‘Life-Giving Agriculture’ Forum - 2015
Theme: “Agriculture is Life - Agriculture is
Right"
2 - 6 Feb 2015, ECC,
Bangalore, India
Jointly organized by:
Commission on Justice Peace and Creation - National Council of
Churches in India - NCCI
Christian Institute for
the Study of Religion and Society - CISRS
Ecumenical Christian
Centre - ECC
Korean Christian Life
Giving Agriculture Forum - KCLGAF
Mainstreaming Life-Giving Agriculture in
India & Korea
(Statement Issued
by the Participants)
We, the 55 participants representing various
walks of life such as farmers, activists, theologians, clergies and
academicians from India and South Korea meeting at a National Consultation on 'Life
Giving Agriculture' from 2nd to 6th February 2015 at
the Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore, India, deliberated on important
concerns and issues affecting farmers in India and Korea, and have issued the
following Statement:
I-
Life-Giving Agriculture - Threats &
Challenges
Through the deliberations, exposure, sharing
and interaction discussion we realize
that, the Life Giving Agriculture Forum meets in the context of adverse effects
of the Economic Globalization and Market Economy faced by farmers in both
countries (and elsewhere) wherein agrarian communities have started moving from
‘agri-culture to agri-business' by paving ways for Genetically Modified (GM) technologies
to the cash crops and high-yielding variety and, often, termination seeds,
mechanization for ploughing and harvesting, and chemical fertilizers and
pesticides aiming at quantity rather than quality.
Secondly, the States' pro-corporate stance
leads to enforcing anti-agriculture and anti-farmer policies having adverse
affects on the peasants, resulting mostly from agri-based debts, leading to migration
and reducing their status to argi-refugees, as well as a major cause for
forcing farmers to commit suicides. India is now opening up to corporate
pillaging like never before. Traditional
knowledge Systems and indigenous practices are being snuffed out. The poor and
the marginalized which are solely dependent on agriculture as a means of
livelihood, have been forced to abandon their traditional sources and resources
for life and livelihood, and migrate to cities.
Such onslaught affects mostly the Dalits, Adivasis, Women and other
marginalized and excluded communities, especially the landless agricultural
labourers in India.