Attached you can find the chronicle of our colleagues José Antonio Osaba and Conchi Quintana at the International Seminar: The Role of Family Farming in the construction of Sustainable Development.
Today, 21st June, it was the day for Family Farming and the 2014 IYFF, holding a side event of four hours (9 a13), with an average of 400 people, organized by CONTAG with support of AFA and the World Rural Forum.
In the first panel, participated the Director General of FAO Graziano da Silva, Carlos Sere, senior member of IFAD, the Minister of Agrarian Development of Brazil, Pepe Vargas, the Minister of Cooperation, etc..
On behalf of farmers’ organizations, Esther Penunia, AFA, Asia, Alessandra Lunas da Costa and Alberto Broch of CONTAG-COPROFAM, Latin America, shared the first round table with them.
The second panel, very moving and convincing, had the participation of peasant leaders as Carlos Leon CIOEC, Bolivia, Lorenzo Ramos, Secretary General of UPA, Spain, Uon Sophal, President of AFA, Cambodia, Ibrahim Coulibaly, Mali, Vice-President of ROPPA, West Africa, and Simon Ticehurst, Head of Oxfam in Brazil.
They brought huge applause.
Many large organizations have offered their support to the preparation of AIAF 2014, the seminar has created a dynamic of trust between the four continents, and we advance through the strength of unity.
RIO +20 official events may have defrauded many of our expectations, but the events of RIO +20 of the people, women and men farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists and indigenous communities, are more determined and committed than ever to demand the right to land, sea, forests, water.
It will not be easy to stop as many convictions sustained by the force of historical reason.
This is where our hope lies now.
