Friday, December 22, 2017
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
August 8, 2017
Press Statement
Asia
farmers‘ network resound strong call to Stop Golden Rice!
Stop Golden Rice! Defend our Farmers‘ Rights! remains the
resounding call of Asia farmers‘ network against the impending
commercialization of Golden Rice in Asia. Four
years after the militant uprooting of Golden Rice, waves of protest
mobilizations stirs anew in the Philippines and Bangladesh against its
commercialization, while debate rages on in Indonesia, India and other Asian
countries where Golden Rice is planned for commercial release.
Today, a protest campaign in
front of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) was held by hundreds of
farmers and civil society supporters led by the National
Women Farmers and Workers Association (NWFA) and Bangladesh Agricultural Farm
Labour Federation (BAFLF). A public forum on GMOs and
Golden Rice was also held by NWFA and BAFLF few days back last August 4-5 in
Gazipur to bring the public issue to the fore.
Nasrin Sultana of NWFA explained that “Since 2006, we have consistently protested
and even formed a barricade in BRRI against Golden Rice. We denounce the
government approval of Golden Rice commercialization. The public must be alarmed with the great risks of Golden
Rice consumption to food safety and public health. Golden rice
commercialization equates to billions worth of annual corporate profit in
expanse of consumers’ health and farmers’ seed freedom. This cannot be
allowed”.
The Golden Rice debate is marred by conflicts
and controversy. After decades of
research, the efficacy, safety and viability of Golden Rice remains uncertain
and pose grave threat to food safety and consumers’ health. It is within this
ground that government of China and academic journal publishers sanctioned and
retracted the research work of scientists who engaged in unethical feeding of
Golden Rice to children whose families were not informed that they were being
fed Golden Rice last 2012. To date, there are no published reports proving that
Golden Rice is safe for human consumption. Add to this the recent published
study stating that Golden Rice is unfit for commercial cultivation due to poor
agronomic performance leading to low yield.
Aliansi
Gerakan Reform Agrari (AGRA), a national peasant federation in Indonesia in
statement expressed that “Indonesia, as
with the whole region, is also threatened by the growing corporate control over
agriculture and consequent erosion of traditional seed resources. The
government promotes GMOs and 80-90% of our soybeans and corn imports are GMOs. The
Indonesia National Food Policy proclaimed to boost volume of food production,
mainly rice production with the application of genetic engineering of 19 food crops,
primarily rice, corn, sorghum, and soybean. Golden Rice will be an eventual
real threat to our farmers, making it an imperative for us to campaign and
support the Asia wide campaign against Golden Rice commercialization”
India host two-thirds of the world’s rice
varieties. Campaigns in India have gained momentum against genetically
engineered rice, including the Save our Rice network, the Folk Rice Movement
and the Seed Mothers movement; all working to conserve and salvage thousands of
traditional and indigenous seed varieties which would have otherwise been
eroded by the onslaught of hybrid technology and conventional chemical inputs
in the past decades. Recent news on the establishment of IRRI's South Asia's
Regional Centre in city of Varanasi in the last quarter of 2017 have raised
alarm as it may serve as a pretext to the government’s aggressive move to
commercialize genetically engineered rice. The bitter tragedy hundred thousands of
farmers succumbing to suicide in the past decade is linked with debt chains
acquired from the seed monopoly of Monsanto thru BT Cotton in the cotton belt
region remain to haunt the country.
In Philippines, the Golden Rice issue was
stirred anew with the renewed application for field trial and direct use last
February 2017 despite the absence of public dialogue. To commemorate the
historic uprooting and protest action against golden rice last August 8, 2013,
hundreds of farmers will gather to hold a public forum in Nueva Ecija in
Central Luzon, the rice granary of the country where Philippine Rice Research
Insitute (PhilRICE) Golden Rice experimental fields are located. A civil
society roundtable discussion on August 10 and a public dialogue between
government and civil society will also be on August 11 within the national
capital to re-echo public opposition against Golden Rice.
