Alternative Agriculture Policy Finalized at the Anna Swaraj Panchayat (Food Sovereignty Parliament) Held on 1st & 2nd Mrch 2005 at the Constitutional Club, New Delhi

AN OUTLINE

Objectives

* Agriculture is the primary livelihood of India's people. Livelihood security should be the first and highest objective of the Agriculture Policy. Neglect of the livelihood security of farmers and the promotion of agribusiness interests have pushed thousands of farmers to suicide. Protecting small farmers' livelihoods must be ensured by the National Agricultural Policy.
* Most Indians, especially women, children, tribals and landless workers are facing severe food insecurity and nutritional deficiency. Providing nutritious, safe, diverse and culturally appropriate food to every citizen must be another priority of Agriculture Policy. The separation of Agriculture Policy from food and nutrition Policy is hurting both producers and the poor, while increasing subsidy burdens in meeting the nutrition gaps which are a result of agriculture separated from the objective of production of nutritious, safe and high quality foods.
* Ecological Security is another objective of Agriculture Policy The degradation of our soil, the erosion of our biodiversity and the depletion and pollution of our waters are threatening the very possibility of food security Ecological/ Organic agriculture makes the most significant contribution to the conservation of biodiversity, soil and water, while chemical/ industrial farming has destroyed our biodiversity, soil fertility and freshwater resources. Ecological/ Organic farming must form a principal component of the Agricultural Policy
* Ecological Security and Biosafety can be ensured by prohibition of genetically engineered crops from entry into the Indian farms and markets, since these proprietary GM seeds are undermining biosafety and ecological security.
* Ecological security in agriculture can only be ensured through the sovereign control of local communities to their land, water and biodiversity. Patents on life and seeds, privatisation of water and undoing of land reforms, transfer precious resources to corporate control and undermine the resource sovereignty of producers.
* The freedom and right to produce our food, to have access to and control over our natural resources, to be free from deprivation and malnutrition translate into food sovereignty, which should be the soul of an Agriculture Policy that sustains the Earth.

Reducing Production Costs & Promoting Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

* Incentives for zero-chemical and polyculture methods of farming
* Disincentives (like taxation, withdrawal of subsidies) to monocultures & chemical inputs,
* Disincentives (like taxation, withdrawal of subsidies) to groundwater withdrawal,
* Incentives for water harvesting.

Seed Sovereignty

* In line with provisions of the Biological Diversity Act 2002, local Community Biodiversity Registers (CBR) shall be deemed necessary and sufficient for recognizing local crop biological diversity at both species and genetic levels in current use. A CBR containing descriptions of different uses and properties of crop landraces shall be considered to be a valid document to endorse the inalienable sovereign rights of the entire community of indigenous farmer - breeders over the crop genetic diversity, including those maintained in the ex-situ gene banks.
* The, Patent Act of 1970 which excludes life forms and agriculture from patentability needs to be reinstated, by repealing the Second and Third Amendments.
* The proposed Seed Bill 2004 must be withdrawn, and the Seed Act 1966 should be upheld.

Food Distribution and Food Rights

* The dismantling of Public Distribution System (PDS) has had severe consequences for the poor, while exploding the subsidy burden from Rs. 2500 crore in 1991 to Rs. 25000 crores in 2005. A universal PDS is necessary to provide food access for all. It is imperative to re-introduce and strengthen decentralised PDS, through procurement and distribution of cereals, millets, pulses and oilseeds.
* For the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Mid - Day Meal schemes, local Organic food should be procured to ensure that children get nutritious and safe food and local farmers have market.
* Developing farmers market (rayat bazar, peeth, haat) for local agricultural produce.

Marketing Support to Products

* Ensuring state procurement of all agricultural produce for which Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been announced.
* The Amendments in Agricultural Marketing Act which allows the establishment of monopoly of MNCs over agriculture markets should be repealed
* Removal of Quantitative restrictions (QRs) allowed the flooding of subsidies and artificially cheap food products. QRs and import tariffs must be brought back to protect the space for fair trade and market access.