Sajtóközlemény - november 23, 2015
Budapest, 23 November 2015 – Greenpeace Hungary organized a symbolic funeral today in front of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture in protest against state land auctions. It is clear from the events of the past week that Greenpeace's warning from October has become reality: the sell-out of state land secures the new lessees, many of whom have been granted ownership of the land through illegal leasing tenders, thus perhaps forever eliminates the possibility for local farmers to gain land. Moreover, it does not guarantee the preservation of the Natura 2000 lands' natural resources and further aggravates the already critical state of ecological farming.
At the symbolic funeral of the Hungarian countryside, Greenpeace laid down wreaths in the name of farmers and organizations who had been deprived of their lease of state lands in an unlawful way. Hundreds of farmers have been destroyed this way, been stripped of their grazing land and, as a direct consequence, several thousands of animals have been sent to the slaughterhouse.
Greenpeace Hungary demands that the Hungarian government takes its own plans seriously: that it puts into practice the Darányi Ignác Plan – National Rural Development Strategy (2014-2020) as well as its own strategy for the development of ecological farming.
Greenpeace opposes to the sell-out of state land in such way. As a non-governmental organization working for the future of Hungarian agriculture and the propagation of ecological farming, they find it unacceptable that similarly to the previous state land tenders for leasing, ecological farming has not been included in the conditions of the sell-out contracts as the requisite or at least preferred way of using the lands. However, only such conditions could have ensured suitable grounds for the government to keep its promises stated in the National Action Plan for the Development of Ecological Farming (2014–2020) Strategy.
But “we resurrect”, emphasized Greenpeace at their action today. They reassured that they will not let the voice of justice be silenced, and that they also encourage others to speak out against corruption, injustice and destruction. Greenpeace continues to fight not only for the recreation of Kishantos but also for the interest of every small family farm in the country and the sustainable future of Hungarian agriculture, which mean ecological farming and a healthy food supply for the people. This is what Greenpeace believes in and what it is committed to do everything for.
Greenpeace's resolution on land auctions of October 2015 (in Hungarian):
http://www.greenpeace.org/hungary/hu/sajtokozpont/allasfoglalas-allami-foldeladas/
Photos of today's action:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeacehu/albums/72157661496798516