SADC People’s Summit, 15 August 2014, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Rural Women’s Assembly and Via Campesina (Agriculture Cluster) Summary of Demands to the SADC Heads of States: Rural women in Africa are the main producers of food, yet their contribution remains invisible. They are the most marginalised in terms of access to land and secure tenure, natural resources, political rights. Patriachal relationships continue to prevail, making rural women vulnerable and subjected to violence. Africans have the capacity to feed themselves. We reject the notion that we require externally driven false solutions such as the Green Revolution in Agriculture and Climate Smart Agriculture. Our key Demands as women farmers and indeed on behalf of small-scale farmers and peasants are as follows: 1. All African governments should allocate 10% of the national budgets to agriculture now. 2. Governments tend to consult larger commercial famers and agri- business in policy making and exclude small scale famers. Governments should consult small scale famers before making policies.Nothing for small scale farmers without them! 3. Women must have rights to land and security of tenure in their own right. 4. We need our organic products, indigenous seeds, indigenous knowledge and sovereignty to be protected by law as these are currently being threatened by large scale agri-businesses such as Monsanto and Syngenta who are promoting GMOs. 5. Governments should not dictate prices for the produce from small scale farmers. 6. Our African governments should stop buying small scale farmers produce on credit. We want cash on delivery. 7. Access to water is a human right. African governments should ensure that there is adequate water for every citizen. 8.Small scale farmers must have access to finance, other inputs and subsidize similar to those being granted to European and American farmers. 9. We demand Infrastructure development for the improvement of our communities and livelihoods. 10. An end to the grabbing of Land, Water and Other Natural Resources by Multinational companies supported by our government in the name of promoting foreign direct investments. Thank you.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 09:59:12 +0000
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