“Golden Rice is a greedy scientific enterprise of IRRI and
corporations masked as humanitarian aid. It deviates from the real solution to
malnutrition which is to fight poverty, uphold genuine agrarian reform and
promote diverse nutritious, natural and easily accessible food sources. Its ultimate interest is to
secure top profit arena and monopoly control of global food system
since billions rely, produce and consume rice. The looming Golden Rice
commercialization anchored on neoliberal market will flood the region with
massive and unregulated trade of GM rice. This spells doom to our country where
the quantitative restriction on rice importation will soon be lifted. Golden
rice is a death reaper to our local local rice sector as traditional rice
varieties will be vulnerable to GMO contamination. Stop Golden Rice! is a call
to defend life and freedom against this oppressive claws of corporate control” stated by Cristino Panerio,
National Coordinator of the Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng
Agrikultura (MASIPAG), a local farmer-scientist movement in the forefront of
campaigns against golden rice commercialization in the past decade.
Since its inception in 2001, Syngenta
(currently merged with ChemChina), Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation among others have poured millions of funds thru the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the research and promotion of
Golden Rice, a genetically engineered rice touted to address Vitamin A
deficiency. But, strong and consistent peoples’ protests in the past decades
impeded its planned commercialization particularly in Bangladesh, Philippines
and India.
In August 8, 2013, more than 400 farmers led
the historic uprooting of Golden Rice experimental fields at Pili, Camarines
Sur to signal strong opposition to Golden rice trials and commercialization.
Corporate proponents thru their media mouthpieces, such as Mark Lynas ang
Patrick Moore, vilified the farmers’ direct action. The peasant movement in the
Philippines, however, reiterated their dissent against Golden Rice as a
legitimate conviction to defend rights against corporate control of agriculture
thru GMOs.
An Asia Farmers’ Conference against Golden
Rice was subsequently held in 2014 with more than 70 farmers, people’s
organizations from the region echoing their stand against Golden Rice. The
campaigns proved successful as it triggered broader public attention,
institutional debate and exposed the deceitful corporate claims on the Golden
Rice issue in the national and international arena – ultimately leading to
postponement of its commercialization.###
Established
in 2014 and reconvened this 2017, the Stop Golden Rice! Network is a regional
campaign collaboration of more than 30 organizations in South Asia and South
East Asia. It works against the commercialization of Golden Rice and other
forms of genetically modified crops, towards a society with equity, food
sovereignty, sustainable and ecology-based agriculture. This is joint statement
of its lead convening
organizations and networks.
For more details
please contact:
Ms Ana Christina Bibal
Project Coordinator
STOP GOLDEN RICE! Network
STOP GOLDEN RICE! Network members:
RESIST! Agri-TNCs Network- Philippines, MASIPAG
(Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura), KMP (Kilusang
Mangbubukid ng Pilipinas), PNSFP (Philippine Network for Food Security
Programs), SIBAT (Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya), HEAD (Health action for
Democracy), PAN Phils (Pesticide Action Network-Phils, TFIP (Philippine Task
Force for Indigenous Peoples Rights), CENDI (Community Entrepreneur Development
Institute), SRD (Center for Sustainable Rural Development), Vietnam, SPFT
(Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand), AGRA (Alliance of Agrarian Reform
Movement), SERUNI National Women’s Alliance, Indonesia, NWFA (National Women
Farmers and Workers Association), BAFLF (Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour
Federation), SHISUK (Shikha Shastha Unnayan Karzakram), Bangladesh, APVUU
(Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union), ORRISSA (Organization for Rural
Reconstruction and Integrated Social Services Activities), CREATE, India THANAL,
India, Save Our Rice Network, India, PAN-INDIA (Pesticide Action
Network-India), India, GRAIN, PAN-AP (Pesticide Action Network-Asia Pacific), APC
(Asian Peasants Coalition), Consumers Union of Japan, Women’s Development
Federation WELIGEPOLA, MONLAR, Sri Lanka
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
News Release
1st
May 2017
Workers of the world, unite!
Farmers and agriculture
workers on Labour Day to demand permanent job, living wage, safe work place and
right to organize.
National Women Farmers and
Workers Association (NWFA) and Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation
(BAFLF) observed International Labour Day demanding exploitation free society
by upholding workers’ rights. To mark
the International Labour Day, a colorful rally was brought out from Gazipur
Chourasta returning back from in
front of Gazipur D.C. office and ended at BARI headquarters and then a short discussion meeting was held there.
