In Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, the fervent plea of farmers demanding the enactment of land reform legislation has continued for 31 years. Hundreds of farming families, carrying decades of aspirations, have gathered in the capital to protest the government's passive stance and strongly urge the establishment of a legal framework for agricultural reform.
According to a report by teleSUR, a South American news outlet headquartered in Brazil, members of the Paraguayan National Farmers' Federation (FNC) held a large-scale demonstration last Wednesday demanding the implementation of land reform laws. They criticized the current government of Paraguayan President Santiago Peña for failing to properly promote public policies for food production and urged the government to make active efforts for fundamental changes in agriculture.
The farmers' demands are based on the validity of land reform as stipulated in the Paraguayan Constitution. Although the Paraguayan Constitution mandates land reform considering the country's specific circumstances, such as the imbalance in land distribution and agricultural production capacity, the government's actual actions have been minimal. teleSUR pointed out that "only 2.5% of large farm owners possess 85% of Paraguay's total farmland, while small farmers are the main actors actually cultivating and producing food," emphasizing the severity of the land ownership imbalance.
The food production of small farmers plays a crucial role in securing Paraguay's food sovereignty. Considering the value and services they provide, and the importance of the food they supply to the nation, the farmers consistently argue that the government should go beyond simply supporting agribusiness and implement active support policies for small-scale food-producing farmers. To achieve these demands, the protesters plan to march to the Congress on Thursday to exert even stronger pressure on the government.
In Paraguay, despite the continuous protests and demands of farmers and indigenous communities, the government has failed to present clear solutions to their outcry over the past 31 years. Attention is focused on whether the government will heed the repeated desperate appeals of the farmers and lay the legal groundwork for substantial land reform. The government must recognize that realizing land justice through fundamental changes in agriculture, establishing food sovereignty, and improving the quality of life for farmers are important tasks for Paraguay's sustainable development.
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