We Build Food Sovereignty to Ensure a Future for Humanity
In early December 2023, as part of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC), Mollie Wills of Rural Vermont took part in the 8th International Conference of La Via Campesina (LVC), in Bogota, Colombia, joining 185 member other organizations from 83 countries. La Via Campesina, often referred to as the world’s largest social movement representing over 200 million farmers, peasant, fisherfolk, pastoralists, and other food providers, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022, and continues to be the preeminent political organization for rural communities globally. Mollie joined Jordan Treakle of NFFC and other North American-based delegates from allied organizations Family Farm Defenders, Farmworker Association of Florida, Union Paysanne, and the National Farmers Union of Canada. The key message resonating throughout the conference from the more than 400 delegates affirmed that :
“We, the peasants, rural workers, landless, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, artisanal fisherfolk, forest dwellers, rural women, youth and diversities and other peoples who work in the countryside around the world and united within La Via Campesina, declare that “Faced with global crises, we build food sovereignty to ensure a future for humanity!”