Agriculture workers, women and small farmers joint the rallies to press their
demands. Among others Rima Akter, Suprovat Rojario, Norjahan Begum of NWFA,
Abdul Mazid, Lahaj Uddin Lahun, Abdul Latif, Md. Mamun and Md Rahimuddin of
BAFLF spoke on the occasion.
Abdul Mazid, General Secretary of BAFLF, said ‘workers toil factories,
farm and homes and they are the biggest part of our economy but, unfortunately,
workers are exploited and deprived from the rights that are theirs by law.
Workers in different sectors are still struggling for the right to unionise,
safe work place, living wage, job security and health service’. He urged govt.
to make workers’ rights a priority and take measures to stop workers’
harassment and illegal termination, to abolish precarious work.
On behalf of NWFA &
BAFLF, flowing demands are placed from the meeting:
1.
Permanent employment with retirement benefit
2.
Maximum eight hours working time at all
places and paid weekly holidays
3.
Equal opportunity and fair wages for women
workers
4.
Paid six months paid maternity leave
5.
Ensuring living wage and safe and secured
work place
6.
Permanent wage commission for all workers
including informal sector workers
. Trade union rights
for all 
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
‘World Water Day 2017’
Access to water and sanitation
facilities for small farmers, agriculture workers and rural women.
Climate
change, urbanization with growing population are associated effect on the
quality and supply to pre urban and rural communities where water resources are
stressed and surface pollution from toxic metal, organic materials and other
pollutants is widespread.
Naturally
occurring arsenic in shallow groundwater threatens the health of millions of
people. This is particularly problematic for rural people specially women and
working poor communities as arsenic contamination mainly exists outside of the
cities.
High
salinity in surface and ground water have become a major problem in Bangladesh Here
the groundwater levels continue to decline at a rate of up to 9 feet per year.
People in the saline-prone area have been facing the crisis of drinking water
for the years. Saline water has intruded into rivers and other water bodies and
results acute crisis of safe drinking water and water for irrigation, affecting
thousands of people as well as small farmers, agriculture workers, women and
rural poor.
The
people of remote mountain areas in the Hill Tracts are also facing the same
drinking water shortage and agony for water particularly in the dry season for
many years. There are no proper sanitation facilities to hilly areas. There are
many areas in those areas which have no tube-well within miles of the
localities. In some areas, tube-wells have been gone out of water for many
years and many areas where the tube-wells are in order, but no water. So, the
women of the localities would have to depend on sources of surface water such
as waterfall, canal and ponds which is impure and unsafe for drinking. Thus the
people of the hilly areas suffer from water related diseases after drinking the
water.
Carrying
water for drinking and household use is time-consuming and troublesome job. In the
family, women, mainly, do this task of water management. The women have to
spend about 4-5 hours per day to collect water depending on the season and
region. In saline prone area women have to walk about 2km twice to fetch to
pitchers of water from the nearest pond. Climbing up the hills with jars full
of water from the plane land by women and girls is a common picture of the
remote mountainous areas in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Specially, the responsibility of water
supply for sanitation lay with the women. It affects their health, education,
rest and relaxation.
Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation
(BAFLF) and National Women Farmers and Workers Association (NWFA) observed World Water Day 2017 with the
slogan ‘SAFE WATER & SANITATION IS OUR HUMAN RIGHT!’ On the occasion BAFLF
& NWFA jointly arranged a rally as a part of starting campaign for access
to water and sanitation facilities for small farmers, agriculture workers and
rural women.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Press Release, 16 November 2016, Dhaka
Joint Committee for Tampaco Victims Support
& Tampaco Fire Accident Victims' Forum
Demand
for proper compensation for Tapaco
Victims, punishment to all
responsible for the accident, claiming quick
DNA report and safe workplace.
On
16 November 2016 in a press conference held at the National Press Club
organized by ‘Joint Committee for
Tampaco Victims Support’ & ‘Tampaco Fire Accident Victims' Forum’
urged appropriate compensation to
the families of deceased and injured workers, stern punishment to the people
responsible for the killing of 41 people killed in a massive fire triggered by
explosions at Tampaco factory dated 10 September 2016. The organizer also
claimed to give the DNA report of unidentified and missing death workers and
demand to ensure safe workplaces for all workers including the access to form
unions in all factories.
