The seminar—"Strengthening Farmers and Systems of Sustainable Agriculture in the Free Market Era in Indonesia"—was organised to inform participants of the agricultural policy of the Indonesian government within the context globalisation and trade liberalisation. The impacts of globalisation on Indonesian agriculture, particularly on women agricultural workers, was outlined. The need to build and strengthen the people’s and the farmer’s movement against hazardous pesticides and chemical agricultural inputs was emphasized as was the important role played by women in sustainable agriculture.

In many countries, including Indonesia, small farmers who constitute the majority of the world’s population, are being ravaged by the process of globalisation.

In his seminary speech Mr. Tony Tujan, Chairperson of the Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN), said: "Traditional and safe farming systems which are mainly subsistence in character are being pitted against a corporate agricultural system that is run mainly as a business. In the equation, subsistence agriculture is considered ‘backward’ and ‘unproductive’ compared to so called ‘advanced’ industrial agriculture underpinned by the use of chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers, and now the use of genetically modified crops."

According to Tujan, globalisation—promoted by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—gives license to Transnational Corporations (TNCs) to aggressively exploit the markets of developing countries.

The neoliberal programs of liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation have had disastrous consequences on national and regional food security. The WTO legitimizes the protectionist tactics of developed countries while penalising developing countries for being protectionist. Developing countries are drowning in subsidised imports from developed countries rendering small farmers bankrupt. In the process developing countries become dependent on the products of developed countries, he added.

"The WTO is about corporations profiting through unfair advantages…It is really a system of imperalist control that combines governments, corporations and multilateral organisations and instruments, all at the service of monopoly capital," commented Tujan.

Agus Dody Sugiartoto, Executive Director of Gita Pertiwi, said NGOs in Indonesia would like to see a fundamental shift in government policy on agriculture away from the corporatised industrial model towards support for sustainable agriculture.

The People’s Caravan – "Citizens on the Move for Land and Food Without Poisons is currently on the move in India, starts in Bangladesh on November 19, and culminates in the Philippines between November 26 – 30, with activities on November 30 commemorating "One Year Since Seattle".

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