Recently, over 500 feminist leaders from 38 countries across Asia and the Pacific region gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the 4th Asia Pacific Feminist Forum (APFF 2024) to deliberate upon their collective journeys for building a world that is free of patriarchy, corporate capitalism, imperialism and colonialism, militarism and religious fundamentalism.
A feminist fossil-fuel free world is one where development justice is a reality for everyone. In other words, in a feminist world, a socially just and ecologically sustainable way of life for everyone (and our planet) becomes a reality.

They analyzed the current systemic and structural oppressive forces behind injustices prevailing in the region; envisioned a feminist world that is free, just and able to support all of us on this planet, leaving no one behind; and explored the strategies needed to create such a feminist world order based on the development justice model.

Where are we today?

Over the last 40 years or so, the global economic and political system dictated by corporate capitalism has defined a development model that has channeled wealth, power and resources from the working peoples to the rich (less than 1% of global population), and from developing countries to a few wealthy countries. It has increased forced labour migration and caused finance, environment, food and energy crises which continue to devastate lives in the Global South.

Corporate capture is abetted by militarism

Azra Talat Sayeed, a firebrand development justice activist and Executive Director of Roots for Equity, calls corporate capture to be akin to imperialism. Imperialism is defined as a state policy and practice of extending power and dominance especially by territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas. And this is exactly what corporations do- they get hold of our resources, our markets and the people.

For Azra, out of the two aspects of imperialism – economic control and militarism- the latter is the key issue confronting us today. “Militarism is used as a social tool to extend territory and gain strong economic and political advantages. An unholy alliance between military of the state, the state’s bureaucracy and the defense corporations guides government policies. But we rarely talk about the defense corporations and/or the defense industry. These defense corporations are minting a lot of profit from killing people, and looting our communities,” points out Azra.
In fact as per a report, revenue earned by the top 25 defense corporations in 2022 was USD 407.8 billion.
Latest data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows that total global military expenditure reached US$ 2.4 Trillion in 2023 – an increase of 6.8% from 2022. This was the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009. The 10 largest spenders in 2023—led by the United States, China and Russia—all increased their military spending.

Compared to this, UN’s regular and peacekeeping budget for 2023 was US$ 3.4 billion which is a mere 0.15% of US$ 2.4 Trillion. Another point of interest is that USA, UK, and France which are among the top 10 military spenders, are also members of the UN Security Council, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) and the most powerful of the G7 countries.
Azra rues that, “How can we think of having peace, when these countries are reflected in the peace keeping measures as Security Council members. Everybody talks about violence, but nobody talks of the violence of corporations, of militarism, of imperialist countries.”
She advises that feminist research needs to focus more on the defense industry and related issues, which unfortunately is not happening now.

The debt crisis

Developing countries are facing the worst debt crisis in history with a growing and high cost of external debt. Asia and Oceania hold 27 % of global public debt. Overall, a total of 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on either education or health.

According to the Global Sovereign Debt Monitor report, in 2024, countries in the Global South have to make more debt service payments to their external creditors than ever before. For 45 countries, more than 15% of government revenue flows into debt servicing. Due to high debt service payments, many countries are struggling to service their debts resulting in their cutting back on investments in health, education, social protection, and climate change measures.
Calling the debt crisis as yet another frightening manifestation of corporate capture, Sarala Emmanuel, founder member of the Feminist Collective for Economic Justice, Sri Lanka, points out debt services are absorbing around 45% of the budget revenues of 144 developing countries on paying back their creditors, and of the 32 countries with the heaviest debt service burdens compared to revenue, 10 countries are in Asia.

Who holds these debts?

Multilateral organisations, including the World Bank, hold 46% of the debt of countries who were eligible for debt service suspension initiative of the World Bank; commercial creditors hold 19.5% and bond holders hold 13%, shares Sarala.
She cites the example of her own country: “Sri Lanka is facing a severe economic crisis and has signed its 17th agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), obtaining a loan of US$ 3 billion for a period of 48 months.The Sri Lankan Parliament has passed the economic transformation bill in July this year, to implement severe austerity measures as part of the loan’s conditionalities. By passing numerous legislations that have enshrined IMF diktats, the government has curtailed the rights of its citizens to decide their own economic future. The current state of affairs is one of systemic discrimination and exploitation and reduces workers to bonded labour. Meanwhile under the guise of domestic debt structuring, the retirement pensions of working class have been reduced. The collusion of elite class interest with international lenders has never been so explicitly visible than under the current government.”