The press conference titled ‘compensation for
Tapaco Victims, safe workplace, respect workers right to form union and ensure
their representation; our demand’ was presided by Abdul Mazid (BAFLF), convener
of Joint Committee for Tampaco Victims Support and it was moderated by joint
committee member Md. Mujibul Haque Munir (COAST Trust). Joint committee member
and spokesman of Tampaco Fire Accident Victims' Forum Sharmin Akther Shilpi
(wife of death Anisur Rahman) presented the written statement on behalf of the
organizers. Among others member of joint committee Rima Akther (NWFA), Sonjon
Kumar Saha (BSK), Ripon Kumar Das (coordinator of victims forum) and victim family
member Anjona Sarker, Rupali Begum, Nargis Akter, Shamima Parvin, Rabiul Islam,
Sakibul Islam were present.
In the written statement Shairmin Akther Shilpi
explained the process of formation of victims’ forum. She mentioned that in the
presence 87 members of 69 victims’ families Tampaco Fire Accident Victims' Forum was formed and one
spokesman and one coordinator of victims' forum were elected in a meeting in
Gazipur dated 6 November 2016. She also described the process of formation of
Joint Committee for Tampaco Victims Support and its objectives. She added that BAFLF
is doing coordinating action to support the victims and on how they get proper
compensation. They are contacting with deceased workers’ family members and the
injured workers. BAFLF planned to form a joint committee with same minded
organizations working on Tampaco issue to make their effort fruitful and
transparent. So, BAFLF wrote several organizations including ILO Dhaka office
explaining their aim of formation joint committee and invited them to be part
of joint committee.
In
the written statement Shairmin
Akther Shilpi mentioned that by the terrible fire incidence of Tampaco Foils
Ltd. 41 workers died and more than 50 workers were injured. 8 unidentified dead
bodies were kept in DMC but 9 victims family have given blood sample for DNA
test. She said they are waiting for DNA report for last 2 months.
Unfortunately, till they didn’t get DNA report and the concern authority did
not give any specific assurance when the victims will get the report. She
claimed for quick DNA test report.
The convenor of the joint committe Abdul Mazid
said, in Bangladesh the tragic incident like Tampaco accident is happening
repeatedly and hundreds of innocent workers are losing their lives, getting
injured, and are left paralyzed forever. He added these killings are not a mere
accident, these are murder. The incidents of the unexpected tragic murder occur
frequently because of the violation of workers' rights to form unions and the continuous
negligence of employers’ responsibility to make safe work place. He said
Tampaco owner violated national labour law and international law. Tampaco factory’s construction did not provide
any adequate safety protection to workers and any access for effective firefighting.
There was no stairs inside the building. Some workroom, especially the ground
floor temperature was intolerable. There was no proper ventilation system. Tampaco authority did not provide appointment
letter to workers. Workers didn’t have any service book. There was no system of
provident-fund, gratuity and group insurance for workers. Even in Tampaco there
is no workers’ union. Tampaco disaster showed us how the denial of right to
form unions and lack of access to representation allows employers to violate
health and safety right and make workplace dangerous.
Abdul Mazid mentioned compensation is important
and he urged Tampaco owner and the major clients of Tampaco including MNCs
should pay compensation to the victims. At the same time he said it is clear to
all why this happened. He emphasized on ensuring workplace safety and healthy
environment including the access to form unions. Employers and concern Govt. authority
must make sure that this tragic incident never happens again because it’s not
about compensation or safety regulations. It’s about right and responsibilities.
The demands are stated as follows:
1. DNA report of unidentified corpses should be
provided immediately.
2. Tampaco owner and the major clients of
Tampaco including MNCs should pay compensation to the victims. The compensation
have to be paid according to ILO Convention 121 by adding BDT 5,00,000 with the
compensation on accounts of ‘pain and suffering’.
3. Safe workplaces must be ensured.
4. An investigation committee should be formed
to mark the cause of the accident and judicial trial for the punishment to the responsible.
