This side event will kick off civil society’s preparations for the 2016 Open Ended Working Groups on ‘Connecting Smallholders to Markets’. It will present concrete examples of local markets that benefit smallholders and local economies in Spain, Kenya and Central America and will illustrate policies that support them, like public procurement in India.

Programme (pdf)

The negative impacts of global trade rules on these people and community centred initiatives will be discussed, taking as examples the CETA and the issues on the table of the coming WTO negotiations. What contribution can tge CFS make to ensuring that trade frameworks work in favour of food security?

Chair: Editrudith Lukanga (Fisherfolks)

1. Positive experiences of our markets
– Basque country – Isabel Alvarez Vispo (Urgenci)
– Urban markets – Kuria Gathuru (Urban Markets, Africa)
– Public procurement – Kennaiyan Subramaniam (LVC, India)

2. The impact of global trade rules on local markets and smallholders
– WTO and regional agreements – Shalmali Guttal (Focus on the Global South)
– The case of Canada – Joan Brady (LVC)

3. What role for the CFS?
– Taina Hedman (IITC)

This event is part of the Hands on the Land campaign, financially supported by the European Commission. The views expressed here are ours.