Women creating food sovereignty
Women organisations from Pakistan, Colombia, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinnea showed case studies of how their food sovereignty and livelihoods are being destroyed by commercial logging, mining and industrial agriculture activities, and how women are resisting.
12.07.2012 | WECF News
Women organisations from Pakistan, Colombia, South Africa and Papua New Guinnea showed case studies of how their food sovereignty and livelihoods are being destroyed by commercial logging, mining and industrial agriculture activities, and how women's organisations are resisting.
The case study from Pakistan showed how civil society organisations had successfully banned use of Monsanto GMOs from one of the main agricultural provinces, but also the difficulty of having women lead campaigns which attract much press and media attention, some of the women's leaders were forced by their families to stop their engagement after their photos had been published in newspapers.
Photo: Azra Sayeed of the NGO "Roots for Equity" Pakistan discussing with participants after the side event on "Women creating Food Sovereignty" at Rio+20 on 22nd of June 2012
The case study from Papua New Guinnea showed how women's lack of official ownership of land and forests which they cultivate for food, is leading to loss of livelihoods as more and more commercial companies are striking deals with the men in their communities to purchase their resources.
The Rural Women's Organisation from the Republic of Guinnee, Africa, presented how despite successful actions to stop use of GMOs in their own country, lack of awareness in neighbouring countries was leading to pollution of their food crops, and why they have created a West African network of women development organisations called "we are the solution" to advocate against imports of GMOs including against GMO promotion by large US funds such as the Gates Foundation.
Other case studies from Africa and India were presented and discussed with the participants.
Photo: DAWN representative of Papua New Guinnea presenting how commercial logging and lack of women's land rights are destroying livelihoods during the "Women creating Food Sovereignty" side event at Rio+20 on 22nd of June 2012
Contact: coordinator@dawn.net, isis.alvarez@globalforestcoalition.org, wecf@wecf.eu
Download: Programme of the Side Event
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