West African farmers and citizens are called upon to unite and jointly defend food sovereignty in the region

A few days ago we received the following communication:

The regional forum on food sovereignty organised by ROPPA (Network of farmers organisations and agricultural producers – Réseau des organisations paysannes et producteurs agricoles) will take place in Niamey, Nigeria, November 7-10 2006.

The terms of reference of the forum can be found on the Internet and read as follows:

3.2. Purpose of the Forum

To make the major private and public interest groups come to a common understanding on the issue of food sovereignty and work out proposals on measures and strategies to promote and defend food sovereignty in West Africa.

This regional forum on food sovereignty will be a success, insofar as it enables West African farmers to find allies among the urban population. Indeed, at the last World Social Forum in Bamako, it was obvious that the farmers in the Sub-Saharan countries were already convinced of the need to promote food sovereignty, in order to ensure a future for the region.

It is however difficult to see how farmers could manage this task single-handedly. They need to find supporters among the townspeople. In our view this is possible. In fact the move in this direction has already begun. In writing these lines, I am thinking specifically of the students in Ouagadougou, who turned out in great numbers in November 2005 (in preparation of the ministerial WTO Conference in Hong Kong). They organised debates on the subject of food sovereignty as well as on campus projections of the film “Africa in Danger”.

This issue, I believe, is above all a matter of dignity and common sense. Let us take the example of Burkina Faso. All industrial products in the country (paper, ink, pencils … motorcycles, cars, computers, cameras…) are imported. The currency comes from abroad as well: the CFA franc is just a Euro in disguise! When on top of it all the food in Burkina Faso is also imported (into a nation where 80% of the population are farmers and livestock herders), can anyone reasonably yet speak of sovereignty or independence?!

It is for these reasons that I find it urgent to co-ordinate our actions and seek out allies in towns and cities, in the first place among trade unions and consumer associations. A petition, circulated in 2005 on fair trade and food sovereignty stated: “We refuse to be the waste dump of the world.” As news of the toxic waste discharged in Abidjan has unfolded, it is no longer necessary to demonstrate the relevance of that statement. The moment is therefore right to find additional forms of co-operation. Farmers and citizens are called upon to join hands in setting up new alliances.

Koudougou, September 15 2006
Maurice Oudet
Director, SEDELAN