Geopolitical tensions have been directly pushing the seventh session of the United Nations Climate Assembly towards timid, lowest-common-denominator outcomes, as great-power rival states stripped draft resolutions of binding language and turned them into soft ‘cooperation’ statements,” said Wali Haider, leading the Farmers’ Major Group, at UNEA-7. The FMG participated in meetings, submitted statements and advocated for peasant and smallholder farmers’ rights, soil health, seed and food sovereignty. At a critical time, such as 2025, when we are off track to meet major requirements of climate treaties such as the Paris Agreement, climate governance should ideally strengthen to prevent further damage to the planet. For countries like Pakistan, the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and the United Nations Environment Assembly are major events that determine future policies. The UNEA is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, providing overarching policy guidance. But UNEA-7 becomes a stage where the environmental crisis is acknowledged but never truly confronted, because confronting it would require confronting the industries and governments that currently run the world.

This year, it started with ambitious draft resolutions on the impact of AI, management of minerals and environmental crimes. Only 11 resolutions were passed. Half of the proposed texts remained an issue of debate and did not pass. These included those on critical issues such as environmental crimes and deep-sea protection. Ongoing wars and geopolitical tensions block any strong text on environmental harm in conflicts, with states insisting on vague wording to avoid legal exposure and resist references to conflict-linked destruction. Language became the centre stage of negotiations, with countries trying to dilute the wording of resolutions. When they are not clearly drafted, the resolutions become impractical.

“Ambition has been sacrificed on the altar of economic interests. The resolution on minerals and metals repeatedly collapsed because the world’s most powerful states refused to let global environmental rules interfere with their extractive and industrial interests. Mining corporations and metal traders sit invisibly behind national positions, pushing governments to strip out any binding safeguards or oversight of critical mineral supply chains. Diplomatic language about development, sovereignty, and enlightened self-interest becomes a shield to protect the destructive industries that fuel national wealth and geopolitical leverage.” Wali added.

Until the global political economy is restructured to integrate direct financing for vulnerable nations like Pakistan and provide groups like the Farmers’ Major Group with actual decision-making power, international assemblies will continue to be stages where crises are acknowledged but not resolved.

The real roadblock is not technical complexity. It is a global political economy engineered to defend extraction, even as the environmental crisis deepens. It is no longer a matter of confusion, lack of science or capacity gaps; it is a global political economy built on unchecked extraction and militarised resource competition that shifts the burden onto poorer communities and weaker states. Asked about the negotiations, Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen said it had been a difficult year. “The mandate of the UNEP has been challenged at times. Negotiations have been tough as we had a hard time finding common ground or a common language to negotiate effectively,” he said.

A report by Climate Home News said states like Turkey, which is planning to host the COP31, have also been lobbying with other states to block some resolutions. Major powers like the US disassociated from the resolutions and raised questions on the principles and standards of global governance. Specifically, the US said they back out from the UNEP resolutions that they believed fell outside the organisation’s mandate. “Many resolutions contain problematic language recognising rights that do not exist. We are committed to pragmatic, science-based cooperation that advances environmental protection while respecting national sovereignty,” the US official addressing the closing plenary of the Assembly said.

Dalia Fernanda Marquez of the Women’s Major Group at the UN observed that some countries wanted to remove all references to gender from official texts. She argued that the assembly needs specific gender-based data, as a gendered perspective on the climate crisis is missing from these debates, especially in resolutions such as those on antimicrobial resistance, which must incorporate a gender perspective because women often serve as primary caregivers and agricultural workers. AMR refers to the process where bacteria and viruses evolve and no longer respond to medicines, creating a massive health risk. “At this UNEA, however, there has been more regression than ever,” she said.

This breakdown reveals that the voluntary model of international cooperation is incapable of managing a planet in crisis as it consistently prioritises national sovereignty and extractive economic interests over collective ecological stability. One of the primary structural flaws is the “consensus trap,” where the requirement for near-unanimous agreement allows veto to a single powerful nation or a small bloc of fossil-fuel-dependent states. To effectively address the climate crisis, the world needs a shift from “soft law” to “hard law,” characterised by legally binding enforcement mechanisms and independent monitoring bodies capable of prosecuting environmental crimes. Moreover, there is a pressing need to redefine international law to prioritise the global commons, such as the atmosphere and oceans, over the traditional concept of absolute national sovereignty, which currently allows states to destroy shared resources for short-term profit.

Until the global political economy is restructured to integrate direct financing for vulnerable nations like Pakistan and provide groups like the Farmers’ Major Group with actual decision-making power, international assemblies will continue to be stages where crises are acknowledged but never truly resolved.

The writer is a freelance climate journalist based in Lahore

Source: https://www.thenews.pk/tns/detail/1387934-the-changing-landscape-of-climate-governance

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek in solidarity with industrial workers commemorated May Day 2024, at the Hattar Industrial Estate, Haripur at a time, when the state of the working class, the peasantry, women and children showcases starkly the brutal force of imperialist economic policies and militarism.

