Polish Farmers Blockade Motorways Across Country

[Adam]

Hi all,
There
 are big protests from farmers unions in Poland at the moment. Thousands
 of people have been blockading major roads around the country for the 
last few days. See below for more information. Photos are available 
here: http://landworkersalliance.org.uk/2015/02/polish-farmers-blockade-motorways-across-country/
In Solidarity,
Adam




PRESS
RELEASE  05.02.2015






'Polish Farmers Blockade
Motorways Across Country' 














This
week thousands of Polish family farmers turned out to protest in over
50 locations across the country. Over 150 tractors blockaded the A2
motorway into Warsaw on the 3rd February and hundreds more
continue to close major roads and picket government offices in other
regions. The farmers are vowing to continue the struggle until the
government agrees to enter talks with the unions and commits to
addressing what the farmers see as a crisis in Polish agriculture.






These
actions represent a dramatic escalation of protests that have been
simmering across the country over the last year. Edward
Kosmal, chairman of the farmers protest committee for West-Pomeranian
Region said: "We are ready for dialogue. We
look forward to meeting with you Prime Minister and beginning a
comprehensive government commitment to solving the problems of Polish
agriculture. If you do not enter into a dialogue with the Union, we
would be forced to tighten our forms of protest."






The four key demands of the farmers
are:






Land rights -
	implement regulation to prevent land-grabs by Western companies and
	to protect family farmers rights to land - (NB. From 2016 foreign
	buyers will be legally able to buy Polish land).
	
	Legalize direct sales of
	farm produce - the government must take action to improve farmers'
	position in the market, including the adoption of a law to
	facilitate direct sales of processed and unprocessed farm products
	(NB. Poland has the most exclusionary policies in Europe around
	on-farm processing of food products and direct sales, which make it
	impossible for family farmers to compete with bigger food
	companies).
	
	Extend inheritance laws
	to include land under lease as a fully legal form of land use.
	
	Ban the cultivation and
	sale of Genetically Modified Organisms in Poland. 
	
	








Quotes from Solidarity farmers trade
union press releases on the 2nd and 3rd of
February:






"We demand a legal ban on
GM crops in Poland. The value of Polish agriculture, unique in
Europe, is the unpolluted environment and high quality food
production. These are decisive for our competitiveness in global
markets."






 "We are entitled to
conclude that the European Union blindness deprives people in our
country from thinking in terms of the importance of development for
Polish citizens, and thus the Polish economy"






"We demand the introduction
of legislation that will protect Polish land from exploitation by
foreign capital! Agricultural land can not be sold to commercial
companies. It's part of Polish territory. Once sold it will be lost."














More information in
Polish: http://protestrolnikow.pl
 /  http://icppc.pl/index.php/en/








More information in
English - email biuro at icppc.pl  / call Asia/Adam 0048 695 459 857 








Take Action Now:






Please send expressions of
your support for Polish farmers to 








Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz
kontakt at kprm.gov.pl








Kancelaria Prezesa Rady
Ministrów
Al. Ujazdowskie 1/3
00-583 Warszawa






Please also send a copy to 



ICPPC - biuro at icppc.pl












Many thanks!
Julian Rose, President ICPPC
& Jadwiga Łopata, vice President ICPPC






Further online resources:






Protest videos: 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArXIT2FmeUA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z5nQ-uSdQE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nbuHsgbdZA








LIKE on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Protest-Rolnik%C3%B3w/481084125275233?fref=ts






Photos from protest from: 


http://www.polskieradio.pl/42/3166/Artykul/1369485,Protesty-rolnikow-po-fiasku-rozmow-z-rzadem-blokady-na-drogach-zostaja
http://protestrolnikow.pl/protest-w-pyrzycach-petycja-do-e-kopacz-prezesa-rady-ministrow-3-02-15-r/




 		 	   		   		 	   		  
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