Rafael Gonzalez, Carmen Cumes and Luisa Xinico, of the Latin American Coordinator of Countryside Organizations (CLOC) explained that during the event they will analyze and reflect on “alternatives to monoculture production promoted by agribusiness that pollute the environment and destroy our planet”.

The meeting, where agroecological peasants from Central, North and South America will participate, aims to reflect on what is agroecology and the benefits of this ancient form of production. “It is practiced but unknown. Many communities who practice agroecology do not attribute to it the importance it deserves”, said Xinico.

Gonzalez said the participants will explain their experience and will carry out an analysis on how to produce and to contribute to cooling the planet in response to the climate crisis.

He explained that agroecology is an ancient “culturally generated, socially just, ecologically healthy practice and conception and an alternative to industrial agriculture, which concentrates and appropriates lands, displacing peasant and indigenous communities from their territories. It enriches the agrochemical corporations and generates dependence of the countries on food transnational corporations while hunger and malnutrition grows all over the world”.

According to Gonzalez the land dedicated to pineapple, sugar cane, soy or palm oil monoculture plantation requires 50 years of treatment to recover and to be able to produce corn and beans again, which is the main staple of the people’s diet in most Central American and South American countries.

International organization La Via Campesina has organized similar meetings to discuss the neoliberal policies and their impact on indigenous and peasant agriculture. It concluded on the need to push for agroecology in the political, social and economic sphere, but also to spread it among rural communities around the world.

In Chimaltenango, Guatemala, there is a “peasant to peasant” methodology that allows to share experiences and knowledge between peasants.

With this meeting they expect to exchange of experiences of CLOC Via Campesina organizations in order to increase the promotion of agroecology as an alternative to exclusive agriculture promoted by capitalism.

Source: Vía Campesina Centroamérica y Prensa Libre

Photo: Vía Campesina Centroamérica