Over 500 delegates from more than 40 countries gathered on 26 to 30 October 2016 in Cluj-Napoca in Romania for the 2nd European Forum for Food Sovereignty. This event is called "Nyéléni" the name of woman farmer from Mali in Africa who has dedicated his life to agriculture and the fight for food. The first Nyéléni International Forum for Food Sovereignty was held in Mali in 2007 with the participation of representatives of peasant movements, agricultural workers and organizations for the  protection of  the natural environment coming from all over the world. So the 1 ° European Forum of Nyéléni  was organized in 2011 in Krems in Austria. While this 2nd European Forum held in Cluj-Napoca in Romania, fits into that process for food sovereignty, focused around three key words: Transform! Resist! Build!

the 500 delegates gathered in Cluj-Napoca were confronted especially starting from the following 4 thematic axes:

1- the food production and consumption model.

2- the Food Distribution.

3- the Right to natural resources and common goods.

4 -Work and social conditions in the agricultural and food systems

The Italian delegation was composed by the USB, the Italian Rural Association (ARI), from "Contadinazione", the International Center "Crocevia" and the NGO "Terra Nuova".

The USB has  reported  on the actions carried out in connection between  the struggles of farm workers with the process of organizing and unionization in the agricultural sector. In its intervention the USB has underlined the need of creating an alliance between farmers, farm workers and consumers, with objective to have  healthy food and  to fight against all forms of exploitation  in the entire  sector of the agro-industry.

This approach, was shared by the whole Italian delegation, and it was considered one of the challenges that the European movement for Food Sovereignty will have to keep in mind in his fights against Agro business, the bid distribution companies  and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) imposed  by the 'European Union.

The EU and its anti-social and anti-migrant policies were denounced and criticized heavily during the debates and during the plenary and in the working groups.

So it was shared the need to built paths of struggle for social justice, for Food Sovereignty and against all forms of racism and xenophobia.

On the margins of the Forum, the USB's delegation composed by Gianandrea Stefano de Angelis and Aboubakar Soumahoro, has met, in the presence of the Association Rural Italian (ARI), the  representatives  of the  "Coordination La Via Campesina Europe" , the European section of this international movement that for years the fight against the Agro business and for the food Sovereignty in the world.

During the meeting, both organizations have presented their activities in relation to the rights of farm workers and peasants. Furthermore  it was agreed to share materials and information with respect to the theme of the struggle for Food Sovereignty in the various fields and it was discussed of local and European initiative. In particular by focusing on the organization of agricultural workers in order to fight the labor  exploitation in agro-industry and beyond. It was therefore considered essential and  qualifying  the presence of trade union organizations such as the USB in the process of struggle for social and labor rights of the agricultural workers,  at national level, European and international.

The path for Food Sovereignty, in compliance with the condition of the workers at all stages of the agricultural production chain, will see an increasingly constant commitment of our confederation in this strategic sector. Especially compared to the struggles against the transatlantic trade treaties as TTIP or CETA. This experience strengthens and confirms the importance of international engagement that the USB is pursuing.

November 8, 2016