International Foodless Day

Jakarta (16/10), Peasants from Alliance for Agrarian Reform Movement hold a commemoration on International Food Day, together with other civil society organizations in Jakarta, in trade Department and Presidential Palace, Rahmat, General Secretary of AGRA, and one of Asian Peasant Coalition deputy, said today is International Foodless Day not International Food Day.

“There are many peoples in various countries are lived in hunger, that’s why today is International Foodless Day” Rahmat, in his speech to the masses in at the front of Presidential Palace (16/10)

Due to capitalist monopoly practices in agrarian sector, through its neoliberal policies, there are 105 from 149 from underdevelop countries are food importer, ironically the food supplies of the world are coming from these countries, since most of them are agrarian countries like in Asia and Latin America. These countries cannot fullfil their national need on food due to various binding freetrade agreement. The result are 60% of hunger in the world are coming from Asia and Pacific, followed by Sub Sahara Countries in Africa 24%, and 6% from Latin America and Caribiean. Every year those who died because unf hunger is increasing become 5,4 million every year.

“They loose their capacity to produce their own food, they loose their food sovereignity, and they lived in hunger, this fact is tell us that the producer is starving” said Rahmat.

The main reason of this foodless is massive land monopoly by state and multinational corporation. Land grabbing is the highlight of foodless, because many people lands are being taken in the name of development and monoculture plantation for export oriented.
The monopoly is dedicated to to serve the need of international crops and food market.

“Monopoly ownership and control of lands is being done through land grabbing, its effect is marginalization of small peasant and agriculture farming for food/crops” explain Rahmat

In Indonesia the land grabbing are being used to open, massive palm oil plantation, timber, sugar cane , and land rent by state through its programme called Merauke Integrated Food and Fuel Estate (MIFFE).

Another effect from in the absent of food soverignity is the domination of transnational corporation of seed, who are contribute to degradation of peasant life, through their patent of the artificial seed.

“International monopoly corporations destroy peasant knowledge on seed, that are proved enviromentaly friendly, and suitable with local culture and biodiversty” Rahmat.

Photographer:
reiga
Uploaded:
2012-10-17
Tags:
food jakarta peasant peoples photojournalism rally soverignty
Camera:
Nikon F4
Film:
Lucky New SHD 100
City:
jakarta
Country/region:
Indonesia
Albums:
International Foodless Day

2 Comments

  1. clownshoes
    clownshoes ·

    Really amazing work you are doing.

  2. gregoriobruning
    gregoriobruning ·

    Very impressive! Here, in the other side of the world, we are fighting for the same cause. All the solidarity to the peasants of the AGRA!

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