When: September 17 through October 9
Where: Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Vermont, New York City, Washington, D.C.
Guest Speaker: Leticia Galeano—Campesina and youth leader from Paraguay

In the midst of a global food, energy and climate crisis more and more people are challenging the destructive industrialized agricultural model by constructing local and regional alternatives with a vision for food sovereignty worldwide.

As momentum grows in the United States around truly local, sustainable and fair food systems, it is also crucial that we stand with the international movements that are actively pursuing these same alternatives and confronting the interests that oppose them—often in the face of violence and repression.

We hear little to nothing in the U.S. media about Paraguay, yet Paraguayan peasant and Indigenous communities have been fighting one of the most unheard of wars: the “soybean wars.” Soybeans in Paraguay are symbolic of the legacy of a U.S. backed dictatorship and of U.S. economic interests, specifically those of agribusinesses. These are making record high profits through the expansion of large-scale industrial monoculture production of Monsanto’s genetically modified soy at the expense of impoverishing local communities, human rights abuses and environmental destruction.

Come hear directly from Leticia Galeano, an inspiring young leader from the Movimiento Agrario y Popular (a peasant organization in the department of Caaguazú) and university student in Asuncion, Paraguay. Leticia will speak about militarization in Paraguay, criminalization of social movements, local resistance to soy expansion and about the role of U.S. agribusiness giants like ADM, Bunge and Cargill in the soybean wars.

Events will be held at universities, cultural centers, and conferences in various cities.  Additional speakers will join Leticia at the events.

For more information or if you are interested in sponsoring this speaking tour, or hosting an event in one of the cities listed, please contact Lorena Rodriguez at or (612)840-9540  or Andrea Samulon at or (415) 659-0540.

Sponsored By: Georgetown University, Student Trade Justice Campaign, Rainforest Action Network, School of Americas Watch, Institute for Policy Studies, the Washington Office on Latin America and the International Labor Rights Fund.