Decrease text Increase text

EU Organisations

European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC)

Introduction

The European Coordination Via Campesina regroups presently 27 farmers, rural, and agriculture workers organizations from 18 European countries . It succeeded in 2008 to the European Farmers Coordination, founding member in 1993 of the international farmer’s movement La Via Campesina.

Structure, key stakeholders and partners

La Via Campesina brings together on international level millions of farmers and peasants, small and medium-sized producers, landless, women and youth of rural, indigenous, migrant and farm workers. La Via Campesina is structured into eight regions: Europe, Northeast and Southeast Asia, South Asia, North America, Caribbean, Central America, South America and Africa. It has about 150 local and national organizations in 70 countries. It defends the small-scale sustainable agriculture as a means of promoting social justice and dignity.

Priorities and activities

The principal objective of the European Coordination Via Campesina is the struggle for other food and agricultural policies based on more legitimacy, fairness, solidarity and sustainability, which are necessary in Europe to ensure food security, food safety, public health, employment in rural areas and to tackle the issues of the global food crisis and climate change. The organization asks for the development of diverse and sustainable family farming linked, and the application of food sovereignty as framework of a new Common Agriculture and Food Policy.

European Coordination Via Campesina has structured its actions around six priority areas converging to Food Sovereignty:

  • fight for better agricultural policies (CAP and others) , including the fight against the present international trade rules –WTO- and “Free” trade agreements, and against the grip of agri-food multinational companies;
  • promotion of sustainable family farming, agro-ecology, biodiversity and struggle against GMOs;
  • fair access to the means of production such as land, water and seeds;
  • social issues, including the respect for the rights of farm workers, especially migrants, trade union activists and rural communities; recognition of the specific role of women in agriculture, and the promotion of young farmers.

ECVC participates to EU consultations and hearings and is member of advisory groups of the EU Commission.

The coordination is financed by contributions from its members, private donations and the support of some NGOs, foundations and local, national or European authorities.

Further information