Farmers
in India and most developing countries are threatened by many internal and
external forces. Industrialization is seen as the only way for a country to ‘develop’
and in this mindless frenzy, the vital role played by farmers in sustaining an
entire population is largely ignored. Governments are obsessed with GDP,
businesses with profit and the media with the Western way of life. Farmers and
agriculture are deliberately and successfully kept hidden from the general
public.
Hence,
the South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements (SICCFM) met at Cochin,
Kerala on the 25th and 26th of January in continuation of their efforts to collectively
address issues of farmers belonging to the five states of Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala together. The participating
organizations were:
- Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) from Karnataka
- Tamilaka Tamilazha Vivasayikal Sangham (TVS), Katchi Sarpartra Tamiliga Vivasayigal Sangam, Uzhavar Ulaippalar Katchi and Tamil Nadu Vyavasaikal Tolilarkal Munnetra Sangham (VTMS) from Tamil Nadu
- Shetkari Sanghatana from Maharashtra
- Kerala Coconut Growers’ Association from Kerala
- Food Sovereignty Alliance from Andhra Pradesh
SICCFM general secretary Kannaiyan addressing the gathering |
Each
state had different issues but some cut across all boundaries: cheap food
imports, rising costs of agricultural inputs, farmers driven to suicide, land
grabbing by the Government and companies, loss of traditional crop varieties, corporatization of food and milk and finally, climate change.
The different States engaged in discussion at the SICCFM meeting |
Some
specific concerns of each state were:
Maharashtra
felt the need for a Sustainable Agriculture committee to provide training and
support to farmers wishing to make the transition from high cost to natural farming.
Farmers' representatives from Maharashtra with Afsar Jafri |
Andhra
Pradesh strongly called for the
protection of forest rights, traditional seeds and customs. Since
corporatization of milk production has already begun here, there is a need to
organize mass protests against the IFFCO and Fonterra joint venture to produce
top-quality milk for premium customers. This would destroy the livelihoods of
thousands of local dairy farmers. Another important issue is the acquisition of
land for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) mushrooming around the capital city of
Hyderabad.
Leaders from the Food Sovereignty Alliance, Andhra Pradesh exchanging ideas |
Tamil
Nadu presented the following
demands: persuading the government to purchase coconut instead of copra, making
MNREGA mandatory for farmers, allowing toddy tapping, banning the import of oil
rich coconut cakes, encouraging ethanol production from sugarcane and creating
a separate agricultural budget which would fix scientific prices for milk and
other agricultural produce.
Tamil Nadu farmer leaders deep in discussion |
Kerala, which has faced severe issues with the
pesticide endosulfan appealed to leaders from Karnataka and TN to
educate their farmers to discontinue its use, which was still being sold under
different names.
President of the Kerala Coconut Farmers' Association, Ravindranath actively listening |
Karnataka has seen a steep rise in
farmers’ suicides and hence leaders recommended an Anti-suicide Cell to be
established, whose members shall include the District Commissioner (DC) and the
Additional DC. The Cell would persuade the government to increase the
compensation from 1 lakh to 5 lakh, compensate women farmers, provide for
children’s education and offer a job to the next member of family. In the event
of natural calamity, the government should compensate farmers for loss of crop
by the gross loss suffered by the farmer and not the net loss.
Farmer leaders, students and volunteers from Karnataka |
Roundtable on the WTO Bali Minesterial
Two
organizations from Delhi, Focus on the Global South and South-South Solidarity,
working on strengthening the position of developing and least developed
countries (LDC), were invited to shed light on the aftermath of the WTO’s Bali
Minesterial that took place in December 2013.
Afsar
Jafri from Focus on the Global South gave a brief background of the WTO, how it
was dormant from 2005 to 2013 but got a new lease of life at Bali. India’s
Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma, though initially supported developing
countries, soon gave in and accepted Trade Facilitation and the Peace Clause.
Trade Facilitation is the automation of our ports and reducing Customs
procedures to ease the entry of foreign goods. Peace Clause is the small window
of time given to developing countries to subsidize food procurement (even
beyond the specified limits of 10% de
minimis allowed to India and other developing countries) for their
country’s food security programme. During this period, if a country exceeds its
subsidy limits, other members of the WTO could not take the defaulter country
to the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body. The Peace Clause also places many data
reporting and other restrictive conditions that in effect, India may not even
be allowed to implement its Food Security Act. It is an interim solution and developed
countries would try to extract more from developing countries by pushing forward
proposals on Singapore issues in the permanent solution, completely ignoring
the Doha development round issues which have provisions to correct some of the
historical injustices in the WTO.
Afsar Jafri speaking about the WTO and its dangers |
The
classification of subsidies under different coloured boxes was also explained,
which clarified how developed countries could cleverly provide billions of
dollars of subsidies, while categorically preventing developing and LDCs from
spending even a fraction of that amount.
Afsar
also exposed the fraudulent figures of the $1 trillion boost to the global
economy and the 20 million jobs that the Bali package would create, as
fictitious numbers projected by developed countries to lure developing
countries to agree to Trade facilitation agreement. It does not include the
costs that developing and least developed countries (LDC) would incur to
implement the agreement’s provisions. He concluded with a call for action
against the WTO and the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) that are being
enthusiastically promoted by the rich world.
Following
Afsar’s insightful talk, Benny Kuruvilla from South-South Solidarity expanded
on the dangers of Trade Facilitation. Trade Facilitation was one of the 4
Singapore issues which were rejected by developing countries at the 2003 Cancun
Ministerial. Despite this it was strategically inserted as an issue on which
modalities could be discussed in the July 2004 Framework Agreement. And now it
has been adopted as the first major agreement at the WTO since its founding in
1995. If one examines the content of the agreement, it is basically an issue of
importance to developed countries and will facilitate more imports into
developing countries.
This
is dangerous for countries such as India as it would widen the trade and
Current Account Deficit (CAD) by allowing more imports. The agreement basically
calls for developing countries to harmonise standards – on issues such as
customs processing, shipment procedures and invest in costly trade facilitating
infrastructure which will also include consultancies. It is also a costly
exercise and funds reserved for the social sector could be diverted to
implement it. Customs duties and tariffs are an important source of revenue and
developed countries are forcing India and other developing countries to remove them.
He gave some hope to farmers in that there is time till July 2014 to ratify the
Trade Facilitation Agreement. This is an opportunity to mobilize people’s
movements to fight against this as well as the bad outcome on food security.
What you can do
India’s
urban populace currently oblivious to where and how their food is produced,
needs to wake up to these burning issues. You could start by acknowledging the role
played by our farmers who ensure you have enough to eat. An
important way to do this is to find out the source of your food and choose the
local variety instead of imported alternatives. All processed food have their place of manufacture printed on their labels. For fruits and vegetables, it is more obvious because the vendor himself will proudly announce the 'foreign' country of origin. By choosing local produce, you not only support our
farmers but also prevent the enormous carbon emissions related to transport. It also ensures you get food that is naturally fresh, instead of that
which has artificially been kept fresh through the long distance travel.
The
time has come for you to exercise your right of choice and choose food that’s
grown in your country by your farmers.
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