WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2003 - The U.S.-based National Family Farm Coalition joined with farmers and peasants around the world Monday as part of Via Campesina in responding to the collapse of the WTO talks.

"While the U.S. government was misrepresenting the interests of family farmers and rural communities in its negotiating position at Cancun, most other countries stood up for their citizens in rejecting the WTO agreement," said George Naylor, an Iowa corn and soybean farmer and NFFC President. "The collapse of the talks is a resounding rejection of U.S. and E.U. agricultural policies."

"The real issue that should have been discussed in Cancun are policies that enable food sovereignty and allow for farmers to earn a fair price from the market, not from taxpayers," stated Dena Hoff, a Montana farmer and Chair of NFFC's Trade Task Force.

NFFC joined with Farm Aid and over 30 national organizations in a "Declaration for a New Direction for American Agriculture and Agricultural Trade" (view full text at www.farmaid.org) released September 7. The Declaration called on Congress to take action along with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick to "work towards global trade agreements that reflect the basic values of fairness, independence, democracy, and social and economic justice."

Leon Crump, a South Carolina farmer and representative of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives attended the meetings in Cancun. "There should be programs and support in all countries that help restore a viable economy for our farmers and rural communities, but eliminating subsidies alone won't accomplish this," he stated. "What we need is a change in our farm policy that restores fair prices for farmers. Without this, the only ones who benefit continue to be corporate agribusiness and exporters."

Naylor recommended a complete trade policy reversal to cure the problem of low global agricultural prices. "The U.S. must take the lead as a major exporter to: set a floor price under farm products; create a food security reserve; and help the farmers of the world grow healthy, sustainable food. Right now, the U.S. encourages the industrialization of the world's food system."

Naylor, Crump, and Hoff participated in a delegation representing U.S. family farmers and rural communities at the WTO Ministerial in Cancun. NFFC delegates met and marched with thousands of family farmers and peasants in an international coalition called Via Campesina at events held immediately preceding the World Trade Organization.