Glopolis is a non-partisan, non-governmental organization which focuses on the analysis of economic globalization, trade, development, agriculture and climate change.
Meeting of African and Czech farmers
On 9th April 2009, four African farmer organization representatives from Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali and Niger together with European NGOs (SOS Faim, Glopolis, CFSI) visited three farms in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic: family farm in Přísečná, family farm in Chlumeček and a cooperative in Brloh.
In Přísečná, Mr Václav Perník, one of the farm owners, made a presentation of Czech agriculture and its history. We discussed the structure and changes of ownership relations in the Czech society as well as their impacts on the farming population.
In Chlumeček, at the farm of Mr Bůžek, we discussed the activities of the farm, positive and negative aspects of EU subsidies, evolution of milk prices, as well as impacts of market concentration on farmers.
In Brloh, we spoke to Mr Jungwirth, director of the cooperative.
Farmers exchanged views on the challenges of African agriculture, role of EU and other „agricultural powers“ in answering global demand for food and on international trade with agricultural commodities. We also consulted differences between Czech cooperatives and private farms, as well as their represenation in the Czech farmer organisations. The farmers from both continents found out that they had many things in common. „Farmers are everywhere the same: we produce food, others eat,“
concluded Abdou Hima from national rural platform of Niger.
Ministry of Foreign Affaires of the Czech Republic