She wonders, that how, under the current debt scenario, can one make the government realise that public services like free healthcare, education and universal social security nets are imperative for society and that austerity measures curtailing them will only perpetrate an endless cycle of crisis.

Religious fundamentalism

For Zainah Anwar, a women’s rights activist from Malaysia and co-founder and Chairperson of Musawah, the world today is even less democratic and less safe than what it was a decade ago. The current ground realities have debunked the development theory that as countries develop and modernise, religion becomes less important in the public sphere of governance and policy.

She cautions against the rise of religious fundamentalism in countries and the hegemony of these despotic voices to abuse religion for political gain to perpetuate power, privilege and authority.

“The fact is that many of us in the Global South do not live in countries where there is a separation of religion and state, let alone religion and politics. The reality is that we live in countries where religion- in this particular context – Islam, is the source of law, and public policy,” said Zainah.

“We continue to see the rise of anti-democratic forces, anti-gender equality forces, conservative and fundamentalist actors, and in particular those who use religion, culture, and tradition to sustain the patriarchal and discriminatory agendas. These actors seek to demonise human rights, women’s rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and rights of gender diverse communities. They frame our demands for justice, equality and non-discrimination as anti-national and a threat to society, and to family values, and are calling back achievements in law reforms made in earlier decades,” added Zainah.
“What is worse is that most of the world leaders display no political will and courage to confront this anti-rights forces – in fact many are in unholy alliances with them. They benefit from the power of mobilisation, and politics of hate and exclusion, perpetuated by these forces in a world troubled by inequality, injustice, and uncertainty,” rightly said Zainah.

Economic growth versus gender justice in South Korea

South Korea ranks as the 14th largest economy in the world and the 4th largest in Asia. However, Kyungjin Oh, Executive Director of Korea Women’s Associations United, sees the current neoliberal policies of the country as a threat to women’s rights, which are being ignored in the development agenda of the country.

“Despite all the positive global images of my country, we are still struggling with deep rooted gender-based discrimination and violence, and growing voices from backlash groups. While there have been strong women’s movements in the country, there has also been a growing anti-feminist sentiment. South Korea’s current President Yoon Suk-Yeol took office in 2022 with the support of such backlash groups with anti-feminist agenda. During these two years of his Presidency, he has taken numerous regressive steps impacting women’s rights. One of his first actions, after attaining power, was to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality, stating officially that there is no gender discrimination anymore in the Korean society. Since then, there have been severe cutbacks on gender equality policies, especially the project on support for protection of victims of gender-based violence.”
Kyungjin Oh categorises these regressive steps as delegitimising the value of women’s rights and women’s progressive movements.

Rising power of the gender binary ideology and fundamentalism is another negative outcome. “Anti-rights groups and ultra-conservative politics are trying to expand alliances for the value of traditional family norms under the frame of intersecting life, family and nation. The role of women is being emphasised ‘as having a child and doing domestic care’. And women who do not conform to these traditional family norms- like unmarried women, gender diverse groups- are stigmatised as not contributing to the country’s development,” she said.

Growing militarism is also being used as a weapon to attack women’s rights in South Korea. As the country tries to increase its military presence in east Asia, under the frame of national security, military spending is prioritised over the spending on women and social welfare systems. Anti-feminist sentiment among young men is getting stronger, who see women as those who only claim their own rights, without fulfilling the national obligation of compulsory military service. There have been severe cuts for women in marginalised groups. More than 50% of women are in irregular employment and in many cases the wage gap is more than 30%- which is the highest among all OECD countries. 50% of old women are living in poverty.

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.

We mark the Rural Women’s Day with grave concern! Though we are now in the 21st Century, and there is high technological development, the world is facing rising hunger, with rural women being at the highest rung of being the most marginalized, suffering from hunger,  hunger wages, and hunger for a piece of land of our own.

Women farmers, though almost all are landless are the backbone of the agriculture economy. Seeds cannot be sown, land cannot be looked after, livestock cannot be cared and bred, harvests cannot be cut without women. In Pakistan, all food crops, especially wheat are harvested by women’s back-breaking labor, almost all cotton is picked by women, and livestock is cared for by women but even after this hard labor, the rural women peasants are the most marginalized in society.

The imperialist world order dictates neoliberalism as a panacea for our misery and enforced poverty, but in fact, it is the base of our pauperization. From colonization to the present day, we the real tillers of land have been forcefully pushed off our lands. Feudal lords retain control of our land, and with the rise of imperialism, more and more corporate hegemony can be seen being imposed on food and agricultural systems.

