Statement by La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International

La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International advocate for a transition from industrial, export-oriented agriculture to a food sovereignty model. This model prioritizes the right to food as a human right, supports small-scale farmers' access to land and seeds, and promotes agroecological systems to mitigate climate change. The organizations reject 'false solutions' like carbon trading and agrofuels, and criticize the role of international financial institutions and the WTO in perpetuating unsustainable agricultural systems.

• The organizations support a model of agricultural development that prioritizes the right to food as a human right and emphasizes 'how to help the world feed itself' rather than 'how to feed the world.' This approach focuses on the needs of the most vulnerable, specifically small-scale farmers and peasants, and requires participatory decision-making mechanisms.
• To combat climate change, the document argues for a shift from intensive industrial agriculture to local and regional agroecological systems. These systems should reduce dependence on fossil fuels, agrochemicals, and genetically modified organisms, while minimizing polluting emissions by reducing the distance food travels from production to consumption.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2009). Statement by La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CSD-17-LVC_FoEI-Statement-PRINTED.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Statement by La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International. 2009. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CSD-17-LVC_FoEI-Statement-PRINTED.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Statement by La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International |date=12 May 2009 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CSD-17-LVC_FoEI-Statement-PRINTED.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2009statement, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Statement by La Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth International}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2009}, month = may, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CSD-17-LVC_FoEI-Statement-PRINTED.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }