Declaration
 of
 Rights
 of 
Peasants
 ‐ 
Women
 and
 Men


La Via Campesina Peasants of the World need an International Convention on the Rights of Peasants

I. Introduction

Almost half of the people in the world are peasants. Even in the high‐tech world, people eat food produced by peasants. Small‐scale agriculture is not just an economic activity; it means life for many people. The security of the population depends on the well‐being of peasants and sustainable agriculture. To protect human life it is important to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of the peasants. In reality, the ongoing violations of peasants’ rights threaten human life.

II. Violations of Peasants’ Rights

Million of peasants have been forced to leave their farmland because of land grabs facilitated by national policies and/or the military.  Land is taken away from peasants for the development of large industrial or infrastructure projects,  extracting industries like mining, tourist resorts, special economic zones, supermarkets and plantations for cash crops.  As a result,  land is increasingly concentrated in a few hands.

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http://viacampesina.net/downloads/PDF/EN-3.pdf