International delegates of La Via Campesina gathered in Surin, Thailand, from 6 to 12 November 2012 for the First Global Encounter on Agroecology and Seeds. The objective of the reunion was “to share experience and construct a strategy and vision on agroecology and seeds, in the holistic understanding that both are part of the struggle to achieve food sovereignty.”
In Thailand, small scale farmers are currently pushing toward a shift from an industrial model of agriculture to agroecology with the full support of La Via Campesina movement and that is the reason why this country has been chosen for the meeting.
The Surin Declaration states clearly why Agroecology, as truly sustainable peasants agriculture based on traditional knowledge, is considered the corner stone of food sovereignty, as well as an intrinsic part of the global answer to the main challenges and crises we face as humanity. You can read it the full text of the Surin Declaration here.
La Via Campesina website: http://viacampesina.org/en/
