La Via Campesina

Globalization and the power of peasants

Annette Aurelie Desmarais, Pluto Press, 238 pages, paperback, £14.99

La Via Campesina is an international social movement made up of thousands of people who fear that their way of life is under threat from international corporations. It brings together rural women, peasants, indigenous communities, small-scale farmers and farm workers from across the world.

Canadian academic Desmarais is well placed to write about the organisation as she is a former grain farmer and has been involved in the movement since its inception in 1993. She is not only able to analyse the structures of the organisation but also gives an insider’s account that includes personal observations and interviews with key figures in the movement.

She describes the problems in setting up La Via Campesina and how they finally managed to “build unity within diversity”. The courage and commitment of those involved is made clear.

Desmarais argues that global food supply is now so dominated by international corporations that they are able to simply foist their food surpluses on global Southern markets which makes it difficult for local agribusiness to survive.

Ultimately this book is optimistic about the possibility of resisting powerful corporations and finding a place for sustainable food practices.