At the July 3, 2026 meeting of the International Peace Coalition, the 161st consecutive weekly gathering online, a presentation on the world food and agriculture crisis was given by Baltazar Valdez Armentia, leader of the United Farmers of Sinaloa (CUS), and on the Steering Committee of the National Front To Save the Mexican Countryside. He has been active with other farm leaders for the past three years, including in Mexico City, for a dialogue with the government and economic sector leaders for a new “National Agriculture” policy, in the interests of his nation, and foreign partners, and no longer serving the interests of the international financial/commodity networks centered on Wall Street, the City of London, Chicago trade exchanges, etc. The following is the edited transcript of his July 3 presentation.

The food crisis facing the world is not a prophecy; it is a slowly simmering reality, fueled by three forces that seek to suffocate those of us who work the land: geopolitical chaos, environmental collapse, and—the most predatory of all—speculation by agro-financial corporations that see hunger as their best business opportunity.

International conflicts occurring far away, in foreign lands, reach our fields every time the price of fertilizers, diesel, and other inputs skyrocket, due to interests who could care less about us. Food security cannot depend on the stability of foreign markets. When countries close their borders or manipulate supplies, national governments are left paralyzed, because they have forgotten that a country that does not produce its own food is a country that has surrendered its freedom.

We are not blind to climate change. Extreme droughts and disruptions of planting cycles are striking at the heart of our production. Yet we are required to produce more with less support, while the government looks the other way instead of investing in water infrastructure, modernization, and real agricultural insurance that protects farmers from climate uncertainty.

And here’s the real cancer: While farmers receive a pittance for their crops, large transnational corporations control final prices, hoard grain, and speculate on the stock markets with people’s food. They use their financial power to dictate rules that ruin small and medium-sized farmers, turning a fundamental human right—such as the right to food—into a luxury commodity to maximize their profits.

Remove Staple Grains from USMCA

Faced with this dire situation, we farmers—who are part of the National Front To Save the Mexican Countryside—demand that the Mexican government exclude staple grains from the USMCA free trade agreement and, consequently, set grain prices based on domestic production costs rather than the speculative prices set on the Chicago Board of Trade. This is the first step toward regaining our food sovereignty.

Unite Against Transnational Agro-Financial Complex

We also call on producers in the United States and other nations to build an international alliance in defense of food production to confront, in an organized fashion, the transnational agro-financial corporations that benefit from the destruction of small and medium-sized rural producers. United, we can defend ourselves and ensure the survival of our countries for the benefit of our peoples, and demand of our governments:

Government Responsibilities To Serve the People

1) Defense of Food Sovereignty: The agricultural sector needs government policies, not temporary aid. We demand parity prices for all producers that truly cover production costs, and a tariff policy that protects domestic production of staple grains and ensures a dignified life for our families.

2) Measures against speculation: The government must put a stop to the abuse by large corporations that exploit producers and sacrifice consumers.

3) National credit: The state must regain control of monetary and credit policy as an indispensable tool for development and investment in water infrastructure, which will enable us to boost existing capacity and expand the agricultural frontier.

4) Consequently, the Bank of Mexico, the central bank, must once again belong to Mexico, with a monetary policy committed to economic growth. It must not continue to be held hostage by investment funds, which base their profits on the destruction of Mexico’s economy and those of other nations around the world.

5) Mexico has everything it needs to move toward becoming a global food powerhouse. Achieving this will be good news for the peoples of the world—though not for those who speculate on hunger and food dependency.

6) Resilience to climate change: We need urgent investment in rural areas. Less talk and more water and technological infrastructure.

The countryside is not defeated, but it has had enough. We are the ones who put food on everyone’s table. Without us, the crisis we see on the horizon today will become a tragedy that no one will be able to stop.

Thank you.