International Roundtable of Food Sector Trade Unions and Farmers Organizations
June 14, 2006
This international roundtable brought together leaders of U.S–based food sector trade unions and peasant farmer organizations from Mexico, India, Brazil, France, Canada and the US. Participants reported on the work, goals and priorities of their respective organizations, focusing on specific campaigns and initiatives. Possibilities for future dialogue and collaboration were explored.
The first session featured presentations from the farmer leaders Josie Riffaud from the French Confederation Paysanne, Prajwala Anand Tatte from Maharashtra in India’s cotton-growing belt, Alberto Gomez of UNORCA in Mexico, Martina Unterberger of the Movimento dos sem Terra (Landless People’s Movement) in Brazil and George Naylor from the US. The farmer leaders articulated the main aspects of the “food sovereignty” perspective as an alternative to the present agro-industrial model and stressed that the present global agricultural system is unsustainable, and is making a massive contribution to environmental degradation through the use of pesticides, veterinary products and fertilizers.
During the second session, labor representatives Erik Nicholson addressed the tensions between farmers and unions. Unions and farmers had no choice, he said, but to work together to ensure fair prices for crops. Tim Beatty, representing the Teamsters Union, welcomed the comments of the farmers around food sovereignty. This concept challenged the idea, accepted by many unions, that the agro-industrial model is here to stay and that unions must operate within this system. Other union representatives discussed several campaigns and initiatives involving food producers and retailers including the Mount Olive Pickle, Wal-Mart and Smithfield campaigns.
In the final session, the group discussed some next steps for farmer-worker collaboration.