The series of International Monetary Fund (IMF) standby agreements in the past few years has resulted in massive inflation, which from 2022 to 2023 skyrocketed from 12.2 to 28.2, respectively. The impact of rising prices of food, transport, education, health, and water utility bills can be seen in the escalating poverty rates in these years from 34.2% to 39.4%. The IMF conditionalities have increased electricity and gas rates to an extent that many industries are now unable to function. Corporations and industrialists are taking advantage of these conditions and have sacked thousands of workers, while those who still remain employed face exploitation with their labor rights severely truncated or non-existent. Workers are forced to work long hours, with a minimum of 12 hours, with no increments or increased wages. It is also important to highlight the conditions of women workers, who are about 70% of the informal economy and cannot claim any of their rights as workers. With the astronomical rise in the price of wheat flour and all basic food items, women face multiple levels of oppression, on one hand, the exploitative conditions at work, while at home have to provide the heavy burden of care work which has increased manyfold as many of the social services available have been drastically reduced.

In the era of imperialism, as there is escalation of wars of aggression for marking territorial claims, the true face of imperialism, its fascist nature, and draconian lust for death and destruction is tragically visible in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and the Occupied Palestinian territories. As the warmongering continues to rise, the US has once again shown its fascist tendencies by standing firm with an apartheid regime like ‘Israel,’ and expanding its military strength, especially in the Asia Pacific. In many parts of the world, there are struggles for national liberation and genuine democracy including Myanmar, Indian Occupied Kashmir, Philippines; fascist regimes will do their utmost to stifle dissent, as can be seen in the terrible response of the militarized forces in the US against students standing up against the Palestinian genocide.

As imperialism tries to increase its control over resources and markets, there is no doubt that in the coming years, the exploitation of workers and peasants is going to intensify further and will face the force of imperialist attack. The only way forward for us is to organize ourselves, to face the attack against our livelihoods, our land and life.

Release by Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT)

According to the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Dr Kauser Malik, Sino-Pak agricultural ties and joint efforts will help address the issue of food security and to learn from each other’s experiences. Similarly, the Alternative Livelihoods Options project, a five-year project worth $1.3 million  finished recently; it was meant to teach women improved agricultural practices and increasing their access to new, alternative crops. According to the US Ambassador Donald A Blome, who participated in a closing event of the project, “the achievements (of the project) are far-reaching,” and has “helped establish fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, greenhouses, and irrigation systems benefitting more than 25,000 people.” In addition, USAID’s Economic Recovery and Development Activity (ERDA) is collaborating with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Agriculture Research and local farmers, in pioneering an innovative approach to certified wheat seed production in District Mardan.

Through the many decades that Pakistan has received back-breaking loans and other grants to help us ‘develop,’ the outcome has been disappointing. In the 21^st Century, when we are confronting climate crisis, global warming is a vicious reality destroying millions of acres of land and livelihood: can countries like the US and China, who have a history of chemical intensive, ecologically suicidal agricultural systems teach Pakistani farmers how to practice agriculture production?

The Food Ministry has announced that no seeds, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), would be permitted into the country without complying with the prescribed Plant Quarantine Regulations and Seed Regulations. But such a compelling directive is actually misleading. The government is requesting a technical and commercial research report for potential import of GMO seeds for oil extraction and meal production. There is no dialogue nationally on a controversial issue as GMOs, especially with farming communities, while the emphasis is to study global standard operating procedures and sanitary and phytosanitary protocols for GMO soybean seed importation. Apart from the corporate driven Sanitary and Phytosanitary Mechanisms and Technical Barriers to Trade agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO), on the question of seeds, one must always remember that Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement of the WTO. TRIPs and other WTO agreements have strangled agriculture economy of third world countries because, based on these agreements,  mega-corporations of rich industrial countries have been able to capture local production and markets in food and agriculture. Global standards are for mega corporations of the rich industrial countries, and is the absolute opposite of the concept of food sovereignty.

One good news, at least on the surface, is that the Sindh livestock department and the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tando Jam have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for preservation of indigenous cattle breeds such as Sindhi Kundhi buffalo, Sindhi red cow and other breeds.

In the end, our focus on development is based on having faith not in the peasant class, which is directly responsible for much of the wealth generated through agriculture production as can be seen from financial gain of PKR 400 billion with the increase of 4 million tons of wheat production in 2022-23. Additionally, $3 billion has been earned from the export of basmati and coarse rice this year. The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has stated that said Pakistan’s exports in rice, and sesame seed increased by 13.5 percent, while the trade deficit decreased by 4.5 percent during the same period.

But the contribution of the small and landless farmers to the economy is ignored, while, there is no end to recommendations on collaboration with government research institutions, the private sector among others.  For instance, the Sindh Agricultural University Vice Chancellor, Dr Fateh Marri has pointed out that over 3.5 million tons of valuable banana waste was burnt every year although it could be used to produce by-products, including fiber, composite fertilizers, confectionery and cosmetics. His suggestion is to form a banana research group comprising public, private and industrial sectors along with research institutes and growers, and hoped that this group could become part of World Banana Forum. The word ‘growers’ invariably means rich farmers, and not the peasantry itself.

