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| Key issues, such as global warming, trouble in the Middle East, trade conflicts, and cancer are linked to how we grow, process, market, consume, and dispose of food. And the impacts are global. Converting land in Mexico that once grew food for local consumption into megafarms for vegetable exports affects the ecological and the social conditions around the planet. |
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The International Forum on Food and Agriculture (IFA) was created to address these global concerns and to articulate the full range of consequences of the rapid global conversion to industrial agriculture, to develop international cooperative strategies to counter this dangerous trend, and to clearly articulate successful alternative models.
The IFA has issued a preliminary publication that consists of articles that dispute key popular arguments used to promote an industrial agricultural model. A more comprehensive publication on these subjects is planned to be released this year. |
| The IFA is a free-standing organization within the International Forum on Globalization(IFG). It is guided by a steering committee, chaired by Vandana Shiva, Director of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology.
From June 6 - 10, 1998, the IFA held its inaugural strategy meeting in Vancouver, BC. This session in Vancouver brought together 54 people from five continents (12 countries) including organizers from various farmer and peasant movements, academia, researchers, NGO leaders, and owners of food processing and distribution firms. Participants at the Vancouver meeting wrote a statement to express the group's opinion on the negative impacts of the industrialization and globalization of agriculture.
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| The second IFA meeting was held February 4-7, 1999, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and was attended by over 70 activists, organizers, researchers, academics and NGO leaders from 17 countries. Participants discussed the current global crisis in agriculture; how trade agreements affect agriculture and the environment; food safety issues; and ways to challenge industrial agriculture. Another important aspect of this meeting was the dialogue and educational exchange sessions between IFA members and over 30 Mexicans representing leading farmer and peasant groups. The Mexican farmers explained the devastating effects that the North American Free Trade Agreement was has had on farmers and their communities.
Strategic sessions to coordinate anti-biotech campaigns were also held at this meeting. Participants drafted a Consensus document to recommend specific reforms to reverse the negative effects of trade and investment rules and policies that work against food security, family farmers, the environment, human rights and democracy. Read the Cuernavaca Consensus, and send us your endorsement! |
For more information:
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The International Forum on Globalization Tel.: 415.561.7650 |