MST website
February 1, 2002

Via Campesina, representing farmers and indigenous peoples, were joined by 35-45,000 others during the mobilization against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) during the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre Brazil.

On February 4, 2002, more than 4,000 farmers from Via Campesina participated in a protest against the FTAA; starting from the Araujo Vianna Auditorium at 6:00 pm. This global movement of farmers strongly believe that the FTAA is part of a global agenda of free trade that favors large transnational corporations at the cost of the majority of the world population, of the environment and of social equality. For Via Campesina, the FTAA will bring further marginalization of local agriculture, loss of crop rights and biodiversity.

According to Via Campesina, the neoliberal agenda of the FTAA promotes free trade and deregulation, privatization and investment in economic policies directed for a market economy. ĘThe Agreement will force countries to reduce the standard of living in areas of work, health and other public services.

The FTAA poses a risk to national farming. Along with the loss of crop rights the FTAA raises the risk of bio-pirating and the overall increase in the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Via Campesina urges for democratic participation in decisions of international trade agreements; in this case the decision to implement or not implement the FTAA. The farmer's movement is committed to consolidating an ample continental social alliance to construct a necessary counter force against the heavy pressures of transnational corporations.

Via Campesina invited all participants of the World Social Forum and citizens of Porto Alegre to come together and protest against the FTAA. An estimated 35,000 to 45,000 joined Via Campesina in this march through the streets of Porto Alegre.