At the same time, agriculturists, economists, progressive farmers and researchers have lamented the situation where agriculture sector in Sindh is hostage to commission agents, who, instead of farmers, fix prices of farm products. In Punjab, farmers have been raising complaints on the non-availability of fertilizers, and pointing to overcharging of the commodity by dealers. Urea was being sold at PKR 4,200-4,500 per bag against the government-prescribed price of PKR 3,600 per bag, while DAP prices were around PKR 13,500 per bag, with many police reports being filed against dealers for black marketing.

The Punjab government had fixed wheat sowing target for 2023-24 at 16 million acres to achieve a target of 25.6 million tons, but given shortfall and black marketing of inputs will this be possible? Even if it is possible, given shortage of oil and gas fuel as a critical input for their production, where does it leave us in the long run? The government is reportedly engaged with Russia, China and Azerbaijan for purchase of 0.2 million tons of urea fertilizer for the Rabi season. Is it feasible, given our huge debt, that we continue to rely on chemical fertilizers that are on one hand are expensive and detrimental to climate and soil fertility, and on the other, based on dependency of external sources?

It also needs to be emphasized that infrastructure development is often not finished in time; the caretaker government has indicated that work on the construction of Daducha Dam with an escalated cost of Rs10 billion has been resumed, while three key water sector projects face funding shortfall.

In general, there has been an increase in exports in the country. According to the Pakistan Statistical Bureau (PSB), higher shipments to China, and exports to nine regional countries resulted in a year-on-year growth of 14.3 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year. Pakistan’s merchandise exports increased for the second month in a row after a year-long downward trend, data released by PBS. In absolute terms, the exports were recorded at $2.70 billion in October against $2.38 billion over the corresponding month of last year (20222), amounting to a growth of 13.55 percent. The textile and clothing exports recovered, with a recorded growth of 5.92 percent, with exports rising to $1.44 billion, up from $1.35billion in the same month last year.

Similarly, raw food products saw an export surge of almost 60 percent in October. Apart from basmati rice, meat exports were worth $152.58 million in the 4MFY24 in comparison to $128.46 million over last year, achieving a growth of 18.77 percent. Increase in meat exports is based on reaching new markets that include Jordan, Egypt, and Uzbekistan.

From February to August, sugar export figures reached 248,854 tons against no exports recorded over the comparable period of last year. Fruit exports, in the first four months of the FY24 increased 13.53 percent to $108.99 million against $96.003 million over last year. All other food exports increased by13.88 percent to $404.52 million in the first four months of the FY24 from $355.22 million in comparison to the corresponding months of last year. In the same period, only fish and fish product exports worth $123.86 million saw a decline of 7.96 percent from a year ago of $134.57 million.

Fish and fish exports have declined. However, Pakistan has successfully secured a two-year extension (December 2025) to continue the commercial export of fish and fish products to the United States. This decision by the US administration exempts Pakistan from adhering to the standards outlined in the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 2016, to offer additional time for aligning fishing practices with US environmental standards.

The result of increased food exports resulted in higher prices for consumers at home. It has been reported that ‘unchecked exports’ resulted in a high food inflation of 29 percent in October, 2023, making access to essential food items such as wheat flour, rice, sugar, meat and vegetables difficult.

Contesting news reports point to, at the least, lack of coherency in food and agricultural directives. There have been unprecedented high sugar prices at PRK 200/kg that resulted in the ECC imposing an export ban from August 10, 2023.A relevant point regarding sugar production is though profits accumulated by the sugar industry, there is big gap in fair prices for sugarcane. The caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh, fixed the minimum price of sugar cane at PKR 425 per 40 kg, whereas Punjab has fixed it at PKR 400 for the same quantity. However, in Punjab, farmers have rejected the sugarcane support price demanding that it should be raised to PKR 500 per 40 kg, at least. Various farmers’ platforms have been contesting the price, as well as highlighting the bias in favor of the industry and not farmers.

Similar tussle is apparent with respect to government policy and industry. The Pakistan Flour Mills Association has rejected the wheat issue price of PKR 4,700 per 40kg announced by the food authorities. The Association pointed out that adding PKR 800 per 40kg as incidental charges to the cost of grain procured by the government at PKR 3,900 per 40kg from the farmers was not fair.

The question of food security is also quite muddled. The National Food Security Ministry has announced that the country has well-stocked wheat reserves, as federal and provincial food departments have total stock of 6.934 million tons of wheat. At the same time, according to European traders, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), has issued an international tender to purchase and import 110,000 metric tons of wheat.

The presence of ‘trawler mafia’ in Gwadar robbing the local fishermen in Makran of their livelihood is being raised, as well. Chairman Hidayatur Rehman Baloch, Haq Do Tehreek (HDT) has pointed out human rights abuses faced by the Tehreek in advocating for their rights; in spite of promises by the previous government, workers and leaders holding protests have been tortured and arrested.

Apart from the fisher folk facing scarce livelihood there is also ongoing marine ecological crisis which also fails to get government attention.

