Friends of the Earth: Campaigns: Global Trade: Press for change: Time for food sovereignty

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Time for food sovereignty

Food sovereignty is the right for people to decide their own food and agricultural policies.

It’s their right to protect and regulate agricultural production and trade that puts the needs of people and the environment before those of agri-business.

In whose hands? Food sovereignty - putting people and planet before profit
Food sovereignty - putting people and planet before profit

The UK Government and its EU partners have been pushing trade policies that severely undermine food sovereignty for communities around the world.

Current proposals at the WTO and other bilateral trade deals such as EPAs (PDF†) will force family farmers into competition with European companies.

This would destroy the livelihoods of millions of poor farmers worldwide.

The UK Government needs to use its influence within the EU to:

Stop unfair trade deals
Develop pro-development and pro-environment trade alternatives
Allow developing countries to develop their own policies on food and agriculture.

Write to the following Secretaries of State:

Hilary Benn - DEFRA
Douglas Alexander - DFID

Tell them that the UK Government needs to act in Europe to make changes to the trade system.

Press for change

Dear Ministers,

Suggested letter below (but you may alter it)
I am writing to urge you to pledge your support for food sovereignty. Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to define their own food and agricultural policies – to protect and regulate agricultural production and trade for sustainable development objectives. While this seems like a common sense demand, the UK Government and your EU partners have been pushing trade policies that severely undermine food sovereignty for communities around the world. The current proposals at the WTO and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are set to force poor countries’ family farmers into direct and unfair competition with European agribusinesses and their heavily subsidised agricultural products. This would destroy the livelihoods of millions of poor farmers worldwide. In order to live up to promises made to promote sustainable development, the UK Government should use its full influence within the EU to: - Stop unfair trade deals that force open agricultural sectors in developing countries - Actively develop pro-development alternatives to current trade proposals at the WTO and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - Allow developing countries policy space to decide their own food and agricultural policies I look forward to your reply. Copies of this letter have been sent to: - Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for International Development

Yours sincerely,

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Menu: Aug 2007
Content: Jun 2007