Organizations of peasants, indigenous peoples, family farmers, fishers, farm workers, migrants, landless workers, and rural women from various countries believes that:

• The "liberalization" of agricultural trade - the principle objective of the WTO - has exacerbated a crisis in rural societies and has worsened their living conditions. Hunger, unemployment, poverty, inequality and the degradation of natural resources are increasing in rural areas around the world.
• When considering the needs of the general population and rural societies the WTO Agreement on Agriculture has no legitimacy. Instead it serves the interests of large export companies that are supported by their governments. The USA and EU have forced WTO rules that enable them to continue to dump their surpluses at very low prices. Meanwhile, developing countries are obliged to reduce their tariffs and eliminate protection to agriculture.
• One of the WTO's priorities is to reduce agricultural prices — both in domestic and international markets — by reducing taxes on imports, and dismantling supply management and socially-just marketing structures. For farmers this leads to artificially depressed prices. The fall in agricultural prices has not benefitted consumers and threatens the survival of peasants and small farmers everywhere.
• Transnational corporations are increasing their control over global agricultural trade. They flood markets with agricultural products and food at prices lower than the local cost of production which goes against food sovereignty. Through Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) transnational corporations gain ownership of biological resources and knowledge traditionally used by local farmers and indigenous communities.
• The WTO seeks the liberalization and privitization of public services.

This will have a negative effect especially on the poor and marginalized in our societies. Agriculture is the most controversial theme on the agenda of the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the WTO scheduled for September 10-14, 2003 in Cancun Mexico. Agriculture has been converted to currency and is being used in WTO negotiations to promote new issues like investment, competition, and government procurement. Via Campesina Page 2/{nb}

Invitation of Via Campesina for Cancun

Negotiations on agriculture could define the results of the Cancun Round. Given the risks involved in these negotiations we urgently call on organizations of peasants, farmers, indigenous peoples, fishers, farm workers, migrants, landless workers, rural women, and all civil society organizations to mobilize to:

• stop the WTO negotiations
• defend peasants' rights and food sovereignty
• get the WTO out of agriculture
• stop policies of privatization of public services
• no to patenting of life forms

We ask all organizations and social movements to spread this invitation to action everywhere and joion us in the INTERNATIONAL PEASANT FORUM that will be held in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico from September 8-11, 2003. We call on all organizations and social movements to support the objectives listed above and join us in local marches and international demonstrations that will organized concurrently in Cancun and around the world: September 10: International March for Peasants' Rights and Food Sovereignty September 13: International march and global action day against the WTO

Lets globalize the struggle Lets globalize hope

Peasant Program in the framework of the Fifth WTO Ministerial Cancun, Mexico,
September 8-9: International Peasant Forum: Food Sovereignty and Free Trade
September 10: International Peasant March "For Peasant Rights and Food Sovereignty"
September 11-14: Participation in the People's Forum
September 13: International March and Global Day of Action Against the WTO