According to a World Bank study in Pakistan, there was a link between malnutrition and poor quality of water which inhibited the absorption of healthy minerals in the body. According to Dr Alvi, the President of Pakistan, climate and water emergency had exposed the underlying dysfunctions in global, national, and local economies, that failed to produce economic, environmental, and social justice for people. He proposed developing platforms with the involvement of the communities to encourage them to follow preparedness, and resilience initiatives on water conservation

Climate change and rising global temperatures have affected marine ecosystems, as well as fresh water upstream of the Indus River delta. A result has been a decline in fish catch, impacting fisherfolk’s income. The Ministry of Food Security, Government of Pakistan through its Fisheries Development Board will develop a digital link through a website to bring together various stakeholders (farmers, auctioneers, whole-sellers, processors and retailers); the website will be providing fish farmers information on market price as well as demand for fish in in national local markets. Public and private sectors will be supported to further fish production, especially in in Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkha, shortly. One does wonder though, can the vast bulk of fisherfolk engage in such a digital platform?

Pakistan and China are emphasizing controlling livestock diseases, so as to enhance the growth potential in order to increase per animal production and solve livestock health issues. The federal government has provided PKR 36.6 million, Export Development Fund to build a ‘center of excellence’ at an estimated cost of Rs200 million to protect the Kinnow crop against different diseases.

One has to ask, are these measures for the majority who comprise of small and landless farmers, fisherfolk, or is for the rich industrial sector, and the traders?

Pakistan remains a highly indebted country. The past months have shown Pakistan to be near bankruptcy and default. Almost four months down the road things remain on shaky footings. Based on AidData, US international development research institution, Pakistan is the third biggest recipient of Chinese development finance worldwide; only two per cent of China’s portfolio in Pakistan between 2000 and 2021 consisted of grants while the rest was in the form of loans. 2017 onwards, Chinese finance has been mostly for rescue loans rather than developmental projects.

Saudi Arabia has rolled over the $3 billion deposit facility for another year to support State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves which may fall to below $4 billion in case the amount is withdrawn.

Pakistan’s development policy has included attracting international investment. The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has been playing a key role in Pakistan and Kuwait venturing into seven Memorandum of Understandings for investments amounting to $10 billion, in various fields such as mining, food security and environment. Similarly, under the SIFC, leaders of UAE and Pakistan, witnessed by the Chief of Army Staff, have also signed MoUs worth billions of dollars to boost economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

It is expected that there will be no roadblocks to the IMF’s release of about $710 million second tranche of $3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA), most probably to be released in December. However, the Fund, and the World Bank have raised concerns over SIFC, advising against creation of a group of preferred investors.

At the same time, industry leaders in the country want the government to seek other sources of cheaper external financing; the current business environment is difficult due to the high electricity, gas and petroleum prices.

The thrust of neoliberalism continues to be trade and investment, along with privatization. Privatization of PIA, and outsourcing of airport operations are still on the books. Climate crisis continues to be a major disruptive force in economic development especially agriculture. Global warming is ever present, to play havoc with agriculture production as well as communities. For instance, Himalayan glaciers are supposed to lose up to 75 percent of their ice by the century’s end, according to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain. Avalanches, and lake bursts are a feature of Northern areas of Pakistan.

An Islamabad-based climate change expert has pointed to the use of fossil fuels in energy, transport, industries and agriculture for the emission of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide and methane), which are the main reason for escalating global temperatures. As has been iterated numerous times, Pakistan’s global carbon emissions are less than one percent.

According to the caretaker Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Pakistan is facing a trade-off between raising climate finance and development finance, as seeking money for climate finance negatively impacts development finance. The country needs an estimated investment of $340 billion to address climate and development challenges between 2023 and 2030.

Given the continued price escalation in essential goods and services, especially food, energy and transport, and lack of decent livelihood, there have been many protests happening across the country. While Metrobus security staff have been protesting as they had not been paid their salaries for three months, Karachi University, and Karakoram University students have been agitating against tuition fee hike. In Punjab University, students were marching for revival of student unions in educational institutions across the country.

The brutal war by the Zionist State of Israel continues and people across Pakistan, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, have been standing in solidarity with Palestinians across the country. In particular, the presence of schoolchildren in street marches is noteworthy given the US-led Zionist aggression in Palestine has been especially targeting children.

The Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity in collaboration with Asian Peasant Coalition (APC), Pesticide Action Network (PAN AP) are marking the “World Hunger Day’ on October 16, 2023 – a day which is considered to be World Food Day. A peasant gathering (JALSA) has been organized in Ghotki, Sindh.

According to a recent report by UNICEF and the World Bank, about 333 million children (one in every six children) worldwide live in extreme poverty, while 62 million children in South Asia are living in extreme poverty. The World Food Programme estimates that 345 million people worldwide suffer from severe hunger, while according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the number of people suffering from hunger in the world in 2022 was between 691 million and 783 million. According to a recent UN statement, another 745 million people could suffer from severe hunger this year. Apparently, we are in the 21st century, and it seems that high technological advances are also taking place, but the world is facing increasing hunger, with rural women being the most disadvantaged, who are not only suffering from hunger and malnutrition but also deprived of proper employment and ownership of their personal land, especially agricultural land.

