National Speaking Tour - Thai Farmers Working for Fair Trade

NATIONAL SPEAKING TOUR: THAI FARMERS WORKING FOR FAIR TRADE Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm New College Theater, 777 Valencia, San Francisco Corporate globalization often seems both anonymous and omniscient, but two Jasmine Rice Farmers from Thailand have some very specific personal stories to share about both the impact of globalization and how they are fighting back. Jasmine rice, Developed by Thai Farmers of over centuries as a high quality grain exported all over the world, is being impacted by globalization. Currently under international law it is permitted to sell inferior quality and genetically modified rice under the Jasmine Rice label. The market for Jasmine rice and therefore the lives and livelihoods of Jasmine rice farmers, is being threatened by these unethical labeling practices and the lack of information to global citizens about the products they buy and eat. Bamrung Kayuta, a Jasmine rice farmer, is the Southeast representative for Via Campesina, the international peasants’ movement. He has spoken at the United Nations as a representative of poor people’s issues in developing countries. Ubon Yuwa is an organizer with the Alternative Agriculture Network and in the Assembly of the Poor movement in Thailand. He is a life-long advocate for sustainable agriculture and has worked to protect indigenous farmers’ rights to their seeds. The farmers are also hoping to link groups interested in working on joint future actions such as working to develop a fair trading network. This network would link Thai Farmers with organizations in the United States selling directly to the consumers. This would allow Thai farmers to get a fair price, and would assure American consumers about the origins of their food. The European Fair Trade Association (EFTA) currently supports a fair trading network between small-scale Jasmine rice farmers and conscientious European consumers. Fairly traded rice is organic, farmers receive a fair price, and consumers are ensured a quality product. The San Francisco Bay Area portion of the Jasmine Rice Campaign National Speaker Tour is sponsored by: Global Exchange, Oxfam America, Food First, Oakland, Foundation for Global Community, Palo Alto, Magic Inc., Palo Alto, New College of California, Stanford Thai Club, Stanford University, Thai Basil Restaurant and the Thai Restaurant Association, USA. For more information, contact: Katrina Brink, 415-861-7429, katvicbrin@yahoo.com