loading . . . 2026 | January Bulletin: News from La Via Campesina member organisations around the world **(Bagnolet: February 6, 2026)** The year 2026 began amid escalating war, repression, criminalization of resistance, and severe climate disasters across Southern and Northern Africa, Europe, and North America. Despite these challenges, strong expressions of global solidarity persisted.**La Via Campesina stood with peasants in Venezuela, condemning US military aggression**, violations of sovereignty, and foreign interference, while affirming the Venezuelan people’s right to self-determination.
As geopolitical conflicts intensify and corporate control over land, territories, and natural resources deepens, **social movements and Indigenous Peoples around the world are mobilizing around the Second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20),** organized by the Government of the Republic of Colombia and to be held in Cartagena, Colombia, from February 24 to 28, 2026.
As the Working Group of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) on Land, Forests, Water, and Territories,**La Via Campesina, together with other global movements, will organize the Forum of Social Movements and Indigenous Peoples on February 22 and 23 to prepare their collective proposals for the Official Conference.**
In France**,La Via Campesina raised alarm over the growing criminalization of peasant leaders defending food sovereignty. **A peaceful protest by the Confédération Paysanne at the Ministry of Agriculture in Paris on 14 January 2026 led to the forcible detention of 52 peasants, highlighting increasing state repression against peasant farmers.
The period was also marked by devastating climate events: **flash floods in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe disproportionately impacted rural communities,** while historic winter storms in North America and Storm Chandra in the United Kingdom caused widespread destruction.
**Across all regions, La Via Campesina member organizations continued to mobilize and act in solidarity in response to these crises. —some of which we summarize below.**
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#### **South America**
In B**razil,** from January 19 to 23, the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) held its 14th National Meeting with more than 3,000 landless activists and representatives of popular organizations from Brazil and around the world. During the final event, **a Letter to the Brazilian People was published, **analyzing the international and national situation, reaffirming its historical principles, and calling on the working class to fight for sovereignty, social justice, and Popular Agrarian Reform.
In P**araguay,** the Ministry of Agriculture has a 36% budget cut for 2026, despite the fact that the climate crisis and pests are increasingly affecting peasant production. Meanwhile, **peasant and indigenous organizations reject the undemocratic appointment of the representative to the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Rural and Land Development **(INDERT). They demand respect for the Agrarian Statute, the restart of the consultation process, and the immediate suspension of Decree No. 5285. Social representation is not imposed: it is built through participation and consensus.
#### **Central America**
In **Honduras** , the **National Center of Rural Workers (CNTC) celebrated 41 years of organizational struggle for land, territory, and the rights of peasants,** recognized for its historic contribution to the defense of agrarian reform, food sovereignty, and the dignity of peasant families. Demonstrating that only through popular organization, unity, and resistance can true processes of social transformation be built.
In January, **women leaders from El Salvador presented the documentary “Sowing the Future: The Struggle of Rural Women in El Salvador” in Valencia. **Representatives from ANTA and FECORACEN, together with the Las Mélidas Women’s Association, **exposed the reality of rural women who produce more than half of the food and where less than 15% own property titles.** They stated that agroecology, food sovereignty, and community organization have become acts of rebellion against the current imposed system.
#### **North America**
In C**anada** , **fourteen organizations have joined forces to demand that Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald listen to farmers, not multinational seed companies, and abandon proposed restrictions on farmers’ right to save seeds**. Thousands of Canadians signed an online petition opposing the proposed changes that would make it illegal for farmers to save seeds from fruit, vegetable, ornamental, and hybrid varieties protected by Plant Breeders’ Rights, even after paying royalties.
In the **United States,** our organization **Líderes Campesina carried out its monthly food distribution,** collaborating with schools, churches, health centers, local businesses, and other organizations committed to improving access to food in communities with vulnerable populations. These distributions have also become an opportunity to reach more people and share local resources and programs with families on various topics, from sexual violence to legal resources.
#### **Caribbean**
In **Cuba,** the **National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) expressed its strongest rejection of a new attempt by the United States **to attack and hinder the economic and social development of the Cuban people. It firmly declared that no external measure will be able to break the will of those who work the land every day. The ANAP reaffirms that the Cuban peasantry will remain united, firm, and loyal to the principles of social justice and solidarity that have guided the revolutionary process.
The Charlemagne Peralte School of Political Formation (LFPCP), which brought together 31 students from four communes in northern **Haiti** ,**sent a message of solidarity with the people of Venezuela** to denounce and condemn the interference with the self-determination and sovereignty of the people. Condemning the acts of kidnapping carried out by the US imperialist state against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3, 2026, at their residence, demanding their immediate and unconditional release.
#### **Central and West Africa**
In Senegal, the **CNCR participated this month in the General Assembly of CRAFS** in Thiès to advocate for a fair and inclusive land reform in the country, respecting the rights of those who work the land. A strategic meeting allowed the voices of family farms and rural communities to be heard at the heart of the major reforms of Senegal’s Vision 2050. Key priorities identified include securing land rights for local and rural populations, a firm fight against land grabbing, integrating agroecology to ensure food sovereignty, and monitoring the establishment of the future National Agency for Land and Property.
In **Mali** , **CNOP held a TFF team meeting on January 13–14, 2026, to review 2025 activities and plan 2026 actions under the project supporting land and forest tenure security** through Village Land Commissions (CoFoVs). Key priorities included presenting regional reports, addressing challenges, and preparing for the project extension (July 2026–June 2028). The meeting reinforced collaboration and reaffirmed commitment to inclusive and sustainable land governance.
