The Goal 8 on decent work is of extreme importance to farmers. It is the farmers who provide food to the entire globe yet they and their families, their children live in hunger suffering from malnourishment.

The world we live in remains immensely beset by inequalities and inequities. Inequalities are in fact widening: in 2018, the world’s 26 richest people own as much as the poorest 50%. This reality persists as states serve the interest of the elite, especially mega corporations to tilt tax, trade and investment regimes for amassing their obscene wealth.

The TRIPS and AoA agreement of WTO are furthering the condition of farmers with high cost of production and patent regime. Farmers deserve fair and equal rights especially the right to determine the price of the products they sell.

If Goal 8 is to be truly transformative, we must invest on youth, women and men to move out of low-paying, informal, insecure, vulnerable work as well as to extreme price volatility for the farmers. We promote a rights-based and human-centered employment policy that will create decent jobs that will fully respect farmers’ rights. Decent work is integral to sustainable development by eradicating poverty, addressing inequality and ensuring productivity growth with a just transition for climate justice as well as promotion of farmers-driven innovation. There is an urgent need for a Universal Labor Guarantee based on fundamental workers’ rights to ensure adequate living wages, and safety of workplaces for all.

The Development Justice Framework seeks to address the pervasive injustice we face today through the Five Foundational Shifts — Redistributive Justice, Economic Justice, Social Justice, Environmental Justice and Accountability to the Peoples. Guided by these principles, we commit to strengthen our movements and organizations, harness people power and demand accountability and justice.

I thank you Sir!

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