Pre-Program:
Festival of Reminiscence 
500 Years of German Peasant War

Saturday, June 28th, Conference by Historians about the Background and Events of the German Peasant Uprise 1525 in the Region

Sunday, June 29th, Festival at Schloss Kirchberg, 11 am - 6 pm

Monday Morning, 9 am - 12 am
Exposure Programm to Farms and Places of the BESH Pig Program

(All Participants of the World Organic Forum are invited to take part of the Pre-Program)

 

From Revolt to Rights: 
The Struggle for Peasants‘ Justice Then and Now 
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP) – 
Assessment of its relevance and how to localize it

500 years ago, in the year 1525, farmers in central Europe fought for their basic human rights. The uprise is known as the German Peasants´ War. Seven years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted a declaration on the current rights of farmers around the world. Among others, the Stiftung Haus der Bauern (The House of Farmers Foundation) lobbied the UN Human Rights Council to bring about the declaration. 

In this meeting we want to get to know: Has any farmers‘ organizations on the world actually invoked these guaranteed UN rights? Has any government taken them serious in their legislative or policies?  Or is the declaration primarily relevant to emerging economies, where many farmers continue to live on the margins of society? And where do we stand with forms of oppression of farmers in Europe?

Our 8th World Organic Forum this year tries to inquire the significance of UNDROP it has for farmers and rural policies today.

Certainly, land rights, the sourveranity of nations to design their own agricultural policies  and intellectual property rights related to seeds and rare species are among the most critical aspects of the Declaration. Across Europe, various actors are actively working to implement UNDROP aiming to advance the rights of peasants and support the development of resilient, sustainable food systems grounded in food sovereignty and the right to food for all.

At the World Organic Forum 2025 we are bringing together experts and actors who have been tirelessly working on the implementation and enforcement of Peasant Rights in Europe and beyond and will discuss opportunities and barriers in nowadays social, political and economic landscapes.

Program
Monday, June 30th, 2025
10.00 am 
Arrival of Participants, Check-in, Snack

11.45 am    
Optional Lunch (for all guests arriving in the morning)

1.00 pm
Opening Remarks and Welcome
Rudolf Bühler
Chairman Haus der Bauern Stiftung / House of Farmers Foundation

1.20 pm
Assessment of UNDROP from the Scientist Viewpoint
Prof. Dr. Christophe Golay
Senior Research Fellow at the Geneva Academy of
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

2 pm
7 Years of Global Peasant Rights – Where do we stand? - UNDROP seen by the Expert Group
Genevieve Savigny
President of the Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, Member of the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC)

2.45 pm    
Open debate / Panel Discussion
The Impact of UNDROP: has it changed the landscape for peasants and where are we headed?

3.30 pm
Coffee Break

4.00 pm
The Relevance of UNDROP seen from an Asian Farmers‘ Leader
Henry Saragih, Indonesia
former La Via Campesina General Coordinator and Member of the LVC Committee on Peasants‘ Rights

4.45 pm
Questions and Response

5.00 pm
Thematic Focus: The Right to Seed and Breed
Dr. Stefan Schmitz
Executive Director of the Crop Trust (Global Crop Diversity Trust)(digital contribution)

Rudolf Bühler
CEO of BESH (Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall)

5.45 pm
Debate with the Floor

6.30 pm
Dinner

Until EOD
Evening Program with Music

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025
8.00 am
Morning Prayer or Yoga at the Ayurvedic Center

8.15 am
Breakfast

9.00 am
Implications of UNDROP for Europe – Example Germany
Michael Windfuhr
Deputy Director German Institute for Human Rights and Member of the UNs Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

9.45 am
Comments and Reactions

10.00 am
UNDROP as seen by the German Government
Bernd Schwang
Head of the Right to Food Division at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany

10.30 am
How to strengthen UNDROP in Brazil
Prof. Antonio Andrioli
Chapecó-Santa Catarina

11.00 am
Coffee Break

11.30 am
Panel Discussion with all Speakers

12.30 am
Lunch

1.00 pm
How to work with UNDROP and how to strengthen it on the ground
Working Groups       

2.30 pm
Reports from the Working Groups

15.00 am
Conclusions

15.30 pm
The End

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