It is the fossil fuel, profit-greedy production system that has now brought about the climate crisis. But imperialist powers are unwilling to change the unsustainable production and consumption, and we are left to suffer the intense destruction and damage of our land, homes, and livestock. Not only climate crisis, we also suffer the burden of an astronomical national debt which we never took! The austerity measures imposed by the IMF and World Bank are further crippling the food and agricultural production system.

Our government instead of leasing our land for the export of food should stand up to the capitalist nations demanding debt cancellation, ensuring just and equitable land distribution to the peasants, especially women, and ensuring safe and nutrition food for all that is free not only from chemical and genetic pollution but also free from corporate control. In short, we ask for a policy orientation that would fulfill our demands for food sovereignty, climate justice, economic and social justice, and accountability to the people.

Women Demand Food Sovereignty!

Women Demand Just and Equitable Land Distribution!

Women Demand Climate Justice!

Released by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT)

The impacts of the IMF conditionalities set in its Standby Agreement that was signed last month have become glaringly visible in this month, and strikes, street protests and rallies have been held across the country. In Kamoke, and many others areas in Punjab, people burnt their electricity bills raising slogans against the extreme hike in utility bills refusing to pay what they cannot afford. The situation was so volatile that in Islamabad, the Islamabad Electricity Supply Company, Iesco asked for police protection from consumers protesting inflated electricity bills.

Businesses represented by Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) and Businessmen Group have also strongly protested against the ‘unbearable’ escalation in electricity tariffs. These bills were deemed unaffordable by neither the common person, nor traders or small industrialists. However, the caretaker government which took over the running of the government on August 17, 2023, is unable to provide any relief to the people or industry given the conditionalities agreed upon with the IMF. According to the caretaker Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar Pakistan’s fiscal space did not allow any subsidy or relief. The message given was that electricity consumers need to ‘manage their expectations’ that had been raised by the caretaker Prime Minister Kakar. It was clear that the country’s governors had little space (and maybe even interest) to protect the interest of the people and the dictate of the neo-colonial rulers had to be towed.

There has also a sharp rise in water utility bills, and the Punjab government has notified more than 400 percent increase in water utility bills for five major cities of the province. Similarly, the prices of petrol and diesel have hit a record high; fuel prices have jumped by nearly PKR 40/litre in just 15 days. Business leaders have stated that rise in fuel prices will result in closure of 50 per cent of industrial units, and trigger mass unemployment. Trade and industry are already struggling to survive the power tariff hikes of almost PKR10/unit, and cannot bear the increase of PKR17.50 and PKR 20/litre in prices of petrol and diesel, respectively.

In Karachi, traders have launched the “livelihood protection movement” against the soaring petrol and electricity prices. At a traders’ convention representatives of over a dozen of trade bodies agreed to step up the movement to save their businesses.

Similar impact is being felt in agriculture and food production where high fuel prices have increased all associated costs in production including transport. Expensive chemical agriculture inputs are heavily impacted due to currency depreciation as well as fuel prices. According to the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB), prices of agricultural inputs continued to rise; fertiliser price had increased by 15pc to 20pc over the last few months. The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) demanded at least PKR450 per maund for sugarcane crop given the sharp increase in agriculture input costs. They have rejected PKR 425/40 kilograms of sugarcane that is being proposed by sugar mills. It was also pointed out that though the government has not raised gas price for the fertilizer industry, farmers are still being forced to pay a high price for fertilizer.

Some good news was a good cotton crop as the pest attacks remained insignificant, and it is expected that a high cotton production will save billions of US dollars in cotton imports. An agriculture think tank, Agriculture Republic has pointed out that the textile industrial have lagged behind in ensuring that farmers get a good price, such as PKR 8,500 per 40 kilograms of cotton.

Another welcome news was availability of sufficient water in water canals after recent rains across the country, which included water being released downstream in the Kotri Barrage as well. The country`s two major reservoirs Tarbela and Mangla are now almost full to capacity, turning into surplus the acute water shortage that marked beginning of the current Kharif season in April; it is expected that there is now sufficient water for this year as well as next year cropping season.

However, the feudal elite continue to amass irrigation water access for their own benefit. According to DAWN, farmers in the tail-end areas of Thatta district have unearthed numerous illegal cuts, outlets, barricades and pumping machines meant to block flow of Nari Chach (upper) irrigation channel to their areas. Farmers requesting anonymity as no doubt they feared the wrath of feudal power, claimed that the local irrigation officials and other employees were hand in glove with the influential landowners.

