PFF designs programmes for World Food Day

HYDERABAD: The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) on Tuesday announced to celebrate 'Week of Action' in Sindh for the World Food Day, commencing on October 8, 2015 and ending on October 16, 2015.
The World Food Day is celebrated globally on October 16, but the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum in its meeting at Indus Region Secretariat, Hyderabad, decided for week-long activities to mark this year’s theme of 'Social Protection and Agriculture’.
The meeting was presided over by Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum chairperson Muhammad Ali Shah, while Maria Soomro, Sajan Mallah and Omar Mallah from Badin, Mir Hassan Mari and Ramzan Mallah from Sanghar, Majeed Thahim and Juman Mallag from Jamshoro and Hydeabad participated in the meeting.
The Week of Action will begin in the city of Karachi with a colourful event, followed by simultaneous activities throughout Sindh, mainly in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Sanghar, Umerkot, Jamshoro, and Hyderabad.
Fishermen, farmers and rural workforce, including women will participate in the rallies, short marches, and food melas to express solidarity with the internationally communities, while stressing the Sindh government to ensure right to food for each citizen.
The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, which is working with fishermen and farmers, has appealed to the communities to design their own activities to be the part of the global action and demand the government to ensure food security.
The community activists shared how the natural water bodies, lakes, wetlands, green pastures and fertile lands were being degraded because of unavailability of policies and sustainable practices to save food resources.
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum chairperson Muhammad Ali Shah said, "Poverty must be and can be eradicated now, with sweeping agrarian reforms that emphasise agroecology practiced in cooperative farming.
The best protection for life is securing livelihoods guaranteed by autonomous access to natural resources."
All states and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) need to be reminded of their own guidelines for responsible governance of tenure in land, fisheries and forests, he said.
The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum chairperson said the Week of Action would be an occasion for demanding food sovereignty for everyone. States need to ensure food protection for the people, who mostly produce food still face hunger and diseases.
During the week-long celebration activities of the Week of Action, a signature campaign would also be launched with the petition, which would be filed with the higher courts with the demands of hundreds of people.