Given that Pakistan has been ranked 99th out of 129 nations in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report, where the level of hunger has been described as serious; food agencies such as World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), believe that more than eight million people are expected to experience “high levels of acute food insecurity.”

The situation has not been created in just a day – it is the consistent promotion of neoliberal policies that have pushed for trade liberalization in food and agriculture that have resulted in such a dire situation.

The intense land concentration, with just 5% feudal families having control over 67% of land is of course also a critical reason behind not only rising hunger but the intense indebtedness of the country. The small number of elite who govern our country has pushed it into an abyss of debt and pauperization; at the moment Pakistan has a debt of $85 billion which has resulted in a severe economic crisis forcing austerity measures on the people. The government has been begging for aid from different sources, and since beggars cannot be choosers agricultural land is being offered for lease to foreign entities. The government has created entities such as the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) that have an extraordinary presence of the armed forces. The SIFC is paying particular attention to privatization and investment, especially in food and agriculture, and will result in massive food exports. In addition, there is now land also being leased for corporate farming, with corporations being given priority over farmers, especially small and landless farmers. This is only going to have further grave consequences for rural communities, the bedrock of our society.

As a result of the IMF conditionalities, the prices of fuel have risen astronomically making it difficult for small farmers to continue food production. The rising debt of the farming community will end in exacerbating landlessness in the country.

The solution lies in not putting the country up for sale but in building self-reliance in food agriculture and national industry. Corporations and foreign direct investment will only leach the country of its resources, while reaping rich profits off our land and labor. It is critical at this juncture that we adopt food sovereignty as the base for our food and agriculture policy, with center space given to small and landless farmers, especially women in policy development and implementing. There is no doubt that by making just and equitable land distribution a priority can help the country to break the shackles of debt and pauperization, and also help in establishing a national industry.

Let us fight for Food Sovereignty, for Climate Justice, for National Sovereignty!

Released by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT);

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Tehreek provincial coordinator Fayyaz Khan said that inflation had badly affected landless farmers and industrial workers but the government was unable to provide any relief to them.

Flanked by a group of farmers and members of the Tehreek, he said that poor had no other option but to raise their voice by holding protests and setting up hunger strike camps across the country.

Fayyaz Khan said that government should immediately refuse to accept all capitalist, feudal and imperialist policies and the conditions of International Monetary Fund, otherwise the issues would worsen with passing of time and the rulers would be unable to control the situation.

He said that instead of imposing taxes on poor, the government should impose an agricultural tax on landlords and the people owning more than 150 acres of land. He added that the government should also impose tax on real estate and include farmers and labourers in decision-making so that the country could be steered out of the crises and to put on the path of development.

Fayyaz Khan said that owing to flawed policies of the government, people were stuck in the quagmire of poverty, unemployment and inflation. He said that farmers had been forced to abandon farming as a result of IMF’s conditions. He said that energy crisis in the country was also result of the IMF conditions.

He said that the skyrocketing prices of food and other commodities had clearly pushed the working class of the country to the brink of destruction, resulting in an exodus of the rural population to cities.

He demanded of the government to take on board farmers and labourers about the decision-making process and policies to steer the country out of the economic crisis at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2023

https://www.dawn.com/news/1774071/govt-asked-to-impose-taxes-on-landlords-instead-of-peasants

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Monday, PKMT secretary Wali Haider highlighted unending misery of peasants and landless farm workers and said today farmers were being compelled to abandon their land, factories were shutting down, and a staggering number of workers were losing their livelihoods.

“Under the oppressive working conditions, women farmers and workers are enduring economic hardship, hunger, poverty and social exploitation. The skyrocketing prices of food and commodities, especially the soaring electricity bills, have pushed Pakistan’s working population to the brink, forcing rural communities to migrate to urban centres and abroad, often resorting to illegal means, even at the risk of imprisonment or loss of life,” he said.

The crisis had spawned grave social issues and deteriorated law and order in the country, he added.

He informed the audience that farmers had held protests today (Sept 4) in different parts of the country including Shikarpur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Haripur, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Sahiwal and Rajanpur, against the ongoing crippling inflation.

Dr Azra Talat Sayeed of Roots for Equity said the government was responsible for the “intense economic debacle” gripping the nation.

“The PKMT represents the interests of small and landless peasants and workers who vehemently reject the policies of global capitalist and imperialist system. We stand united against the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organisation (WTO), and their agreements, which have plunged workers, the small and landless farmers into depths of hunger, poverty, unemployment and ever sharpening inflation.”

The speakers regretted that while the IMF-driven conditionalities had led to intense misery in the lives of a vast majority of Pakistanis, the country’s elite class continued to burden the national exchequer with free electricity, oil, gas, and illicit expenditures in the name of state benefits.

The gravity of the situation, they said, demanded an immediate shift towards pro-people policies.