Inflation, measured by CPI, surged by 28.3 per cent in the first month of the current fiscal year mainly due to rising food and energy prices. Similarly, food inflation for July was 40.2pc and 41.3pc for urban and rural areas, respectively, whereas non-food inflation was 17.3pc in urban and 22pc in rural areas. Core inflation, which strips out food and energy, stood at 18.4pc in urban and 24.6pc in rural areas.

The rising hunger and poverty can be seen through reports on suicides that are being reported. In Mandi Bahauddin, a woman poisoned her three sons due to poverty, resulting in the death of two of them at the hospital, while the eldest one survived. A 28-year-old man hanged himself from a tree with a rope over poverty at in district Layyah. The man was the father of three girls and he was reportedly facing financial troubles. Police responded to a desperate call for help from a man at emergency 15 who told about hunger his family was going through for the last two days, warning of committing suicide. These tragic happenings are testimony to what the people are suffering.

While unable to provide relief to the people, the state is quite willing to take away livelihood and resources from the people. The Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Zaman has once again directed deputy commissioners to launch an operation against the illegal occupation of state land and encroachments. The Punjab government, through its various operations has claimed to have identified hundreds of thousands of acres of illegally occupied land. So, while, hundreds of thousands of agriculture land is the property of very power feudal elite as well as the defense forces, the landless farmers are being pushed off land. That ‘might is right’ is very evident in the policy arena in Pakistan. That indeed just and equitable land reforms are not considered a policy option is quite clear.

Voices have been raised by a number of organizations against the state’s disregard for small and landless peasants including sharecroppers and agricultural workers in various agriculture, livestock and fisheries sector. Though various laws such as the Sindh Tenancy Act of 1955, Sindh Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 2015, Sindh Agriculture Worker Women Act of 2019 and Sindh Industrial Relation Act of 2013 are present, they are not being implemented. A large majority of peasants, particularly sharecroppers and rural workers, especially women cotton pickers faced abject poverty, crippling debt bondage and persistent malnutrition, while landlords were pushing extra costs on the peasants that further result in hunger and poverty.

Loans and debts abound!

The above dismal situation is partly based on the debt-ridden situation of Pakistan. As of 31st March 2023, Pakistan’s total external public debt stood at $85.18 billion, with a reduction of $1.38 billion in total external public debt, as of December 2022.

The IMF stimulus package has resulted in inflows of foreign finance amounting to $5.1 billion in July. According to the finance ministry’s Economic Affairs Division, total foreign economic assistance received in July was $2.89 billion compared to $185.6 million of the same month last year, an increase of 1,454 per cent. This was in addition to $1.2 billion released by the International Monetary Fund on July 13 as the first tranche of the $3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) and $1bn by the United Arab Emirates. The bulk – $2bn — of foreign loans were from Saudi Arabia and a $508 million guaranteed loan to Pakistan Air Force by China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation. The division said that out of the $2.89 billion inflows, the bulk of $2.08 billion were received for budgetary support or programme loans and about $640 million as project aid.

Further, according to the Economic Affairs Division the government of Pakistan signed new loan agreements worth $7.228 billion with development partners during the first three-quarters (July-March) of the fiscal year 2022-23, compared to $11.321 billion during the same period of 2021-22.

Out of the total external public debt of $85.18 billion, the government owed $64 billion to multilateral and bilateral development partners including IMF. Meaning, more than two-thirds (i.e. 75 percent) of the total external public debt is on concessional terms with a longer maturity, 16 percent (i.e. $13.5 billion) from international capital markets and foreign commercial banks, and seven percent (i.e. $7 billion) of the total external public debt constitutes deposits from friendly countries (China and Saudi Arabia).

The government paid an amount of $12.922 billion during the period July-March 2023 on account of debt servicing of external public loans. This consists of principal repayment of $10.835 billion and interest payments of $2.087 billion.

The above figures show the vast burden of debt that the country is under, and the impact of this callosal debt is borne by the people, that can be well seen under the conditionalities imposed by the IMF.

Wither Accountability?

According to the Asian Development Bank, soaring food and fuel prices and the coronavirus pandemic have pushed nearly 70 million more people in Asia into extreme poverty last year. This sentiment is also expressed by the Governor Jameel Ahmad, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). According to him, the global economic conditions have largely contributed to higher inflation in Pakistan, and matters have exacerbated due to the floods in Pakistan. However, only floods have not resulted in the accumulation of such a massive debt and the blame has to be shared with one after the other incompetent governments run by elite classes of our country who have borrowed without showing any productive gain. One also needs to ask the lending institutions how they carry out their monitoring and evaluation? Accountability of the funds given and received seem to be totally lacking; while the elite, including bureaucracy continues to live with plenty, the poor are coerced to pay a debt they had no hand in incurring. Such are the results of so-called capitalist democracy, a system that is much sprouted for safeguarding human rights, women rights, the rights of the working class, peasants and minorities, among others.

