Farmers From Africa and Asia March to Demand the Freedom to Trade

Date: Wednesday, 28 August
9:30AM: Gathering at George Lea Park
10:00 AM: March via Sandton Drive and 5th Street, to end at Speaker's Corner, near Sandton Convention Centre.
11:00 AM Rally at Speaker's Corner

27 August Johannesburg - Tomorrow, Wednesday, 28 August, at 10am, hundreds of Indian and African farmers will gather at George Lea Park and will march to Speaker's Corner, at the Sandton Convention Centre. They will join Johannesburg's street hawkers in a mass march to defend the freedom to trade.

Despite the rhetoric of the World Summit on Sustainable Development of poverty 'reduction' and development, many delegates promote the view that farmers should continue to use - as they have for thousands of years - backbreaking agricultural techniques.

Farmers from India, Africa, and other developing nations have united for this march to represent millions of rural subsistence farmers, to show their belief that farmers in poor countries should not be denied the freedom to test for themselves the economic and technological viability of any new technology, including agricultural biotechnology.

Commenting on the march, Chengal Reddy, President of the Indian Federation of Farmers Associations from Andhra Pradesh, India, said, "Hundreds of the world's farmers are here to represent the world's farmers at this summit. Asian farmers associations are joining hands with African farmers to articulate their demands, including the freedom to farm."

The farmers believe that increased agricultural productivity not only helps in alleviating rural poverty, but also contributes to reduced environmental stress, and helps in improving the quality of environmental resources.

TJ Buthelezi, the leader of Ubongwa Farmers Union, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa said, "Farmers in all parts of the world should be free to determine for themselves whether technologies meet their requirements of staying competitive in the world market, and regaining economic viability."

The demands of the farmers include:

• Freedom to grow any crop of their choice.
• Freedom to access the best available technology.
• Freedom to trade within and outside the country.
• Freedom to improve agricultural productivity.
• Freedom to enhance agricultural productivity in order to improve economic well-being and reduce environmental stress.
• Freedom to sell their goods at a price that is not distorted by agricultural subsidies, tariffs or quotas.