Peter Maurin, from the Catholic Worker movement, was known to proudly assert, “I am a peasant. I have roots.” Most would not share Peter’s pride. Thanks to the Middle Ages and Western pop culture’s treatment of it — the word is considered derogatory. That is something that needs to change. 

Peasants and their connection to the land, their roots, are key to the ability of the human family to feed itself without destroying our planet in the process. According to research institute GRAIN, if one takes everything from the production of food all the way to its consumption and waste, the industrialized food system accounts for as much as 44-57 per cent of all GHG emissions. 

Meanwhile, there are studies that show peasant farmers produce about 30 per cent of the world’s food supply. They do this operating almost completely outside the industrial system using traditional and new methods of farming that care for the land and the climate. Peasants are uneducated? Are dirty? Are lower-class? I don’t think so. Maybe they are by the standards of Western society. But certainly not by the standards of the Gospel. We know that Jesus was, and is, close to peasants. He preached directly to them, which is why the Gospels are full of peasant imagery — sheep, goats, and mustard seeds. Development & Peace – Caritas Canada has, like Jesus, been standing with peasants around the world since day one of our existence in 1967. 

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On Sept. 28, 200 people gathered online from across Canada to celebrate the launch of our fall campaign in defense of the rights of peasants throughout the world. The campaign is part of our 2024 program, “Reaping our Rights.” This program began with our Share Lent campaign. During Lent, we told the stories of peasants in Bolivia, Indonesia and Nigeria who, thanks to the solidarity of Canadians, are working to assert their rights and to live a life of dignity. 

This fall, “Reaping our Rights,” is educating Canadians about UNDROP through a major postcard campaign that calls on the Canadian government to adopt a strong law that will protect peasants throughout the world from Canadian corporations that contribute to their oppression. 

What is UNDROP? Not to be confused with UNDRIP, the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, UNDROP stands for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants. It was adopted by the UN on Dec. 17, 2018. The declaration was the fruit of over 17 years of peasant movements from around the world coming together to articulate their rights and have them enshrined through the United Nations. 

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UNDROP rights include the right of peasants to life, liberty and security of person; to land; to seeds; to decent income and livelihood and means of production; to access to justice; to a clean, safe and healthy environment; to clean water; to information; to participation; and to work.

Canada abstained from the vote.

Instead of a campaign to get Canada to formally adopt UNDROP, we are focused on getting Canada to adopt a strong law that would protect peasant rights found in UNDROP from the abuses by Canadian corporations. We have been campaigning for legal corporate accountability for Canadian companies operating overseas for years, and this year we want to highlight how it can impact the rights of peasants. 

As our campaign action sheet says, such a law would require Canadian companies to prevent, report, address and remedy human rights and environmental abuses across their global supply and value chains and provide the victims of any abuses access to justice in Canadian courts. No Canadian corporation would be allowed to stand in the way of people exercising their UNDROP rights.

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It would be hard to find a Catholic in the pews of our churches who did not care about improving the lives of the poor, many of whom are peasants. Many have contributed money to worthy charitable organizations who stand with them, including our own. How short-sighted, even hypocritical, it would be for us to provide this charity while allowing Canadian companies to dispossess them of their lands or poison the waters they rely on. So, sign the postcard, but do more than that. Next time you hear someone use the word peasant to put someone down, do that person a favour and educate them about how just important peasants are. It’s what Jesus would do.

(Stocking is Deputy Director of Public Awareness & Engagement, Ontario and Atlantic Regions, for Development and Peace.)