Uniting Peasant and Ethnic Peoples on One Stage
PRESS RELEASE
- The opening ceremony highlighted the need to see land as a foundation for peace-building among peasant and ethnic communities around the world.
- This year’s Forum focuses on advancing agrarian reform, transforming agri-food systems, and driving a just energy transition.
Bogotá D.C., June 16, 2025 – Hundreds of peasant organisations, Afro-descendant communities, and Indigenous Peoples from around the world have gathered in Colombia for the 10th Global Land Forum, with the country of the “Revolution for Life” serving as host.
The León de Greiff Auditorium at the National University of Colombia in Bogotá set the stage for the Forum’s opening ceremony, co-organised by the International Land Coalition (ILC), CINEP, the European Union Delegation in Colombia, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
During the event, Francy Conpu Mejía, from the national organizing committee of the Black Communities Process (PCN), emphasised the importance of the Forum in recognising the role of peasant, Afro-descendant, and Indigenous communities in securing equitable land access for a dignified life and sustainable food production.
“We are here, standing tall, sowing the future through words, life, and territory. To defend the land is to defend ourselves—with territorial justice, environmental dignity, and collective autonomy,” she stated.
Javier Medina Bernal of the Center for Research and Popular Education / Peace Program (CINEP/PPP) remarked:
“With the support of the international community—and above all, through solidarity among peoples—we can deepen and sustain the enormous efforts and significant progress made by the current government to redistribute land and prioritise food production.”
Michael Taylor, Director of the ILC, praised Colombia’s commitment to agrarian reform centered on fair and equitable land redistribution, noting:
“We know how difficult it is to implement agrarian reform, and we’re here to share what we’ve achieved and the lessons we’ve learned along the way—as well as to learn from you.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by Gilles Bertrand, EU Ambassador to Colombia:
“In this country, the link between land and peace is clear. Land was a cause of conflict, and today it can be the foundation for reconciliation.”
Colombia’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Lena Estrada, reaffirmed the government’s commitment:
“This event brings us together to tackle three interconnected crises: hunger, climate change, and the construction of peace.”
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Martha Carvajalino Villegas, not only emphasised Colombia’s role and the historic struggles of peasant and ethnic communities for fair land distribution, but also called for a renewed focus on the countryside as a driver of social, economic, and peaceful development:
“In Colombia, we have a powerful call for unity. We must recognize that women have been at the forefront of resistance—and today they are shaping hope. We must now ensure they lead the way in building inclusive public policies. That also means ensuring young people have a future in the countryside,” she said.
She concluded by calling for the outcomes of the Global Land Forum to feed into the Second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, to be held in Cartagena in February 2026:
“Land to eat, land to work, and land to live—this is our great commitment, which we call the Revolution for Life,” Carvajalino affirmed.
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