5. Providing proper treatment of injured
workers.
6.Ensuring the access to form unions in all
workplaces.
Message sender: Golam Sorowor, Cell:
+8801711951709
Friday, October 28, 2016
Stand up against the conspiracy of local and foreign seed
companies to destruct BADC.
Provide increased wages to BADC workers.
Dhaka, 25 October 2016. Today
Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation (BAFLF) and National Women
Farmers & Workers Association (NWFA) jointly organized human chain/rally in
front of National Press Club, Dhaka urging Stand up against the conspiracy of
local and foreign seed companies to ruin BADC. They also demand for providing
increased wages to BADC workers.
The speakers in the human chain said,
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), the seed producing and
distributing agency, has
been playing significant role in bringing technologies and quality seeds and
distributing those at the farmers’ level. But, unfortunately BADC has been
weakened in various ways with various master plans according to the
instructions from the World Bank and IMF as a strategy of cutting subsidy for
agriculture. Governments have even been also providing policy to support
private seed company. The seed policy of 1993 is an example of such intention. It
is said in the policy that, BADC will stop producing seeds that are being
produced by private companies and BADC will withdraw its upazila (sub district)
based selling centers and these will be replaced by private companies.
.
Workers from BADC, BRRI, BARI, Jute Research Farm,
Sugarcane Farm, Dairy Farm, Sericulture Farm, Cotton
Farm participated in the demonstration. Following the rally, in an assembly,
presided by Mahmudul Hasan Manik, Vice President of BAFLF, speech was delivered
by Abdul Mazid, General Secretary of BAFLF. Among others workers leader Kamrul
Ahsan and Mir Delower Hossoin of National Workers Federation, Abul Kashem of
Bangladesh Sramajibi Kendra, Nurjahan Begum of NWFA, Golam Sorowor, Md. Mamun,
Abdul Hamid, Lahuj Uddin spoke in the gathering.
In his speech Abdul Mazid says that BADC is internationally recognized for producing
quality seeds and BADC workers have great contribution to do so.Due to the
aggression of foreign seeds of MNCs ,our quality seed is losing its market and
BADC have been destroying. He adds, as a part of local private seed companies
and MNCs conspiracy to reduce BADC seed production, in 2002 total 1604 regular
workers of BADC were forced to leave BADC with a Golden Hand Shake. BADC
authority is doing this curtail in the name of reducing operational cost. Now
there is no regular workers in BADC, though this is a formal organization. Seed
production needs intensive and regular care, without regular labour, it is not
possible. He demands for recruitment of more appropriate number of workers and
to regularize all irregular wage workers.
Abul
Kasem of BSK says, after a successful negotiation between BAFLF and
Agricultural Ministry, Agriculture ministry agreed to increased daily wages of
farm workers and accordingly published an order determining 500 BDT for regular
workers and 450 for irregular workers dated 12 June this year. All workers of
state own farms are getting their re-scheduled increased wages in accordance
with the order. Unfortunately, over the past two
months, the BADC authority illegally stopped to pay the increased wages of BADC
workers. As a result, BADC farm workers are living miserable with family. Over
last 14 years BADC authority is persistently violating workers’ right.
Shanjib
Das, workers leader of BADC says, the farm workers are working hard to produce quality
seed. If they do not produce seed, farmers will not get quality seed for
cultivation and research activities will be hampered. Yet, these workers are
victims of extreme deprivation. He says, BADC is a public institution, but
there is no permanent arrangement of determining workers’ wages, allowances and
other facilities. They have no economic security. In spite of working over 25
to 30 years on regular basis, BADC workers are being deprived of getting all
facilities. He demands payment of their overdue and increased wages.
The
bellow said demands were stated from the demonstration:
1. Immediately to provide re-assigned increased wages
of BADC workers.
2. Regularize all present irregular workers flowing ‘Agricultural
Farm Workers’ Appointment and Control Policy’.
3. Stop conspiracy to destroy foundation seeds, the
main resource of agriculture production, in the interest of home and foreign
seed companies.
4. Stop corruption in the name of ‘masterrole’ and
provide workers’ wages through bank.
Contract: Golam Sorowor, +8801711 951709
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