South Asian farming groups push for agroecology policies aligned with UN declaration

Civil society organizations and farmer networks across South Asia have launched a coordinated campaign urging policymakers to strengthen agroecological practices and protect traditional seed systems in line with international human rights frameworks.

The groups are advocating for national policies that prioritize sustainable farming methods, farmer-controlled seed conservation, and trade regulations that support smallholder agricultural communities rather than industrial farming interests. They argue that such measures would advance food security, environmental sustainability and the economic viability of rural livelihoods across the region.

The campaign references the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), adopted in 2018, which enshrines protections for agricultural workers and community rights over land, seeds and natural resources. Advocates contend that most South Asian governments have yet to translate these principles into concrete domestic legislation and programmes.

Campaigners are focusing on policy areas including agricultural subsidies, intellectual property laws affecting seed ownership, trade agreements, and regulatory frameworks governing agricultural chemicals. They argue that current policies in many countries inadvertently disadvantage smallholder farmers and undermine traditional agroecological knowledge systems.

The movements have indicated plans to engage with government agricultural ministries and parliament members across the region to build momentum for policy reform in coming months.