As of 31 January 2021, a total of 153 organizations from 31 countries and seven advocates have supported this sign-on statement.
This was sent to concerned UN offices such as the Committee on World Food Security and officials including
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri.
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We, civil society organizations, grassroots groups, and advocates for the welfare of marginalized sectors, call for the revocation of the 2019 Strategic Partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its implications for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We express our grave concerns with regard to the WEF’s opportunism in attempting to influence the processes and outcome of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit (FSS) through this partnership. The WEF – an organized global platform in which the world’s corporate giants, plutocrats and heads of states converge to promote the corporate agenda in the guise of “improving the state of the world” – aims to cement its dictate through the recalibration of our food systems and agriculture. By positioning themselves as indispensable actors in accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, they are, in reality, attempting to further their own interests in amassing super-profits. A clear indication of this is their financing of the 2030 Agenda as the first area of focus specified in the UN-WEF strategic partnership framework and the appointment of an agribusiness representative as the Special Envoy for the Summit.
We reject this corporate hijacking of the 2021 FSS. The WEF will exploit the Summit to streamline neoliberal globalization, which it has espoused for the past 50 years. It is the perfect venue to push for the role of “Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies” to transform food systems, which the WEF has been championing since 2017. A corporate-led FSS would be a great advantage to the political elites and corporate billionaires, enabling them to pose hypocritically as responsible entities that promote healthier diets and climate action.
We therefore, urge the UN to rescind the involvement of the WEF in the FSS. We recognize the Summit’s potential for decisively addressing the structural issues hounding our food systems and agriculture, but the change we envision is impossible to achieve so long as the WEF is involved. It would mean that global inequality and corporate monopoly would be sidetracked rather than confronted as the root causes of perennial hunger, malnutrition and extreme poverty in the world.
Lastly, we appeal for inclusivity. The sidelined and marginalized sectors in society – the poor farmers, workers, Indigenous Peoples, herders, pastoralists, fisherfolks, urban poor, women, Dalits, and youth – should replace these corporate moguls in shaping the Summit’s proceedings and reforms. Their demands, interests, and welfare should set the tone and direction of the Summit’s declarations. People’s rights should take center stage in the 2021 UN FSS.
For a truly inclusive transformation of food systems! ###
Signatories (this list is regularly updated):
Global/International
- People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS)
- Youth for Food Sovereignty
- IBON International
- International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL)
- Dayak International Organization
- Global Forest Coalition
- International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth (MIJARC)
- Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations
Regional
- Asian Peasant Coalition
- Asia Pacific Research Network
- Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, WANA
- Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, WANA
- PAN Asia Pacific
- PCFS Europe
- Eastern & Southern Africa Farmers’ Forum
National:
- Agencia de Desarrollo Local Nariño, Colombia
- Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA), Indonesia
- Alin Ein Development, Myanmar
- All Bangla Fishermen’s Association, Bangladesh
- All Nepal Agriculture Workers’ Association
- All Nepal Agro-Forest Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Bee-Keeping Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Cardamom Producer Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Cereal Producer Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Coffee Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Dairy Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Dalit and Landless Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Fish Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Fruit Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Ginger-Turmeric Producer Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Herb Producer Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Irrigation-Water Users’ Association
- All Nepal Livestock Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Mushroom Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Nursery and Floriculture Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Nut Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Peasants’ Federation
- All Nepal Potato Producer Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Poultry Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Rubber Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Spice Producers Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Sugarcane Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Tea Producer Peasants’ Association
- All Nepal Vegetable Farmers’ Association
- All Nepal Women Peasants’ Association
- Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women, Philippines
- Andra Pradesh Agricultural Workers Union (APVVU), India
- Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation
- Bangladesh Krishok Federation
- Bangladesh Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge
- Cambodia’s Independent Civic-Servant Association