“We categorically reject the government’s rising utility rates in response to the current economic crisis, Rather than imposing additional burden on the people, we demand the government implement an agricultural tax on landlords owning more than 50 acres of land, especially the minority feudal elite, as well as enforce taxes on real estate,” said Mr Haider.

He also demanded just and equitable land distribution as a way of increasing self-sufficiency and government support to local manufacturers.

Allah Dino of PKMT said the grave situation was forcing the poor peasants to seek loans from microfinance schemes at high interest rates that they could not pay back. Consequently, they faced abuse and threats from lenders, he said.

“The government should extend subsidies to agriculture and agricultural inputs, especially electricity, petrol, and essential products in order to bring relief to the working class. Besides, steps are needed to create decent employment opportunities,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2023

https://www.dawn.com/news/1774089/govt-urged-to-impose-agriculture-tax-on-big-landlords

Press Release | September 4, 2023

The Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity forcefully and emphatically voices its protest against the intense economic debacle gripping our nation. On September 4, 2023, PKMT has declared a nationwide Protest Day against the ongoing crippling inflation. Protests are being staged in Shikarpur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Haripur, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Sahiwal, Rajanpur, while press conferences are being held in Peshawar, Multan, and Karachi.

PKMT represents the interests of small and landless peasants and workers who vehemently reject the policies of the global capitalist and imperialist system. We stand united against the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), and their agreements, including the SPS and Codex Alimentarius policies, which have plunged workers, the small and landless farmers into depths of hunger, poverty, unemployment, and ever sharpening inflation.

Today, farmers are being compelled to abandon their land, factories are shutting down, and a staggering number of workers are losing their livelihoods. Under the oppressive patriarchal system, women farmers and workers are enduring the double burden of economic hardship, hunger, poverty, and social exploitation. The skyrocketing prices of food and commodities, especially the soaring electricity bills, have pushed Pakistan’s working population to the brink, forcing rural communities to migrate to urban centers and abroad, often resorting to illegal means, even at the risk of imprisonment or loss of life. This crisis has spawned grave social issues and deteriorating law and order situations in the country.

While the IMF-driven conditionalities have led to intense misery in the lives of a vast majority of Pakistani masses, suffer the indignities of poverty, and unemployment the country’s elite class burden the national exchequer with free electricity, oil, gas, and illicit expenditures in the name of state benefits.

We categorically reject the government’s rising utility rates in response to the current economic crisis and strongly condemn the insubstantial and unsatisfactory proposals to address these costs. Rather than imposing additional burdens on the people, we demand the government implement an agricultural tax on landlords owning more than 50 acres of land, especially the minority feudal elite, as well as enforcement of taxation on real estate.

The gravity of the situation demands an immediate shift towards pro-people policies that reject the policies of international financial institutions (IFIs) as the primary culprits responsible for this crisis, alongside the vested interests of the local ruling elite.

PKMT firmly repudiates neoliberal policies, which are inherently anti-farmer and anti-labor reforms, and believes that such measures run counter to the welfare and sovereignty of marginalized segments of our society and our nation. Our country’s land, livestock, and natural resources are being surrendered to imperialistic powers in connivance with local elites, rendering us helpless against imperialism.

PKMT demands that the government promptly renounce all capitalist, feudal, and imperialist policies and IMF conditions. These conditions have been shaped by loans sought by the elite for their luxuries. It is imperative for the state to prioritize the interests of its citizens over those of imperialist countries and multinational corporations. Immediate steps must be taken to create decent employment opportunities for workers and peasants, alongside a just and equitable land redistribution program. Subsidies must be extended to agriculture and agricultural inputs, especially electricity, petrol, and other essential products, in order to bring relief to the working class of our nation.

Released by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) & Roots for Equity

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek held its 14^th Annual Conference from October 15 -16 at Renewal Centre, Lahore and simultaneously, held panel discussions and demonstrations to mark International Rural Women’s Day and World Hunger Day. During the events, speakers held corporate entities, IFIs and neoliberal policies accountable for creating food systems that are directly responsible for the hunger, malnourishment and economic destitution of more than a billion.

Azra Sayeed, Roots for Equity exposed corporate hijack of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, highlighting the role of the World Economic Forum, and foundations especially, the Gates Foundation and philanthropies who have provided corporate-driven policies depriving farmers of land, livelihood and food by funding technology intense systems in third world countries; the entire UNFSS was termed as nothing but a hallmark of false solutions to hunger e.g. pre-mixed therapeutic food that accrues billions of dollars in profit for corporations. Wali Haider, PKMT General Secretary highlighted the neoliberal policies in food and agriculture introduced in Pakistan amidst the pandemic reflecting much of the neocolonial policies emitting from the UNFSS. These policies are a fresh wave of attacks on small and landless farmers in Pakistan, embedded in the Pakistan Agricultural Transformation Plan, Kisan Card scheme, CPEC’s agricultural policies and livestock development programs. Policy features of digitalization of the agricultural economy, value chain strengthening and cluster-based food production panders to the corporate lobby, facilitates corporate land grab for export-oriented production, benefits landlords and industrialists and captures natural resources e.g. water, agricultural land, forests and rare minerals for company use. Essentially, it is a blueprint of UNFSS’s vision for food systems transformation and completely overrides small farmers’ rights to land and livelihood.

