The Via Campesina – The NFU working in solidarity around the world

National Farmers Union

Via Campesina is a global movement that brings together organizations representing small- and medium-scale farmers, peasants, agricultural workers, rural women, and indigenous communities. It is pluralistic, democratic, and multi-cultural, and non-partisan.

Via Campesina and its members focus on issues such as food sovereignty and trade; agrarian reform (re-distribution of access to, and control over, resources such as land, seeds, water, credit); appropriate technology and sustainable agriculture; strengthening women’s participation in social, economic, political, and cultural matters; peasants’ and farmers’ rights; biodiversity; migrant farm workers; and the promotion of economic relations of equality and social justice.
Via Campesina is organized into eight regions: Europe, Northeast and Southeast Asia, South Asia, North America, the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, and South America.

The origin of Via Campesina goes back to April 1992, when several peasant leaders from around the world met in Managua , Nicaragua , at the Congress of the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers (UNAG). In May 1993, the First Conference of Via Campesina was held in Mons , Belgium . The Second International Conference was held in Tlaxcala , Mexico , in April 1996, and was attended by 69 organizations from 37 countries.

Canada ’s National Farmers Union was a founding member of the Via Campesina. The NFU continues to take an active role in the VC, including, until recently the role of North American Co-ordinator and Coordinator of the Women’s Commission of the Vía Campesina. NFU former Presidents Wayne Easter and Nettie Wiebe played a key role in the founding and development of the Via Campesina.

The NFU is very active internationally. Our efforts include current work on the Ban Terminator Campaign and the WTO trade talks. Most important, the NFU is a founding member of the Via Campesina, a global movement in which the NFU remains very active.

Click here for a detailed article on the Via Campesina: United in the Via Campesina by Annette Aurelie Desmarais

Click here to visit the Via Campesina website