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Are there any solutions for the forgotten problems of small farmers?

Land center held a training session attended by 27 farmers and women farmers from governorates of Dakahleyya, Menya, Beheira, Beny-Suef on 15- 16 May to discuss these problems.
The first day of the workshop illustrated the problems of farmers:
The workshop illustrated the threats faced by farmers, and the need for comprehensive farming elements; like the village, farmers, Policies and laws & teaching and awareness. In addition, it stressed on the need of parties and media participation in discussing these rights, where participants have been divided into three groups to discuss the most notable problems as follows:
First: the problem of shortage and pollution of irrigation water
Description of the problem
Lack of access of water to the canals/ Lack of maintenance of machines uploaded/ Non clearing canals and building new channels/ Water pollution by dumping
Sources of the problem
The theft of water quotas for big farmers/ The absence of the role of the Ministry of Irrigation in clearing the canals and maintenance/ The lack of control and lack of ports to dump waste from farmers and ignore the various governmental agencies and private issues.
Solutions Activating the irrigation and water laws to punish the victim/ Ministry of irrigation to clear canals and maintenance of channels and construction of new canals/ Raising the awareness of farmers not to dump waste into canals/ Coverage of canals that go through villages/ To replace and refurbish pumps lift water/ Providing villages by agricultural sewage.
Parties that farmers and their associations count on:
- Ministry of Irrigation and Agriculture
- Association of community development and agricultural societies Villages
- The beneficiaries of the people and farmers
Activities
- A number of symposia to educate the farmers to protect streams from pollution and the dangers of pollution/ Purchase or lease of dredgers to clear the canals from pollution/ Licenses and approvals from the competent authorities to clean up canals and coverage / Asking the people for clearing the canals and maintenance of their own / Coverage of canals own efforts / Work of a campaign with members of the People's Assembly and local businessmen and institutions to fund sanitation and buy equipment for the maintenance of drinking water plants in partnership with the Civil Association and financing institutions with local leaders (the elders of the country - members of local councils)
Second: The problem of injustice in the crop marketing
Description of the problem
Difficulty of marketing agricultural products in domestic market and global one
Sources of the problem
First: For the outside of the market - Universal
The lack of direct contact with exporters/ The lack of an honest broker to take into account the interests and affairs of the peasants/ The lack of farmer awareness of the requirements of global market/ lack of scale that prevent attract exporters/ There are no refrigerators or transport equipped to transport or assembly of agricultural crop/ lack of knowledge of farms in various transactions in post-harvest

Second: the domestic market Lack of awareness of the importance of examining the needs of the farm market, whether global or local/ Lack of information product prices so as not to farms was introduced to the market shocks/ the emergence of monopolies in local markets of the major merchants/ no entity defends the farmers
Solutions
The need for impartial and independent entity (Association - Association) defends the rights of farmers/ Modify the terms of the partnership agreement with the EU to improve the status and rights of farmers/ Raising awareness of farmers by the Agriculture Marketing Culture/ Amendment of the association until the Assembly shall have the right to export without the mediation/ Increasing the awareness of farmers transactions post-harvest
General Objectives: Solving the marketing problem faced by the farmers

Target:
Raise farm income and thus improve the economic and social levels of the farmers
Activities
1 - support coalitions of farmers at the village level centers/ Make a series of symposia and community dialogues/ the use of entities unprecedented experience in this area/ work study to determine the needs of the market and provided to farmers/ trying to draw leaders who are influential in decision-making Sides
Agencies: Ministry of Agriculture - Ministry of Trade and Industry
Civil actors: civil society organizations
Third: the problem of small farmers stumbled on a loan Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit
Causes of the problem
1 - high interest loans went down to about 19% / Revolving loans, which did not receive money from the peasants, including the World Bank, but received only on paper/ corruption in some branches of models (corner of Hamor - Deir Mawas Minya - Delengat)/ lack of strategies for the Bank.
Solutions
1 - Cancel the debt of farmers and stop the enforcement of prison sentences and their equality with business
2 - Delivery of peasant associations money seized by the bank and ensure the right of farmers in the organization and the rejection of all forms and guardianship of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives boardrooms to give all powers to manage the association for the benefit of farmers
3 - substitution policies to solve the problems of farmers, inter alia: Input subsidies (fertilizers - seed) / Safe rental contracts / Address the problem of water shortage and pollution.
On the following day workshop discussed the most important human rights and economic and social, such as:
- Labor rights under fair / The right to social security and social insurance/ The right to adequate standard of living and safety from hunger / The right to education / The right of women to equality with men in the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural.
The workshop stressed on the external risks that threatens the insurance of the economic rights of farmers represented in the new world order, globalization and stabilization policies, structural adjustment and pressure of the IMF.
Then, there are several risks domestically:
A - The 1971 constitution; it stated the rights and freedoms of Egyptian people, referring their details to laws. But laws never match the Egyptians' needs.
B - The constitutional statements about the rights and freedoms formulations are hollow and rhetorical, without any specifications.
C - The absence of democracy in society, which allows the state to confiscate the human rights with the stroke of a pen.
D – The fourth domestic risk is keeping many laws, in violation of human rights, even after the Government's ratification of the International Convention on civil and political rights and economic and social development, that refuses those laws
Then, the workshop discussed the right to social insurance, which was organized by Law No. 79 for 75 in the new bill. This new bill would turn the social security into umbrella for savings, and not to ensure the rights of citizens and their social safety.
Then the participants were divided into two groups:
The first discussed the health care issue.
The second discussed the social insurance for small farmers.
Then, the workshop ended with stressing the need for coordination and cooperation between civil society organizations to ensure the rights of peasants in agriculture, safe and decent life. In addition, it confirmed the need to launch a campaign of rural organizations, supporting them through the election of the People's Assembly and Shura Council.