We’re All in this Together

[This is a final report by George Naylor, President of the National Family Farm Coalition from the Via Campesina’s International Forum on Agrofuels and Food Sovereignty, August 30-31, 2007 in Mexico City. –Ed.]

Would it seem strange to you if your country had become dependent on food imports, but your government starts promoting the idea that the agricultural system needs to produce agrofuel, too?

How about if 3.5 million of your fellow citizens migrated out of the country since 2000, many because they could no longer make a living on the farm?

Mexico imports one-third of its grain, 95% of its soy meal, 80% of its rice, 33% of its dry beans, 40% of its beef and pork, and has become the world’s largest importer of milk.

This all not only seems strange to the farmers at this forum, but it makes them angry and they intend to do something about it.

They passed a closing resolution pledging to disseminate all the new information about this issue, to defend their land, seeds, and collective rights of their people in their territories.

They emphasized their opposition to the introduction of transgenic corn and trees, which are now promoted to being essential to agrofuel production.

I’ve learned so much from his whole conference and hope I can bring back the kind of “energy” exibited by these Mexican farmers to regain control of our food and farm system.

We’re all in this together.

–George Naylor