Empowering Grassroots Voices: UNCTAD's Pivotal Role in Reshaping Global TradeIn an open letter addressed to Ms. Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, Secretary-General of the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), La Via Campesina, a global network of small-scale food producers, extends its best wishes for UNCTAD's 60th anniversary. The letter reflects on UNCTAD's founding ideals and urges the organization to embrace new solutions that promote food sovereignty and social justice worldwide.

Reclaiming the Promise of Equitable Global Trade

Revisiting UNCTAD's Founding Vision

UNCTAD was established with the noble intention of creating a more just and equitable global trade order, one that would benefit the countries of the Global South and empower their pursuit of economic independence. However, the letter from La Via Campesina paints a sobering picture of how these aspirations have been betrayed over the decades. The letter highlights the shifting geopolitical landscape, marked by the rise of multipolarity and the increasing power of transnational corporations, which have dictated trade rules to serve the interests of a small oligarchy.

Confronting the Failures of Globalization

The letter contends that globalization has failed to deliver on its promises of inclusivity and prosperity, both for people and the planet. La Via Campesina emerged in 1993 as a response to the perceived neocolonization of territories under the guise of globalization. The organization has repeatedly sounded the alarm against institutions like the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, which have promoted policies that have led to the commodification of resources, the dismantling of public food programs, and the rise of factory farms and global agrifood transnational companies.

Amplifying the Voices of the Marginalized

The letter highlights the growing protests in nearly 90 countries, led by marginalized groups who have become disillusioned by the false promises of globalization. Governments of the Global South, long deceived by these promises, are now awakening to the reality of their resentment. The desire to integrate into the WTO, once seen as a solution, has proven illusory, as the trade order has consistently favored transnational corporations and Northern oligarchies.

Embracing Food Sovereignty as a Solution

La Via Campesina calls on UNCTAD to heed the voices from the ground and embrace the principles of food sovereignty. Food sovereignty embodies the right of peoples to healthy, culturally appropriate food produced sustainably, placing the needs of small-scale food producers, distributors, and consumers at the forefront, rather than the interests of markets and corporations.

Proposing a New Global Trade Framework

In 2022, La Via Campesina embarked on the creation of a global trade framework in collaboration with peasant and indigenous peoples' organizations across 80 countries. This framework is grounded in the principles of food sovereignty, internationalism, and solidarity. It aims to address the social and ecological crises gripping the world today by empowering each country to determine its agricultural and food policies, stabilizing agricultural prices, and advocating for regulated international trade in agricultural inputs.

Inviting UNCTAD to Collaborate

La Via Campesina invites UNCTAD and its member states to collaborate in building this framework, proposing a participatory process within the UN, with active involvement from the Food and Agriculture Organization. The goal is to create a society where hunger is eradicated, and social justice prevails.