The utter disregard for accountability is seen in the actions of an outgoing government. Just a day before its term reaching completion Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved a huge number of programs and policies. A six-month extension of the Kissan Package worth PKR 158 billion was carried out. Also, a ‘single-entity’ export processing status to Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) in Waziristan for mineral exports and revival of modified SME Asaan Finance (SAAF) Scheme were granted as well as a ‘gradual sovereign guarantee’ for about $3.475 billion worth of Chinese loans for a 1,200MW nuclear power plant were given. The ECC also approved the continuation of gas supply to two Punjab based fertiliser plants of Fatima Group till Oct 15 and issuance of a ‘State Support Agreement’ to provide financing comfort to prospective foreign operator of Islamabad International Airport set to be outsourced shortly. Eight development projects worth PKR 174 billion were also approved that included a World Bank financed Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement Project of the Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR) worth PKR 26.44 billion. The Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions approved the outsourcing of the Bulk and General Terminal at Karachi Port, East Wharf, to Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP) for 15 years.

The rapid agreement on development projects, including selling off national assets and privatization schemes have once again happened without any consultation with the people, the working class. The All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA) is questioning the federal government for not disclosing plans for privatisation; the facade of public-private partnership is being used for outsourcing feeders. The union officials have stated that they will stand up and fight the government’s policy of privatisation of power utilities.

The so-called democratic right to protest is not looked upon favorably by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) management and has lodged an FIR against its employees who were demanding askance at the proposed privatisation of the national flag carrier. It is indeed interesting that the common citizen is met with extreme resistance from the Police if she wants to lodge an FIR; however, it seems the PIA management has had to face no such difficulties. Such is the sorry tale of power and privilege in the country where the working class is criminalized for demanding rights, where the rich and the powerful run Scot free even in face of dire misdeeds.

The Persistent Mantra …trade liberalization in agriculture

In spite of the massive failing of neoliberalism in bringing prosperity to the country, our rulers continue to propagate the firm belief that they hold in the neoliberal capitalism and corporate control. According to Ms. Tanzila Umi Habiba, the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, modernizing agriculture could help in overcoming food and economic crisis. Modernizing means linking agriculture with the information technology sector. Academia also believes that our youth bulge could avail career opportunities by participating in joint ventures in the IT and agriculture sectors; they could use their innovating ideas in areas such agri-business, smart agriculture, GIS, remote sensing, and agricultural monitoring.

The Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) has approved research projects worth PKR 900 million that include development of superior canola quality lines in rapeseed and mustard; in the presence of the interim Agriculture Minister SM Tanveer, a board meeting approved 40 research plans — 31 relating to agriculture and nine pertaining to livestock. Rich landlords euphemistically called ‘progressive farmers’ have called for research on the horticulture sector so that Pakistan could also engage in exports in this sector.

National and international experts are advocating for establishment of joint forums that include national agricultural institutions, policymakers, and breeders for the improvement of the country’s livelihood and the food security. In context to seed, legislation and genetic inspection is being proposed to prevent defective seeds in the country and to certify imported seeds. Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have agreed to work together for strengthening research and development, on agriculture in Sindh and Balochistan to promote sustainable agriculture and improve living standards of the farming communities.

Similar emphasis is by various international development organizations. A high-profile event organized by FAO for a USAID-funded project “Livelihood and Food Security Improvement Activity” (LFSA), was attended by the Secretary Agriculture, KP, Director Generals and high-level government officials from agriculture research, extension, livestock and dairy development along with representatives from USAID, UN WOMEN and farmers’ representatives from Khyber and Mohmand districts. The project – a FAO collaboration with KP government, civil society organizations, the private sector will support 150,000 rural households including women farmers, over a period of four years. The aim is to improve livelihoods and food security of 150,000 households through agriculture-led growth in KP and flood-affected areas of Pakistan, adopting technological advancements for enhanced productivity and better livelihoods. The narrative is that the project will strengthen and modernize agriculture and livestock sectors, creating assets, and diversifying livelihood options.

Such ventures abound Pakistan’s development history, but to no avail. One is left to wonder how these projects are designed and evaluated that there is failure after failure in creating better standards of living among rural communities. All new projects have the same ambitions with no reflection on what they have failed to deliver in more than 70 years of pursuing development projects based on capitalist enterprise.

