Forum in Jakarta and Mass Action in South Sulawesi started off YORA in Indonesia

PRESS RELEASE BY ALIANSI GERAKAN REFORMA AGRARIA (AGRA), 17 APRIL 2009

On April 17, "International Peasants Day", Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA) conducted a forum in collaboration with the Institute for Global Justice (IGJ) in Jakarta and staged a mass action in South Sulawesi to start a year-round of activities for the Year of Rice Action (YORA) in Indonesia.

In Jakarta, the forum was on global food and financial crisis and its impacts to peasants and workers in Indonesia. Its theme was "Global Food Crisis and the Increasing of Land Grabbing in Indonesia". The objectives of the forum were: to highlight the causes of the food crisis especially rice crisis in Asia and Indonesia; and to promote Biodiversity-based Ecological Agriculture and genuine land reform as the right solutions for the problems of food and rice production. Among the speakers were Rahmat Ajiguna from AGRA and Bonnie Setiawan from IGJ. The forum was attended by 280 participants that included government officials, farmers, consumers, youth, women and workers. Important groups such as the FMN (student group), GSBI (workers group) and WALHI (environmental group) participated actively in the forum.

The Rice Sheets on "Hybrid Rice in Asia" and "Intellectual Property Rights" which were produced by the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) and other information materials were distributed among the participants. The materials invoked a debate among the participants regarding the introduction of hybrid rice in Indonesia by the Department of Agriculture. The facts and figures stated in the Rice Sheets convinced the majority of the forum participants that hybrid rice is not the solution for the rice and food crisis in Asia and Indonesia.

Moreover, the increasing trends of global land grabbing have been facilitated by government policies have impacted on small farmers and landless people by destroying their livelihood. Therefore, after the forum, the groups concurred that people should raise their concerns to stop land grabbing trends. In conclusion, AGRA and IGJ agreed to have more discussions and events related to the themes on rice, food crisis and other problems being faced by small farmers.

In Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, 400 AGRA members staged a protest against land grabbing. South Sulawesi is where Monsanto got the permission from the Indonesian Department of Agriculture to develop Bt. Cotton years ago. However, the project failed in the fields of Bulukumba and the farmers involved are now trapped in debts which they can not repay. During the mass action, some of the farmers shared their plight and information regarding the Monsanto operations. They also demanded to stop land grabbing in Indonesia and for Monsanto to get out of Indonesia.

Following the forum and mass action, there will be other events and discussions related to rice and food problems. Workers and students agreed to include the common theme of "Wage, Land, and Jobs" for the 2009 International May Day in Indonesia. AGRA, FMN and GSBI under the banner of FPR will integrate YORA as common platform for Indonesian workers and consumers demands.

YORA is simultaneously launched in 14 countries in Asia and is led by PAN AP and its network. The Asian Peasants Coalition (APC) and its members across Asia will also be holding various activities throughout the year to stop corporate control in agriculture and to call for the abolition of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). As a member of APC and partner of PAN AP, AGRA will be actively participating in the year-round event.#