18 * Accompanying Measures assured by the European Union, were designed as compensation to be used for the development of the entire economy, but have been used, till now (under the Multi- Annual Adaptation Strategy) almost entirely in order to develop the cane sector; this means the European money designed to compensate for the lowering of sugar prices, is being blown in perpetuating the cane sector to the detriment of both job creation and food security; Given that, * The lagoons in Mauritius & Rodrigues are no longer renewing themselves with enough fish for food needs, but have become poorer and poorer; * The Republic of Mauritius is a large country, with its 2,000,000 square kilometres of sea; Given that, * The broad masses have no access to land for planting or animal husbandry; * There is already a rich knowledge of food production, fishing, and a high degree of commitment to the soil and the sea, in the masses of people in the whole country, and in particular in Rodrigues, * Given that we are still living under patriarchy, women who are respon-sible for feeding the family are often not given the means to be able to carry out this responsibility, Our demands: 1 That the Government, with food security in mind, undertakes a general review of all land use and all land ownership and control; 2 That the Government, in particular, undertakes a study of the four clusters (Medine, FUEL, Bel Vue ek SUDS), with a view, inter alia, to encouraging diversification and food security; 3 To kick off, Government must introduce laws so that all land is at once re-organized so that, for 4 months of each year, food crops can be grown interline, in all of the 100,000 arpents that sugar estates and in all the 90,000 arpents that small planters, now have under cane; any land owner who does not plant food crops on his land, must lease it to a planter who will do so; this concerns crops like potatoes, tomatoes, beans, onions, sweet potatoes, arwi-violets, wheat, maize, etc; This way cane will be affected less in the early stages of converting to food security; 4 Government must force sugar estates to give labourers and artisans made redundant an arpent of land on lease so that, grouped together in co-operatives, they can grow food crops; 5 Government must ensure that everyone who want to plant food crops, in towns and in villages, or living in high-rise flats, or without any land, gets access to allotments; that Government help people plant in greenhouses and on a hydroponic basis; 6 Government must introduce measures, and if necessary subsidies, for planters producing food and for animal raisers: a Provide seeds, irrigation at a reasonable price, build dams, specially in Rodrigues. b Provide pre-crop loans c Organize insurance, as in a Welfare Fund d Guarantee a market and a good price through the Marketing Board and Meat Authority, which will stabilize all food products, milk, fish, eggs, meat; organize storage for planters, animal raisers and fishers; e Create agro-industries that will preserve and transform the food produced (canning, making oil, etc) f Re-launch the Palmar animal rearing farm, and the production of animal feed, and seedlings. g Ensure marketing for agricultural produce, in Mauritius or abroad. 7 Government must ensure the traditional knowledge gets transmitted to the new generation, and that scientific knowledge is brought in to join hands with the traditional knowledge in Moris, Rodrig, Agalega, and Chagos, so that agriculture, animal rearing and fishing develop. 8 Government must prevent the middle-men (milk, fish and vege- 18 tables merchants) extorting too big a share of plus-value ; this means producers need access to cooperative credit and marketing; 9 Government must provide the money necessary for building boats that can go to the outer islands and banks, so that fishermen can get there to fish. 10 Marine resources must be controlled, pirating prevented, and the fish stocks kept up. 11 Food prices need to be fixed for producers and for people who buy the food; where necessary, the Government must create a stabilizing fund. 12 Government must speak out at international forums against the WTO when it blocks food production in the Third World countries, notably when the EU & USA subsidize their agriculture; 13 Government must assure a GMO-FREE Republic; a good side-effect of this is that it attracts bio -friendly tourists to the country. 14 Government must use all the above means to ensure security for the following 5 food categories: a Staples: a variety of these: rice, maize, manioc, potato, wheat, arwi, arrow root, sweet potatoes, bread fruit (Today there is a shortage of locally produced staples.) b Milk. (Today we fall very short.) c Eggs, chicken, meat. (Most meat is imported.) d Fish. (Mauritius can easily be self-sufficient Government must organize investment.) e Vegetables, fruit, tomatoes, spices. (Some degree of self reliance; preservation needs to be developed.) Founder Members of the Front that launched this CHARTER: Mouvement pour l Autosuffisance Alimentaire Muvman Liberasyon Fam General Trade Union Federation Kishore Mundil (Associate Professor, University of Mauritius, Agric. Management) Fron Travayer Sekter Prive Mauritius Planters Association Amis de Rodrigues Federation of PreSchool Playgroups Ledikasyon pu Travayer Institute for Consumers Protection LALIT