Institutions like the FAO, US AID among others who espouse neoliberalism, and industrialized chemical agriculture forget that such agriculture production systems are dependent on water which is now a highly scarce resource. According to the World Resource Institute, increased water demand is based on number of factors including industries, irrigated agriculture, livestock and energy production.

Pakistan has been classified under the ‘high’ water stress category. This categorisation is part of a broader revelation that by 2050, an estimated $70 trillion in GDP, equivalent to 31 per cent of the global GDP, will be vulnerable to high water stress. The world is facing an unprecedented water crisis, and the Water Risk Atlas finds that 25 countries, i.e. one-fourth of the world’s population face high water stress, annually. Given these circumstances, to invest in ventures that will require more and more modern industrial technology puts the entire planet at risk.

The new emphasis on livestock and dairy sector is blood-chilling as the context of Pure Food Laws in Pakistan is to wrest control over livestock and dairy from the hands of small and landless farmers, especially women farmers in compliance with the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Mechanisms of the World Trade Organization.

Trade – murky waters!

Trade liberalization has not been able to yield gainful results as yet as can be seen by the poor performance of Pakistan’s exports in the last fiscal year.

Reports on exports on the last fiscal year were made available this month in August, and the overall picture is quite dismal. In FY23, the merchandise exports dipped by 12.71 percent to $27.54 billion from $31.78 billion in FY22, missing the $32 billion target by a wide margin of $4.46 billion. The government has projected an export target of $30 billion for the current fiscal year. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, declining exports are aggravating fear about closure of industrial units, especially for clothing and textiles. However, apart from exports, imports also fell by 31 percent to $55.29 billion in FY23 from $80.13 billion in FY22. According to APTMA, textile exports in the period of January to July, 2023 stood at $9.09 billion, down by 21 percent as compared to export earnings $11.48 billion in the same period in 2022.

Similarly, rice export fell by 14 percent during the FY23 due to lower crop output from flooding. However, a positive outlook on rice exports in FY24 as a bumper crop is expected as well as a ban on rice exports by India.

Though Pakistan’s vegetable exports reached its highest peak yet at 1.336 million tonnes in FY23 from 939,714 tonnes in FY22, which was a 42 percent increase in export volume. However, it still failed to fetch higher foreign exchange earnings which went down by 3 per cent to $300 million in FY23 from $310m in FY22 mainly due to a drop in average per tonne price (APT) from $329 to $224.6.

It is indeed remarkable that as consumers at home faced high sugar prices, sugar exports rose to a 100 percent in the first month of the current fiscal year. According to news, the previous PDM government had allowed sugar exports in February at the behest of influential political families. It is also questionable that under heavy pressure on foreign exchange reserves, 574 tonnes of sugar has been imported in July, showing an increase of over 20pc on a year-on-year basis. Under these conditions, it may be worth examining how our neighboring country India has dealt with in trying to improve domestic availability. According to news reports, India intends banning sugar mills from exporting sugar from October 2023. It has also with immediate effect, imposed a 40% export duty on onion to help improve local supply to the Indian consumer.

However, on this side of the border, it is evident that there are efforts to increase agriculture exports. Pakistan held its 1st International Food and Agriculture Exhibition-FoodAg-2023, where more than $410 million of export deals were finalised in agro-rel­ated products along with the signing of 10 memorandum of understandings (MoUs).

Of Trade Partnerships . . .

A Chinese food firm, Litong Foods is aiming a joint venture worth $30 million with Pakistani Guard Agricultural Research and Services (Pvt.) Limited to export 5000 tons of dried chillies to China. Litong Foods and guard have already undertaken a project of sowing hybrid chilies in Multan, Punjab. Guard, in the past has also introduced Chinese long grain hybrid rice in Pakistan.

Pakis­tan and Iran have developed a five-year trade cooperation plan aimed at enhancing trade volume to $5 billion and to finalize a free trade agreement among the two countries, as well as the completion of the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline. They also came to an agreement to set fishermen from the two countries free and waive off any fine imposed by authorities of both countries for the release of their vessels.

The remarks of the Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam on CPEC, Gwadar and Chahbahar Ports portray a greater relationship between the two countries as well as the trilateral relationship with China. According to him the two ports Gwardar and Chahbahar are interlinked in terms of commerce and development, and “there is no element of conflict.”

