PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN COTTON SECTOR (SEVILLE, 6 TO NOVEMBER 9, 2003)
Motivated by their concern over the cotton crisis and the general menace to family farming posed by low farm prices, the representatives of farmers’ organisations from West Africa (ROPPA) and the COAG met in Seville from the 6 to the 9 of November at the invitation of the COAG (the Coordination of arable and livestock farmers of the State of Spain).
Together they dismiss claims that there are conflicts between European and African family farmers they reaffirm the principles of the Dakar Declaration, of which their organisations are signatories, which stresses the imperative need for agricultural policies based on the fundamental rights and needs of our populations.
They deplore the way the crisis of the cotton sector is being used by many to spearhead a strategy to force through the liberalisation of agricultural policies.
As a conclusion of the meeting the ROPPA and COAG pledge to strengthen cooperation between European and African farmers to defend family farming and to advance the principles contained in the Seville declaration.
The Seville Declaration
Program of the workshop (in Spanish)