- Campaign for Peace and Democracy, Manipur
- Centre for Human Rights & Development, Mongolia
- Chama District Women’s Development Association, Zambia
- Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Communities, Cambodia
- Communities for Alternative Food Ecosystems Initiative (CAFEi), Philippines
- Community Medicine Development Foundation, Philippines
- Confederación Agrosolidaria Colombia
- Council for People’s Development and Governance, Philippines
- Ducho Nutrition Services, Nigeria
- Equipo Comunitario de Ladera por la Promocion de la Vida y la Salud, Colombia
- Farmer Affairs Network, Burma
- Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal
- Federation of Kirant Indigenous Associations Nepal
- Food Coalition of Mongolia
- Food Security Network (Khani), Bangladesh
- Front Mahasiswa Nasional, Indonesia
- Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform, Palestine
- Global Institute for Youth Development, Philippines
- Global Justice Ecology Project, USA
- Gwanda Community Economic Justice Development Trust, Zimbabwe
- Institute for National and Democracy Studies, Indonesia
- Institute for Sustainable Development Strategy, Kyrgyztan
- Instituto Politécnico Tomás Katari, Bolivia
- Janawaboda Kendraya, Sri Lanka
- Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum
- Kerala Agricultural Workers Union (KVVU), India
- Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Philippines
- Labour Resource Center, Bangladesh
- Land Research Center, Palestine
- Magsasaka at Siyentipiko sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura, Philippines
- Metta Development Foundation, Myanmar
- Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc., Philippines
- Moningolig Pogun Tokou, Sabah
- Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform, Sri Lanka
- National Agricultural Workers Forum, India
- Nasyat Network for Biocultural Diversity, Kyrgyztan
- National Alliance of Social Security, India
- National Centre for Labour, India
- National Federation of Sugar Workers, Philippines
- National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, Sri Lanka
- National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates – Youth, Philippines
- National Women Farmers & Workers Association, Bangladesh
- N’gombe Na Mahindi campaign (N’goma campaign), Kenya
- Oasis Environmental Management and Healthy Watch, Zambia
- Participatory Research Action Network, Bangladesh
- Pemuda Baru, Indonesia
- Peoples Culture Collective, Sri Lanka
- Ponlok Khmer, Cambodia
- Public Eye, Switzerland
- Rainbow Homes Program-ARUN, India
- Real Food Systems, Nepal
- Resistance and Alternatives to Globalization, Indonesia
- Rural Women’s Assembly, Namibia
- Serikat Perempuan, Indonesia
- Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya, Philippines
- Society for Rural Education and Development, India
- Society for Wetland Biodiversity Conservation Nepal
- Sojhla for Social Change, Pakistan
- Struggle to Economize Future Environment, Cameroon
- Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment, Uganda
- Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum, India
- Tenaganita (Women’s Force), Malaysia
- Tengala Agricultural Workers Union (TVVU), India
- Unión Latinoamericana de Técnicos Rurales y Agrarios, Argentina
- Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura, Philippines
- Vikalpani Women’s Federation, Sri Lanka
- Visura Youth Media Team, Sri Lanka
- Witness Radio Organisation, Uganda
- Youth for Change Initiative, Nigeria
- Youth Peasants’ Organisation, Nepal
- Zambia Social Forum, Zambia
Local:
- AGRA City of Kupang, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of Banten, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of Central Java, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of East Java, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of Lampung, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of Riau, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of South Sulawesi, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of West Java, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of West Kalimantan, Indonesia
- AGRA Province of West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Bandung, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Bulukumba, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Buol, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Central Lombok, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Donggala, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of East Lombok, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Garut, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Kandis, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Mesuji, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Ogan Komeling Ilir, Indonesia
- AGRA Regency of Sigi, Indonesia
- Cebu Farmers Market, Philippines
- Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera, Philippines
- Central Visayas Farmers Development Center, Philippines
- Community Health Education, Services, and Training in the Cordillera Region, Philippines
- Health, Education and Services for the Less Privileged (HELP)-Panay, Inc., Philippines
- Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan, Philippines
- Samahan ng mga Magbubukid ng Batangas, Philippines
- Visayas Primary Healthcare Services, Inc., Philippines
Individuals
- Julie Ward, co-chairperson of Urban Economy Forum & former member of the European Parliament, UK
- Narasimha Reddy Donthi, public policy expert, India
- Hellen Yego, farmer-leader, Kenya
- Ang Cheatlom, development consultant on land and forest issues and on rights of Indigenous and local communities, Cambodia
- Juana Vera Delgado, agricultural engineer and expert on sustainable rural development and gender, Netherlands
- Biswa Mohan, independent development practitioner, India
- Ruth Kruger, independent researcher working in sustainability science and energy justice, South Africa