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#### **Southern and Eastern Africa**
In**Mozambique** , **UNAC reported that heavy rains have destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of agricultural land, **affecting more than 115,092 farmers. Livestock have not been spared too: over 60,000 animals, including cattle, goats, and poultry, have been killed, and the number continues to rise.
In **Uganda,** widows continue to face eviction and the loss of their livelihoods following the death of their husbands, even when they were legally married. **ESAFF Uganda organized #LandCamp2025 to confront this widespread injustice, which many women face after losing a spouse. **The death of a husband often triggers a struggle to secure family land, frequently involving disputes with in-laws and exposing widows to the constant risk of dispossession.
#### **South East and East Asia**
In I**ndonesia** in response to recent flooding caused by intense rainfall in Bekasi Regency, West Java, **Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI) and the Bekasi branch of the Indonesian Metal Workers Federation (FSPMI) distributed rice aid to affected communities. **The rice, produced by SPI member farmers in Indramayu, continued earlier relief efforts by FSPMI. According to Zulfikar, Chair of SPI’s Farmers’ Action Body (BAKTI SPI), this initiative reflects a broader alliance between farmers and industrial workers, translating political cooperation into practical economic solidarity during times of crisis.
In J**apan** , the **Nouminren Youth Division held a study session on the producer–consumer partnership (sanchoku) movement as part of its ongoing Action Program series.** The discussion highlighted that Japan’s agricultural crisis stems from policies promoting food import liberalization, declining food self-sufficiency, and the dismantling of local distribution systems, which have weakened communities and farming livelihoods. In this context, sanchoku was presented not merely as direct sales, but as a cooperative movement between producers and consumers to reclaim economic and social value from corporate control. Emphasis was placed on fair pricing, sustainable production practices, and collective learning as foundations for transforming agriculture, communities, and the broader political and economic system.
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#### **South Asia**
In S**ri Lanka,MONLAR is supporting recovery and rehabilitation efforts following Cyclone Ditwa by engaging Provincial Planning Forum representatives from eight provinces. **At the Malambe Community Education Center, participants reviewed cyclone impacts across provinces, identified priority needs, and developed coordinated short, medium, and long-term plans to rebuild and strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.
In **India** , the **Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS–Collective Leadership) is promoting co-operative natural farming through its Farmers’ Producer Organisation (FPO), Nammadu**, to make small-scale farming sustainable and profitable. Under this model, five farmers per village jointly cultivate chemical-free crops on a half-acre unit, combining household food security with collective production. The FPO directly markets produce to consumers through farmer-managed local markets, ensuring better prices. With training support, each group can earn up to ₹3 lakh annually. The initiative aims to strengthen rural livelihoods, reduce labour constraints, promote cooperation, and encourage youth to remain in agriculture.
#### **Europe**
January has been a month **of intense street protests by European farmers’ organizations demanding an end to the European Union’s free trade agreement with Mercosur. **Organizations such as CNA in Portugal, ARI in Italy, Confédération Paysanne in France, FUGEA and Movimiento de Acción Campesina – MAP in Belgium, Sindicato Labrego and EHNE Bizkaia in Spain held demonstrations and political advocacy actions to pressure their representatives in the European Parliament and the Commission to declare the agreement not viable. For the time being, popular pressure has succeeded in getting the treaty to be reviewed by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which is expected to ratify the parliamentarians’ decision.
In **France,** on January 14, 2026, **52 farmers from the Confédération paysanne were arrested during a peaceful protest in Paris against European agricultural policies and health measures** such as the management of contagious nodular dermatosis, which requires the slaughter of the entire herd if a single infected animal is detected. They were released the next day without charge. UN experts noted that “the arrest of national spokespersons and international peasant leaders for symbolic acts of civil disobedience is a worrying sign that threatens the right of peasants to express their grievances without fear of intimidation or reprisals.”
Finally, in **Portugal** , the**CNA demanded rapid compensation after Storm Kristen **devastated crops, fruit trees, olive groves, vineyards, greenhouses, and pastures, causing serious economic losses. In a press release, the CNA called on the Ministry of Agriculture to quickly assess the damage, simplify procedures, and provide urgent aid, including compensation for loss of income and support for farm recovery. It also requested the cleaning of roads and canals and the implementation of public agricultural insurance tailored to family farming in the face of extreme events.
#### **Arab Region**
In **Morocco** , **the peasants of Bousselham and Lalla Mimouna were affected by severe floods** in late December, worsened by the destruction of natural waterways, resulting in the loss of thousands of hectares of farmland. Faced with the inaction of local authorities and emergency services, their calls for help went unanswered, leaving communities in fear and abandonment. The FNSA has demanded an investigation, the protection of peasants, compensation for losses, and clarification of the responsibilities behind this tragedy orchestrated by elite interests, highlighting that peasant communities are the first to be affected by natural disasters and suffer severe economic and human consequences.
In **Tunisia** MRWL recently organized a training session for 30 peasant women as part of its action plan on popular education and formation for rural workers and peasants. The session focused on women’s rights as guaranteed by the UNDROP, with emphasis on seeds, highlighting how the UNDROP protects peasants’ rights to seeds, sustains agroecology, strengthens food sovereignty, and preserves local knowledge and biodiversity. This initiative is part of the association’s broader strategy to promote the UNDROP as an educational and reference tool, supporting peasants’ political resistance through farming and the defense of their rights to land and seeds.
We wrap up this month’s edition here. For more updates from January 2026, click here. If there are any important updates we have missed, please send the links to **[email protected] ** so that we can include them in the next edition. We only include updates from La Via Campesina members. Previous editions of our news wrap are also available on our website, and condensed versions are accessible as a podcast on **Spotify.**
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