As farmers we grow the food, medicine, fibres, fuel, some forestry bits, and much more that allows the majority of human civilization to live. We farm so we can ultimately live enjoyable lives and so that people who choose not to farm can enjoy meals, take care of their health, wear clothes, heat their homes, and live. Pretty important role, eh? As we take on the creative, joyful, and challenging role of facilitating Mother Nature to grow certain plants, many social aspects (e.g., policies, community norms, power dynamics, etc.) impact our lives. Some of these social aspects are fantastic and some are devastating (there's plenty of room for improvement).
We--Floreren Farm--are a member of the National Farmers' Union (which is one of three farmer organizations in Ontario). The National Farmers Union is made up of us, the farmers, and we advocate on our behalf for the rights of farmers. We continue to learn and respect how intertwined our efforts are with people who work the land around the world. In order to advocate on behalf of all of our rights we need to be informed by their diverse voices. The National Farmers Union is a founding member of La Via Campesina, which is a "movement of 200 million peasants, small and medium-size farmers, landless people, rural women and youth, Indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers from around the world." and this is one source through which we base our actions.
If you care about community seed rights, workers' rights (including migrant workers), stopping land grabbing and working with the land sustainably, Indigenous solidarity and more, please read what the NFU is already doing and how you can become a member/supporter.
These are topics that we and many more farmers care about. However, in Canada farmers are around 2% of the population. We need our supporters and our communities to know about and care about these issues that impact all of us (especially those of us who work so closely with the land).
Today, April 17, 2019, " La Via Campesina... commemorates the massacre of landless peasants in Eldorado dos Carajás, Brazil in 1996. The peasants were slaughtered while struggling for agrarian and land reform and were part of Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement. This year, the International Day for Peasant Struggle is marked by new hope in the form of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP)"
Read the full article here: https://viacampesina.org/en/17-april-national-farmers-union-canada-stand-in-solidarity-with-our-brothers-and-sisters-globally/?fbclid=IwAR3WQSnwdfm3UkGAyFKv1gykXp2YeUKIPRn8gD7y2zGjkv7VIdNYiEL8ucw
You can support by:
- Become informed by reading the article (link above) and writing, messaging, calling your MP about taking action on UNDROP
- Becoming a member of the National Farmers Union
- Support your local farmers who are farming for community in ways that strive for sustainability and regeneration
- Taking steps to stop climate change on global, local, and personal levels
- Sharing this with your email lists, social media, blogs, and talking about it with family and friends.
Thank you for your continued support. We 2% need ya :)