According to Raja Mujeeb, Steering Committee member, PKMT, the Global People’s Summit, a Global-South counter to the UNFSS main objective was to mobilize landless farmers, agricultural workers, indigenous peoples, fisherfolk and rural women across the world to develop a People’s Action Plan and draw up a Declaration for a people-led radical transformation of the current food regimes towards just, equitable, healthy, and sustainable food systems. The GPS is a testimony of the people’s collective resistance against the global corporate food empire and a call for genuine food systems transformation.

As part of the panel on movements and struggles, Asif Khan, PKMT Steering Committee member, presented an overview and analysis of peoples’ struggles and movements across the world, saying that revolutionary politics and direct action is the only way to grant farmers complete rights overall productive resources and complete autonomy and decision making in food and agriculture.

A number of other activities highlighted Rural Women’s Day with a tribute to rural women for the formal and informal, paid and unpaid work in food and agriculture. PKMT also celebrated 10 years of its struggle for seed sovereignty by holding a seed mela with indigenous seeds from all over Pakistan.

In addition, a protest was held as part of the Global Day of Action against IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings. The protest actions called for an immediate TRIPS waiver, debt cancellation and an end to resource plunder and greenwashing practices in the name of development.

Demands:

• Implementation of agroecological approaches to agriculture based on food sovereignty principles that center peasants’ right to land and collective rights over all critical productive resources, in order to create just, equitable, healthy and sustainable food systems that ensure safe and nutritious food for all;

• Recognition of the role that women and rural communities play in conserving plant and animal genetic resources through agricultural practices rooted in traditional knowledge;

• Boycott all neoliberal corporate-led platforms, policies and action plans such as UNFSS and bilateral and multilateral trade agreements such as the RCEP, CPTPP and others that allow the monopolization of global trade by TNCs;

• Provide climate justice now by demanding greater accountability and higher compensation for solutions from countries with a higher level of development who have destroyed Earth’s life systems due to extractive and polluting capitalist production model.

Release by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT)

July 1, 2021

On July 1, 2021, Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity held a webinar to launch their joint campaign titled “Building a Healthy Planet: Promoting Safe and Nutritious Food for All.”

Mr. Tariq Mehmood provided an overview of the campaign with its objective of sensitizing small producers, consumers and society in general regarding the human and environmental cost of corporate-controlled and chemical-intensive industrial agricultural production and promoting the use of agroecology and food sovereignty as an antidote to corporate agriculture.

Dr. Azra Talat Sayeed from Roots for Equity highlighted the need for an alliance of progressive voices and platforms in urban and rural areas that can struggle for access to safe and nutritious food for all, especially in the face of a global crisis the Covid-19 pandemic. She highlighted the urgent need for solidarity amongst small producers, industrial workers, consumers, academics, women, youth and other actors in the struggle for food sovereignty. According to her, that was the most needful act as a way forward in the face of multiple social, economic and political factors that are impacting food production and consumption. She highlighted the numerous crises including food and economic crisis, environmental, health and climate among others. Dr Sayeed identified the role of corporate agriculture along with other imperialist institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other institutions that should be held accountable for the destruction of the environment and sharply rising global inequities, including rising hunger.

Shaheen Mahar, a PKMT member from Ghotki, highlighted women farmers’ immense, unparalleled labour and demanded immediate redressal for the injustices they face, especially their lack of access to food, let alone safe and nutritious food. In the face of Covid-19, women are facing acute hunger as well as lack of decent livelihood. She stressed the need for not only women’s right to land but implementation of land ownership for women farmers. She pointed out that the ongoing trade liberalization and corporatization of the dairy sector along with government-led crackdowns on the sale of raw milk are a direct threat to rural women’s livelihoods and their right to food sovereignty. Shaheen also elaborated on the gendered impact of chemical pesticide usage; since women agriculture workers are extensively involved in pesticide application, they face numerous health risks due to direct exposure to toxic pesticides.

Asif Khan, a farmer from Haripur and PKMT Steering Committee member stressed the need for self-reliance in food and agriculture production. He emphasized that unchecked industrial development, capitalist first-world countries and fossil-fuel driven corporate agriculture are responsible for environmental destruction, climate crisis and are a source of a high percentage of past and present emissions. Yet, it is small and landless farmers in third world countries, along with other marginalized groups, who disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change. Asif critiqued the inequitable nature of the world food system; despite having tenuous access and ownership rights to land and other productive resources, small farmers toil ceaselessly to produce most of the world’s food. He stressed the need for an alternate just and equitable food system as the basis for healthy, nutritious food production.

Mr. Zahoor Joya presented an outline of the scheduled activities for the campaign starting from today and continuing until October 16, 2021, culminating in programs to mark 15^th and 16^th October as the International Day for Rural Women, and World Food Day which PKMT and Roots for Equity mark as World Hunger Day.

