Landworkers' Alliance April 17th demonstration

[Adam]

        The
          Landworkers’ Alliance
          invites you to join us and demonstrate outside DEFRA offices
          on the 17th April
          to highlight the important role that small and medium scale
          farmers play in
          feeding the population and our marginalisation in agricultural
          policy.

        We demand that
          DEFRA create policies that support rather than hinder
          small-scale farming and
          thereby ensure just and sustainable food provision in the
          future.

        All
            producers please bring along some of your
            produce. We will be creating a ‘farmers market’ stall to illustrate the role that
              small-scale farmers play in
              providing fresh, healthy produce for their communities,
              and that this could be
              significantly up-scaled if supported by DEFRA. There will
              also be speakers from
              the Landworkers’ Alliance
              and other organisations, and a seed-swap highlighting the
              importance of farm
              saved seed to small-scale farming so bring along seed to
              share. We call
            on all small and medium scale farmers, growers, landworkers
            and aspiring
            farmers to join us in showing DEFRA that we have a central
            role in providing
            our nations food.

        Join us at 12 noon on the 17th April 2014
          out side DEFRA head offices, 17 Smith Square,
          SW1P, London.
          

          

          Please share this call out with friends.

         
        
        
        Here is the press release:
        For immediate release: 26.03.14

        Location: 17
                Smith Square London,
            12:00 – 14:00, April 17th

        Feeding the
                Future
        The
          Landworkers’ Alliance (LWA) will be holding a demonstration
          outside the Head
          office of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural
          Affairs (DEFRA), 17
              Smith Square London,
          at 12.00pm on Thursday 17th April. The demonstration is part
          of Via Campesina’s
          international day of peasant’s struggle which will see
          co-ordinated actions
          taking place across more than seventy countries worldwide.

        The LWA is a
          coalition of small-scale producer across the UK
          whose interests are not
          currently acknowledged or represented by DEFRA. Under the
          leadership of Owen
          Paterson over the past two years the Department has
          strengthened its support of
          large-scale industrial agriculture and further marginalized
          smaller producers
          in its efforts to promote “Sustainable Intensification” as the
          only solution to
          feeding the world.

        “DEFRA needs to
          recognise the role of small-scale producers in contributing to
          the national food
          economy, as well as the environmental and social services
          provided by these
          producers” says Rebecca Laughton from the LWA.  “As a matter
          of urgency we
          demand that DEFRA create policies conducive to a sustainable
          food future for
          all.”

        The LWA is an
          official member of the international peasant farming movement
          La Via Campesina
          which represents 200 million small-scale producers around the
          world. We
          campaign for the rights of small-scale producers and lobby the
          UK
          government
          and European parliament for policies that support the
          infrastructure and
          markets central to our livelihoods.
        

Ends

        Photo Opportunity: 12.00 – 3.00pm 17 Smith Square London

        Press Contact:

        In the UK:
          Number to be released: see www.landworkersalliance.org.uk
          for more info

        e: LWApress at riseup.net

        w: landworkersalliance.org.uk

       		 	   		   		 	   		  
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