International Federation of Agricultural Producers

Picture- Jack Wilkinson, President IFAP

This article deserves wider circulation so I am re-printing it here.

What if farmers said 'enough?'

OWEN ROBERTS
(Jun 26, 2006)

I don't think farmers scored points with consumers when they tried shutting down food terminals earlier this year, out of frustration against low prices. I'm pretty sure the corridors of power in Ottawa were spitting mad at them, too, and that anger spilled over onto the editorial pages of the capitol's main daily newspaper, whose editorial writers bitterly denounced the protesters as "anarchists on tractors."

But that seemingly radical activity may be a harbinger of things to come. And it all relates to the re-election last month of Canadian Jack Wilkinson to the presidency of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers.

Wilkinson, who spoke recently at the University of Guelph's Make Poverty History symposium, is the former president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

His 'three-peat' re-election at the federation's annual meeting in Seoul, Korea, was unprecedented. He's the first president to serve more than two terms. And he's been the driving force behind the federation adopting a World Farmers' Charter, a 10-point manifesto the federation says farmers want recognized universally, not by other farmers, but by those who make decisions influencing farmers.

For example, its first fundamental principle is the recognition of the importance of agriculture and the central role of farmers. That's followed by the need to recognize farmers' organizations as essential partners. Then comes the importance of farmers to earn a fair income, along with equal treatment for rural and urban communities, and support for women farmers.

The charter's brilliant, actually, in its simplicity and universality. As such, it has the makings of a rallying manifesto for farmers everywhere. It gives them a philosophical foundation, something to point to and say here's what we believe in.

The charter can also be instrumental in global negotiations, such as at the World Trade Organization, where decisions are made that profoundly affect farmers. Individual countries have represented their farmers at these negotiations, but that's not what Wilkinson and company think is best for farmers. The federation claims it's been dismissed from being a voice for farmers at such negotiations, because it doesn't officially represent a nation.

But consider the numbers. The federation lays claim to representing 600 million farm families belonging to 115 farm organizations in 80 countries, including Canada -- through the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, which includes the Guelph-based Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

That's as broad a reach as it gets.

And brace yourself if these farmers collectively decide to follow the 10-point charter. They have a lot of buying and selling power, and they list fair and equitable rules for agricultural trade as one of their fundamental principles. They're intrinsically connected to most of our bare necessities, particularly food and water, and increasingly, energy, through the production of biofuels.

Wilkinson is making it very clear farmers want a bigger voice. When the world charter was released in Seoul, he said farmers from all over the world are calling on national governments, donor agencies, international institutions and other stakeholders to join them in recognizing its fundamental principles. He asked that everyone work together to implement these principles, "in a spirit of solidarity."

Does that sound like farmers talking?

To me, it sounds like organized labour. So does the sound of tractor engines, as farmers slow down traffic around Queen's Park and along the busy 401. So does the growing appearance of 'Farmers Feed Cities' signs everywhere. And so do very public actions such as shutting down food terminals.

All this stemmed from farmers being fed up, believing their voices weren't being heard. At Seoul, Wilkinson said that must change. One of the main reasons the federation was formed in the first place was to help farmers learn from each other, to address chronic pressing issues such as world hunger. As Wilkinson notes, things are tough for farmers, but globally, 1.2 billion people in the world still live on less than a dollar a day, and 800 million people -- some of whom are farmers -- still go to bed malnourished.

If being organized helps farmers fix this matter, more power to them. They cannot feed the world if they're going broke. And Wilkinson's ready to drive that message home, absolutely everywhere, with the charter behind him.

Owen Roberts teaches agricultural communications at the University of Guelph.