This forum represents the continuity of the agreements achieved in February, 2007, in Nyeleni, Mali, in the Food Sovereignty Forum which gathered several organizations from different parts of the world. Although this is in an event with a strong Latin American and Caribbean presence, it is expected to be reproduced in other parts of the world as well.

The Forum will take place from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd in the capital city of the country, Asunción. Conosur Sustentable, Food&Water Watch (F&WW) and the IPC (International Planning Committee for Food Sovrereignty) will participate.

Real World Radio will cover the entire event with interviews with the participants, live broadcasting of some of the panels and of the round tables with international delegates.

According to the organizers of the forum, the action of agribusiness as representatives of the transnational capital makes it extremely important to have a common analysis of the situation and build and promote true sustainable and sovereign solutions, taking advantage of the increased attention and international help for the communities and affected peoples in this time of crisis.

Alberto Villareal, member of F&WW, talked to Real World Radio before leaving for Asunción to participate in the Forum.

According to him, La Via Campesina, the World March of Women and Friends of the Earth International are consolidating with this forum a true line of joint and permanent action around common issues, such as food sovereignty.

He also told us why Paraguay was chosen, saying that this country has been one of the main “targets of agribusiness” at Latin American and international level, with an outrageous increase of GM soy monocultures.

Villareal said that one of the goals of the meeting is to support the –still weak- governmental measures aiming at putting an end to agribusiness, but mainly supporting the actions of resistance of the social movements, particularly peasants, who are trying to recover the control of their territories as a starting point for the achievement of true food sovereignty.

Agenda

The agenda of the forum includes presentations by Roberto Baggio from the Landless Movement of Brazil and Miriam Nobre from the World March of Women.

In addition, during the first day, Ricardo Navarro, member of Friends of the Earth El Salvador will make reference to the “false solutions”. The main promoters of these false solutions –the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, governments, businessmen who benefit from neoliberal policies and several international “aid” organizations “are part of the disease and ensure the profit of big agribusiness transnational corporations”.

Free trade agreements (or Association agreements, depending on the economic power promoting them) will also be analyzed and will be the focus of the presentation by Juan Gonzales, from the Union Coordination of the Americas, during the first day of sessions.

The local organizations in charge of the event include CONAMURI (National Coordination of Rural and Indigenous Women, member of La Vía Campesina) and Sobrevivencia, member of Friends of the Earth International.

During the second day there will be spaces for the testimonies of struggles against agribusiness, many of which will be broadcast live through Real World Radio.

Sovereignty as seed conservation, processes of agrarian reform and constitutional reforms that have been being implemented in the continent by the social movements will also be a part of the debates.

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