institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization, participating in mass mobilizations during events like the Seattle WTO protests (1999) and the G8 Summit demonstrations. Campaigns include promotion of agroecology and seed sovereignty alongside partners like Slow Food and IPES-Food, resistance to land grabbing through alliances with Land Matrix researchers and advocacy at the United Nations Forum on Forests, and advocacy for peasant rights culminating in the adoption of the UNDROP instrument. The movement has supported agrarian reform struggles in countries including Brazil (with Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra), Honduras (post-coup rural resistance), Mali (peasant unions), Philippines (Peasant Alliance gatherings), and India (farmers’ protests), and has coordinated with labor actions by unions like the International Trade Union Confederation and regional federations in Latin America and Africa.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics question Via Campesina’s stance on biotechnology, intellectual property regimes such as Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, and positions on genetically modified organisms advocated by companies like Monsanto (now Bayer), arguing conflicts with proponents at institutions including International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. Tensions have arisen between Via Campesina and state-led rural programs in countries such as China and Vietnam, and debates persist with development NGOs like USAID and DFID on approaches to rural development. Internal controversies include disputes among member organizations over strategies, relations with political parties in nations like Bolivia and Ecuador, and critiques from scholars associated with World Bank-commissioned research who emphasize market-based solutions championed by actors such as IFPRI and sections of the OECD.

Impact and Legacy

Via Campesina influenced international policy debates on food systems, contributing to recognition of peasant and Indigenous rights at the United Nations and shifting discourse toward agroecology in forums including the Committee on World Food Security and academic venues at institutions like University of Oxford and Cornell University. The movement’s legacy appears in strengthened networks across regions—linking farmers in West Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe—and in policy instruments such as UNDROP and national land reform laws inspired by advocacy from groups like MST and Confédération Paysanne. Alliances with movements like the Landless Workers' Movement, Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Coalition, Indigenous Environmental Network, and research bodies including International Institute for Environment and Development have shaped agendas on biodiversity, climate justice, and social rights, leaving an enduring imprint on transnational activism, rural governance debates, and scholarly research on agrarian movements.

Category:International agricultural organizations Category:Peasant movements