The inaugural shipment from China to Afghanistan via the Khunjerab border in Gilgit-Baltistan, under the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) Convention has been undertaken; expectations are that transit route would significantly reduce travel time, almost by 70 per cent and cut logistics costs by 30pc. There are hopes that the shortened passage through TIR coupled with Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement — between China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — including the Belt and Road Initiative will help Pakistan to become a major hub of transit trade.

Climate Imperialism!

After the devastating monster monsoons of last year, the country is once again facing impacts of the monsoon season this year. All major rivers of Punjab have swollen due to heavy rains in different parts of the province as well as other parts of the country.

The Sutlej and Chenab burst its banks, water inundating villages as well as agricultural land spreading over hundreds of acres. Areas in Bahawalpur, Okara, Vehari and Khanewal among others have been heavily impacted. Mudhouses collapsed leaving people once again without shelter. Flash floods in Balochistan left eleven people dead, as well as destruction of houses.

By the end of the month nearly 400,000 persons and 20,000 livestock had been shifted to safer locations. The ongoing floods triggered by monsoon resulted in the deaths of 213 people, injuring 313, destroying 5,754 houses and killing 1,256 livestock during the current rainy season that started on June 25, 2023. This catastrophe is in face of impacts still being felt from last year floods. According to UNICEF, there were still eight million people, around half of whom are children, who continue to live without access to safe water in flood-affected areas, whereas over 1.5 million children require life-saving nutrition interventions in the flood-affected districts.

On one hand the people are suffering from fossil fuel emissions of rich industrial countries, and on the other hand industrial practices have resulted in various forms of pollution. Government of Gilgit-Baltis­tan has made a much-needed decision to impose a complete ban on single-use plastic throughout the region; such a step needs to be taken across the country, as plastic pollution intensely harms all life forms including marine life, destroys agricultural production harming human health and the environment. Similar actions by the people internationally can also be seen. For instance, in Ecuador, the people have voted to stop an oil drilling project in an Amazon reserve.

According to an Air Quality Life Index report published by University of Chicago, air pollution in urban centers of Pakistan, such as in Lahore, Kasur, and Sheikapura could reduce at least four years of life expectancy. The report identifies that the entire 240 million population of Pakistan resides in regions where the yearly average of particulate pollution surpasses the guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

The disregard for the environment can be seen at the national and international level; Japan has now started releasing treated radioactive water in the Pacific Ocean from its damaged Fukushima power plant. In response China has announced a blanket ban on all aquatic products from Japan. However, this will not save marine ecosystem from harm.

It is interesting to see that for countries like the United States, who are basically largely accountable for fossil fuel emissions, their efforts are spent in trying not to bring about changes in their highly destructive production and consumption system but to find ways to clean up the emissions after they have been emitted. The US government has announced that it will spend up to $1.2 billion for two pioneering facilities to vacuum carbon out of the air. Similarly, a new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund has been created by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to facilitate financing for developing countries to enhance their ability to protect, restore and ensure sustainable use of natural resources. It is again ironical that the countries that are responsible for destroying biodiversity in their own backyard as well as in our countries also create these grand funding schemes to save what they are willfully destroying. It is important to note that world temperature is constantly increasing. According to European Union climate observatory data, in the first week of August, the temperature of the oceans’ surface rose to 20.96 degree Celsius, rising from 20.95C in March 2016. This was a new temperature record, and could have further implications for the Earth climate, marine life and coastal communities.

The Right to Fight: Fight for our Rights!

The constant misery faced by the people on various fronts has resulted in an overall environment of confrontation in the country, with people standing up resisting the many forms of violations that they are facing at the hand of the governing elite. Flawed governance policies of Punjab Health Facilities Management Company (PHFMC) under the administrative control of Primary and Secondary Health Care Department (P&SHC) has led to closure of nearly 1,000 primary health units, with thousands of medical and paramedical staff going on strike demanding their rights. As is the norm, instead of their demands being addressed, they were given ‘warning letters’. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) employees have also been holding demonstration at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore outsourcing of major airports of the country.

In Nagarparkar, Sindh, there have been protests against the Sindh government plans to auction off 5,000 acres in the Parkar region for granite extraction, while in Balochistan, hundreds of female students at a government college have been protesting against continued absence of teachers at the facility, that has left it basically non-functional.

Another dastardly incident was a mob attack on 19 churches in Jaranwala, Faisalabad based on information that two people had defile the Quran. Religious extremist reactions routinely end in death and destruction of minorities with state forces showing total failure to control such acts of vandalism. People across the country have stood up to call for the protection of religious minorities, including a Minority Rights March which held a candle vigil and protest in Karachi.

