Yaounde: GDA reviews UNDROP declarations to reinforce farmers’ rights

By Vera Fon

Farmers and rural workers are essential in ensuring food security and the protection of the planet’s biodiversity although research shows that this group of persons are poorly treated by agro-industries and businesses established within their communities.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants, UNDROP, was therefore drawn and adopted specifically to address abuses and discrimination against farmers. This was made known during a press conference which took place in Yaounde on July 11, 2023.

Organized by the Green Development Advocates, GDA, the conference was aimed at reviewing the UN declaration and improving the rights of indigenous people working in rural areas.

According to the environmentalist of GDA, Mbole Veronique, the conference was to ensure public awareness:

“This declaration is new though it has been in existence since 2018. The country has rectified it but we do not see it included in our laws. This is because we still have peasant farmers crying about their lands and molestation. Today we expect that this press conference will draw more public attention to peasant farmers to know that there are existing declarations that bind them.”

She further stated that “we focus on enlightening peasant farmers that they have the right to be peasant farmers, own and work on their lands. In the declaration, there is an obligation for the state to actually make legally binding laws that will ensure that the rights of the farmers are respected.”

Government has been urged to show leadership and to implement the UNDROP declarations by incorporating its norms and standards into national laws and policies.