National Consultation on Food Sovereignty in Sri Lanka

I am posting a belated report of Food Sovereignty as NAFSO joined the Food Sovereignty Net Work in Sri Lanka. Finally, the role of coordination also on NAFSO as an added responsibility.
I am posting this report as it is important work within NAFSO.

Herman
National Consultation on Food Sovereignty in Sri Lanka on 26th January 2011, at NAFSO training center, Negombo.

Hosted by NAFSO and supported by FSNSA & IMSE Kolkota –India.

List of participants: Please see below in the report.

The group agreed to the definition of Food Sovereignty as confirmed at Nyelini Declaration.

Program Process:
Geetha Lakmini of NAFSO welcome the group and set the objectives why we are gathered here today.
She mentioned the importance of International solidarity while uniting as a national body who are concern and concretely engage in food sovereignty activities in our own sectors.

Mr. Biplab Halim, the director of IMSE, India shared how the FS is important to South Asians as the worst affected region in the world on food soaring crisis. He emphasized that the solution is not with the exploiters of the mother earth and it is with the small farmers, fishers and small food producers have the prime responsibility on protection and sustain the earth.

Then the various sectoral issues in relation to the FS were presented by panelists. There were 6 Panel Presentations on agriculture, fisheries, workers, health, women in all the sectors as well as National Policies and Food Sovereignty concerns in the country.

Panelist with there topics are as follows; :
1. FS on Women's dimensions - Padma Pushpakanthi- SAVISTHRI
2. FS issues on Food Producers
a. Fisheries- Herman kumara -NAFSO
b. Farmers - Sandun Thudugala –MONLAR

3. Issues of Workers on FS – Rohini Weerasinghe, - Kantha Shakthi

4. Health issues & FS- Sirimal Peiris (PHC)

5. Current National Policy Debates on FS- Sarath Fernando- MONLAR


Emerged issues in the Panel presentations and the peoples interventions are as follows;.
 Land grabbing at many parts of the country including the current issues at Panama at East and the grabbing of sea through leasing and selling of 14 islands at Kalpiiya.
 Privatization of water, land and sea,
 Violation of the rights of access of the food producers, as farmers, fishers and other producers.
 Tourism and the mega development projects promotion and losers of livelihood.
 Losers of indigenous seeds rights and MNC’s involvements.
 Introduction of genetically modified seeds and the foods.
 Violation of the decision making power of the productions methodologies of the farmers and fishers.
 Spreading mechanized boats and the methodologies for producing fish and the agricultural foods with rice and the vegetable too. Small producers with traditional methods and knowledge’s are marginalized.
 Losers of the land rights and displace people in N/E& plantation sector.
 Highly increase of the food prices and all the consumers are badly affected.
 Lost of the health of people and spreading deceases, people’s trust of the food security is badly losers.
 Food producers are badly affected by climate change and natural disatsers.
 Small producers rights on production, distribution, marketing and deciding price controlling are dominated by GO.
 Lack of follow up of the international agreements by GO regarding food sovereignty rights.
 Lack of acceptance of the traditional knowledge of the people for food production and the processing.
 Women are badly victimized from the present context.

Follow up of the Future Work.
 Build a active and strong movement with basic agreement of the national food production.
 Building and the promotion on the traditional food culture.
 Promote people’s unionization to raise the voice for gaining basic rights.
 Building and strengthening up the people against the capitalized structure.
 Promote the mechanisms for regenerating the mother earth.
 Promote education and communication skills among the net work among the people.

Immediate Action of Food Sovereignty Network of Sri Lanka.
 Building up against the chemical foods and the inconvenience input of the agriculture in national and the international levels,
 Integrate regional and the international campaign.
 To activate ongoing campaign and the activities against land and the water grabbing.
 Speed up the education campaign for the concept of the FS in our Own net works.
 Involve to change the policies which are detrimental to the people.
 Up date and enhance the knowledge of food sovereignty by the members of FSNSL,
 Building links between the consumers & producers directly.

Selected steering committee members of the FSNSL in Sri Lanka.

Committee members of the FSNSL
Geetha Lakmini, NAFSO
Sadun Thudugala.MONLAR.
Padma Pushpakanthi.-Savistri
Abdul Razak-Rural Women Front
Sriyani Pathirage- ,, ,, ,,.
Prabath Kumara.- Future in Our Hand.
Sirimal Peiris.-PHC.
Nanda Udaththawa, Women for Social Justice.
Ashoka Karunarathna. –People’s Health Protection.
Melina Kumary-Sri Vimukthi Fisher Women’s Organization.
Herman Kumara-NAFSO.

Report Prepared By Geetha and FInalized by Herman
2011 March 20