Given the wide scale of chaotic disruptions in socio-economic lives of the people, the way out of course is to demand for a change in our economic system. A system change is drastically needed that upholds basic principles of human rights, full fills basic needs such as food, water, health and shelter, and of course must include right to decent livelihood. Just and equitable distribution of resources will surely lead to a more humane society, cooling not only our overheated planet, but also bring relief and dignity in the lives of the human civilization, as well as living-beings.

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

The overarching policy environment has been based on neoliberal policies strongly dominated by semi-feudal and patriarchal control food and agricultural. Constant wars, and protracted crisis has further impacted rural societies.

Given time limitations, I will highlight only a few case studies that will show the impact of the above on landless & women farmers.

Even though Pakistan is an Islamic state, women’s right to land is abysmal. According to the government of Pakistan:

“The agriculture land distribution in Pakistan is highly skewed as only five percent of the agricultural households own 64 percent of farmland. On the other side, over 80 percent of farmers own less than five acres of land and women’s share of ownership of land is less than two percent.”

In addition, the enforcement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements such as the Agreement on Agriculture, the TRIPS agreement and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) mechanism and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) have further exacerbated the situation of women. For example, the SPS agreement has demanded international standardization of milk and other dairy products. Women farmers, especially the landless put immense time and energy on rearing livestock. Milk from livestock is one of the healthiest nourishing diets and allows them access to butter and clarified butter. Livestock also allows them to increase their herd and is a valuable asset in times of emergency. The SPS through the Codex Alimentarius has forced international standards that only benefit Big Dairy and Livestock corporations such as Nestle, Tetra Pak International and Maxim International.

Hand in hand with WTO other imperialist policies from International Financial Institutions (IFIs), especially the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have led to soaring agriculture input prices that are forcing farmers off the land and increasing the number of the landless. At the same time, the stress for cash crop production such as sugarcane and maize is creating an immense crisis in food production. Landless women and men are being forced to cut cane so that they can get the fodder off the cane for their livestock. They get no wages for the hard backbreaking. It needs to be pointed out that maize and sugarcane is also being used for ethanol production used in vehicles – so agrofuel for the rich capitalist countries to maintain their luxurious life styles and hunger for women.

Another example is of PepsiCo which has unveiled a “Next Generation Agriculture Strategy” based on which it will grow potatoes for its branded LAYS CHIPs on 7 million acres of land in 28 countries with Pakistan being one of them; in Pakistan it will use 20,000 acres of land of which 75% is in Kasur, Punjab. The potato growing season clashes with wheat cultivation and hence a critical staple food crop is lost; this is also true for sugarcane. Women agriculture workers have across the centuries harvested wheat for household food security as they are paid in kind. They are now forced to load potatoes for a measly 2USD – and only for at the most 40 days of work. Given the very high inflation, these wages melt away without getting food security for women. In addition, under patriarchal norms women’s wages are controlled by men; it is important to note that land lease is around USD570 and much beyond the means of small and landless farmers. Its clear that we are now in the grip of a neocolonial system where foreign entities control our land and its production.

It needs to be emphasized that LAYS potato chips are not at all healthy, especially for our children – its only carbohydrate with high salt. It also requires high use of fertilizers and pesticides. Also note that TRIPS agreement is being used here – farmers have no right to save the potato seeds – PepsiCo supervises the total land area where its potato is being grown – in essence farmers are now part of the assembly line for PepsiCo LAYS potato chips and other brand products production.

Lastly, I would like to emphasis that protracted crisis and wars of aggression have forced communities over vast areas to become refugees. Women suffer the most as they lose their shelter, access to livelihood and livestock and are prey to all forms of violence. This situation is made use of by international aid agencies to promote food trade and aid in our countries of their corporations– a very critical example is of promoting micronutrients therapeutic foods – essentially controlled by only 7 mega corporations such as Kraft, General Mills, Campbell Soup, Nestle and others.

In order to overcome this situation our recommendations are:

1. Implement food sovereignty framework for sustainable agriculture and sustainable development.
2. Equitable land distribution with emphasis on land entitlement in women’s names;
3. Advocate government policies that protect women’s right to land and livestock as well as decent livelihood;
4. Immediate stop to land-grabbing and land evictions in our region;
5. Promote and implement agroecology;
6. Protect and promote indigenous seeds as well as indigenous livestock;
7. Promote food crops instead of cash crops;
8. Advocate food systems based on self-reliance and prohibit imperialist policies in food and agriculture.