Demands:

• An end to poisonous agricultural inputs and an end to monopolistic control of TNCs in the food and agriculture sector;

• Provision of food and agriculture laws that promote agroecological food production as a safe, viable & sustainable alternative to corporate agriculture;

• Mobilization of peasant movements to fight for their right to self-reliance and self-determination in food production & distribution;

• Promotion of healthy and nutritious cultural foods like local fruits and vegetables, milk, desi ghee, butter and lassi as opposed to mass-produced, processed foods devoid of nutrition

• Repeal of detrimental neoliberal food and agriculture policies that impede farmers’ right to decent livelihood

• Prioritize just, equitable and genuine land reforms that allow land redistribution to landless farmers (including women agriculture workers) along with control over all productive resources;

• Farmers’ access to and control over reliable markets for agricultural and non-agricultural products

• Small and landless farmers’ access to government credit schemes, government subsidies and social security benefits.

Dr. Azra Talat Sayeed of Roots for Equity and Chairperson IWA highlighted the continuously negative spin in attaining basic rights in women lives, the escalation in the oppression and exploitation at the national and international levels: all due to the increasing grip of capitalism through neoliberal policies. Profit-seeking capitalist forces have introduced modern technology in food and agriculture sector which pave the way in increasing landlessness, gender discrimination, violence, hunger and poverty in Pakistan and other third world countries. In Pakistan, women particularly women agricultural workers faces different kind of exploitations under feudalism and capitalism. Agricultural women workers not only face economic and gender discrimination but also face mental and physical violence, illiteracy among others. In the past years sugarcane production has wiped out cotton production, which had still provided an income for women, though it had dire impacts on the environment and women’s health as well as all living things. The need for skilled trained women may be the reason that the generally feudal-minded Sindh Government has passed the Sindh Women Agriculture Workers Bill. There is no doubt that if women ware incorporated in the planned special economic zones, they will face further exploitation and feudalism in a highly feudal society.

While detailing imperialist policies in the Dairy sector PKMT member Pathani and an activist Ms. Ayman Baber highlighted the impacts on women. After corporate capture of seeds, the WTO’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement being implemented through the Pure Food Laws which will lead to control of the corporate sector on livestock, fodder and the output of the diary sector in which a large number of women are engaged, especially in Punjab and Sindh. Corporate capture of these sectors will gain huge profits not only in the lucrative local markets but also through exports. These policies will result in market hegemony erosion of livelihood of millions of peasant and farmers across the country. The impact on women and children will be multifold, as they will not only loose a rich source of food and nutrition but also the income from milk and livestock. The recent National Nutrition Survey has already well documented the extreme levels of hunger and malnutrition that women and children in the country face: the Pure Food Laws will only result in further aggravating the situation. It was also stated that food fortification policies that are ostensibly an answer to the malnutrition are only a profit-seeking industry for the mega-corporations of North America and Europe.

A young women PKMT member Ms. Roop Kanwal highlighted the impacts of Patriarchy and its deep inter-linkages with feudalism and capitalism. She highlighted the lack of women’s control over productive resources, production and income with men maintaining a death hold on all decision making processes in women’s lives. Patriarchy is the base through which, women being used as a commodity intensifies violence against women on a daily basis.

Rabia Bukhari, Roots for Equity detailed the importance of agroecology in opposing capitalist policies in food and agriculture as well as overcoming the impacts of climate change. She highlighted saving and promoting biodiversity and the critical need for adopting natural forms of agriculture to preserve our natural resources. These methods would allow for production of safe, nutritious foods, sustainable agriculture as well sustainable decent livelihood for rural communities, especially women and gain us food sovereignty.

Noor Ahmed, PKMT District Coordinator Tando Mohammad Khan introduced the PKMT Jazba Farmer’s Cooperative, an initiative to consolidate sustainable agriculture practices and allow farmers to provide safe nutrition to the communities at large. Zahida Meerani a PKMT member from Ghotki shared different methods of production being adopted by farmers in PKMT Jazba cooperative farms as well as the need for women to increase not only their membership but also voice in the decision-making process in PKMT.

Provincial Coordinator, Khyber Pakhtunkwa Faiz Ahmed while addressing the women’s assembly highlighted the importance of the International Women’s Day. Without women being equally represented in movements, neither resistances can be built nor rights attained. He stressed it was critical that women from every province made their presence felt in the Tehreek. He deplored the recent attack on women, especially highlighting extremely uncivil verbal abuse against women on media that was aired without censorship. There is no place for abuse against women whether it was verbal, physical, emotional or sexual. Women hold equal rights to men in society and these should be upheld at all times. It is for workers’ and farmers’ movements to ensure that women hold command space in forcing movements forward in our fight against exploitation and oppression embedded in patriarchy, feudalism and capitalism.

As part of the Women’s Global Strike being coordinated by APWLD, women chanted various slogans, especially “If Women Stop, the World Stops”, “Women are the backbone of World Economy”, and “Movements Not Possible without Women” “ Women’s Equality! If not now, then when?” and “Stop Imperialist Agriculture Policies”.

Released by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) & Roots for Equity