The Caravan, comprised of thousands of farmers, landless peasants, farm workers, anti-pesticide and anti-genetic engineering advocates, is firmly opposed to globalisation and its potentially devastating effects upon the Asia Pacific region.

The Caravan targets the immoral practices of transnational corporations (TNCs) in their push for corporate dominance and control of local and regional food and agricultural production systems. The Caravan seeks an end to globalisation and instead advocates genuine agrarian reform to achieve food security, social justice, and land and food without poisons.

Kicking off in India on November 13, followed by Bangladesh on November 19, and culminating in the Philippines between November 26 – 30, activities on November 30 will commemorate "One Year Since Seattle".

Simultaneous activities are also being held in Indonesia, Korea and Japan. Farmer representatives from India, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand are expected to participate in the activities in the Philippines.

The People’s Caravan is organised by Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP); the Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum (TNWF) and the Society for Rural Education and Development (SRED) of India; UBINIG (Policy Research for Development Alternatives) and the Nayakrishi Andolon (New Agriculture Movement) of Bangladesh; the Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (KMP) (Peasant Movement of the Philippines); in collaboration with SHISUK, Bangladesh; CIKS and PREPARE, India; Gita Pertiwi, Indonesia; NESSFE, Japan; CACPK, Korea; and Food First, USA.

Rafael Mariano, Chairperson of KMP (Peasant Movement of the Philippines) says: "The People’s Caravan will bring farmers from many different countries together to discuss and compare the effects and challenges of globalisation on their lives. "

This includes the transition from traditional farming practices to export oriented crop production underpinned by increasing landlessness, hazardous pesticide use and the potential onslaught of unsafe, unproven experimental genetic engineering techniques, elaborates Farida Akhter, Executive Director of UBINIG Bangladesh (Policy Research for Development Alternatives).

In the Philippines, farmer representatives holding their traditionally homegrown and indigenous seed varieties will participate in a seed exchange. This activity will celebrate seed diversity and traditional farmer’s rights to seed, and challenge corporate trends to monopolise seed systems through hybridisation, patents, and global takeovers of local and international seed companies.

The People’s Caravan will further build solidarity between farmers, consumers and pesticides and health experts concerned with the impacts of pesticides and genetic engineering on human health and the environment.

Sarojeni Rengam, Executive Director of PAN AP further stated that "The People’s Caravan will inform farmers and consumers of local initiatives towards more sustainable healthy agriculture that embrace local/ traditional knowledge and practices as alternatives to corporate dependent systems".

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