What they do
La Via Campesina is the international peasant movement representing over 200 million farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists, and Indigenous people across 81 countries. They coined the concept of 'food sovereignty' and advocate for agrarian reform, agroecology, and the rights of rural communities. La Via Campesina participates in UN negotiations on food, agriculture, and climate.
Why they matter
La Via Campesina represents the people who feed the world. Small-scale farmers produce 70% of the world's food on less than 25% of agricultural land. The movement's concept of food sovereignty, the right of peoples to define their own food systems, has been adopted by multiple national constitutions (Ecuador, Bolivia, Nepal) and influenced the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants. This is not a fringe movement; it is the political voice of hundreds of millions of food producers.
How to support
Learn about food sovereignty through their publications. Support local farmer organizations in your region. Advocate for policies that protect small-scale farmer rights and livelihoods.
Key project to explore
The concept of food sovereignty, originated by La Via Campesina, has been adopted into the constitutions of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nepal, establishing the legal right of peoples to define their own food and agriculture systems.