Right to food, right to land

Posted by Frank and Safi
Men of a village of people with virtually no rights tell the first thing they need is land

Dear all,

 
Please find a few pictures of our field visit the other day. Some of the men are looking at us through very cool sunglasses. These are inhabitants of a village with virtually no rights; if they want to build a shed next to their house they have to ask permission from the chef. Such people are being "sensitised" on human rights; in a big meeting with all authorities present and everybody being welcomed with a special local lunch.
 
Yesterday OXFAM and us did a workshop on the "right to food". As we suspected from the field visit, many participants thought that an important condition for the "right to food" is the "right to land". Land and water are not being used optimally because people in power leave them fallow or hardly used; while others have to beg for temporary access to land. Everybody talks about this but there is no programme that solidly addresses this issue.
 
Some people work on marketing of agri-products. All fine, but the products are being sold to Nigeria when prices are low and there are food shortages later, so prices go up. This kind of free-market is not conducive for "food for all" and some people speak of "free-market induced famines".
 
That's it for now. We are thinking what to do with what we learnt - both for our network of magazines, but also for a possible future co-operation with other Dutch agencies such as Agri-Pro-Focus.
 
Niamey, 11 June
Safi and Frank

A judge and an NGO fighting slavery make a speech on Human Rights and rights of women to the village crowd

People attend a awareness raising meeting on rights

Safi and Fenke enjoy their meat and macaroni meal in a Germa-Toeareg village

For previous posts on the visit to Niger click here and here.

Comments

[Christel Schiphorst]

Or more elaborate:
Agri-ProFocus is a partnership of Dutch donor agencies, credit institutions, companies, training and knowledge institutions, with the goal to promote farmer entrepreneurship in developing countries

[Christel Schiphorst]

Dear Frank,

Just for dotting the i's in your article: Agri-ProFocus is not an Agency, but a Network/Partnership