‘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.
We do inform that, large segment of Indian populace is facing critical questions of food sovereignty and food security since the corporates' plunder of land, water and other natural resources continue unabated. Initiatives of low external inputs and sustainable agriculture experiments are mostly limited to the land-owning farmers, whereas such initiatives could not be practiced by Dalits and Adivasis who are marginal farmers and landless.
II-
LEARNING FROM SOUTH KOREAN FARMERS:
We do learn from South Korean farmers that,
·
Korea has experienced land reformation in
1950s. However, the government adopts
the globalised economy and World Trade Organization (WTO) and, thus, imports
food grains at a large scale. This results in an open confrontation between the
imported GM grains and the produce of organic farmers of Life Giving
Agriculture Forum. Even so, most of the Korean youth are leaving agriculture
for softer options.
·
The LGA movement promoted new strategies to
popularize the traditional farming methods and knowledge systems with a view to
recapturing the youth for farming. The Church in Korea is also actively
involved in efforts of promoting LGA and exploring alliances with similar
movements in other countries. In Korea, responding to the present oppressive
conditions faced by farmers, a movement for Life
Giving Agriculture was initiated which faces stiff opposition from GM
Corporate giants supported by the Government Machinery. Even, in this adverse
context, Korean Life Giving Agriculture Forum continues with its struggle to strive
for better food security, ultimately leading to food sovereignty with a
priority for the marginalized.
III-
A CALL TO THE CHURCHES & CIVIL SOCIETY:
In this hostile situation against marginal
farmers prevailing in the two countries, the participants deliberated on the
role of the Churches in promoting Life Giving Agriculture. Bible Study inputs
helped to understand Faith response to present crisis in agriculture. There
were also efforts to understand civil society initiatives and peasant movements
both in Korea and India.
We the participants therefore call upon both
the Indian and Korean Churches and Civil Societies,
(a) To
bring to the centre the rural Dalit and Adivasi Churches which are
predominantly agrarian and who constitute eighty percent of our congregations
but have been pushed to the margins for generations;
(b) To
re-read the Bible through the eyes of the marginal farmers and evolve liturgies
that reflect agricultural motifs, seasons and festivals.
(c) To
lobby with the Government to implement radical land reforms and sustainable
agriculture in the society-at-large.
(d) To
plead with Indian Churches to entrust vast tracts of land in their fold with
local congregations promoting LGA rather than keep the land idle.
(e) To
motivate Churches in India to campaign for Food Sovereignty and negotiate with
their respective States to ensure the just and fair public distribution system,
and draw up schemes to eradicate hunger, malnutrition, and hunger deaths.
(f) To
organize Indian Churches to lobby for just and pro-farmer Land Legislations,
and also reject the Land Acquisition Ordinance, 2014 introduced recently that
supports multinational industries and corporate houses, and takes away the
fundamental rights of farmers.
(g) To
promote alliance building with neighbouring South Asian countries so that churches
and farmers’ movements learn from each other through exposures, joint
consultations and best practices in Life Giving Agriculture.
(h) LGA
in Korea and India to address the serious problem of youth abandoning
agriculture in villages and address the same on war footing.
(i) LGA
in Korea and India to explore new ground for ecumenical cooperation and
collective action between rural and urban churches and between diverse
denominations with LGA as focal point for the ecumenical journey tomorrow.
(j) LGA
in Korea and India to influence Seminaries to adapt theological education per se to include LGA in their regular
courses as part of Ministerial Training.
IV –
WE RESOLVE:
With
regard to mainstreaming LGA in India, we resolve that the NCCI- CJPC promote
Life-Giving Agriculture in India, and continue to dialogue and partner with
LGA-Korea and promote Joint solidarity struggles and exchange of information on
Life Giving Agriculture.
===================================================================
Contact:
The Executive Secretary,
Commission on Justice,
Peace and Creation,
National
Council of Churches in India,
<ncci.cjpc@gmail.com>,
<ncci@nccindia.in>
