Farmers and Consumers Coming Together for Real Food in Poland
The Association of Farmers and Consumers Kukiz 15, was launched 4 May 2016, in the Polish parliament, with participation of farmers, consumers, scientists and politicians.
Jaroslaw Sachajko, chairman of the new association as well as of the Parliamentary Agricultural Committee, proposed Jadwiga Lopata and Sir Julian Rose to be its Honorary Presidents, in recognition of their long standing contribution to this cause. The nomination was supported by the attendees.
Jadwiga Lopata and Julian Rose lead the International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside which was established in 2000 in order to bring international attention to the cause of protecting Poland’s small and medium sized family farmers. A group of farmers in serious danger of being wiped-out by corporate and European Union farming interests centered on supermarket and global trading activities.
Widget not in any sidebars
Recognising the need for a radical change to oppressive food regulations currently blocking small and medium sized farms from selling their home raised quality farmhouse foods, Lopata and Rose launched an initiative for farmers and sympathetic consumers to sell direct to the public as well as to devise and write a new Food Act themselves.
This Act was presented to Jaroslaw Sachajko earlier this year and has been fine tuned so as to form the main text of a Food Act now awaiting ratification by parliament. If passed, and unfortunately there has been strong opposition, and providing it sticks to the main farmer/consumer demands, the Act will finally make it legal for traditional family farmers to home-process their farm produce and to sell direct to the public.
The Association of Farmers and Consumers aims to bring together farmers, consumers and all those who care about good food, the natural environment and quality of life, in a binding city/countryside partnership.
Jadwiga Lopata said:
We are grateful to be offered the position of Honorary Presidents of this new association, and will do our utmost to help ensure that the values it stands for are carried through. Consumers and producers must now come together in a way which directly benefits both. Otherwise the present attachment to a globalized food chain will further exacerbate the nationwide decline in food quality, and the continuing deterioration of both public and environmental health.
Julian Rose said:
As a British ‘Polish patriot’ living and working in Poland, I am delighted to be considered worthy of the position offered. A significant part of my life has been devoted to bringing into reality a new and brighter dawn for Real Food and Real Farmers. This Association and the new Food Act which it will support, have the potential to bring that renaissance one big step closer.
We would welcome your support! Please consider making a donation to ICPPC’s activities. http://icppc.pl/index.php/en/
Greetings, Jadwiga Lopata and Julian Rose
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ICPPC – International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside,
34-146 Stryszów 156, Poland tel./fax +48 33 8797114 [email protected]
www.icppc.pl www.gmo.icppc.pl www.eko-cel.pl
