At the end of an intense week, Theo de Jager, in his capacity of President of the World Farmers’ Organisation, addressed the one-day event that the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) organized on September 28th in New York, back-to-back with the opening of the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) and shortly after the UN Secretary-General’s to mark the adoption of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
As panellist of the session “Survival Diets and Healthy Food Systems”, de Jager pointed out that international discussions on climate change must include more representation from farmers, noting that in the 27 years since the Kyoto Protocol was signed, there is still little inclusion of farmers in international decision-making processes.
How farming systems will be transformed without a radically different mode of engagement with farmers themselves?
During his speech, de Jager sent a clear message:
“Don’t invite us to dinner. Call us to the kitchen.
We want to be there where you decide on the menu,
because if farmers are not around the table,
you can’t blame us for suspecting that we might be on the menu”