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CAFOD campaigners deliver 'Salina's letter' to the World Bank's UK offices

11 October 2023

CAFOD campaigners have today delivered ‘Salina’s letter’ to the World Bank’s UK offices. The letter was written by Salina, a small-holder farmer from Bangladesh who is fighting to keep control of her own seeds.

As part of CAFOD’s Fix the Food System campaign, over 70,000 Catholics from across England and Wales had signed the letter in solidarity with Salina to urge the World Bank to stop supporting policies that limit small farmers' choice over which seeds they can use.

CAFOD campaigners deliver Salina's letter to the World Bank

CAFOD campaigners took Salina's message right to the World Bank in London

Campaigners took these signed letters to the World Bank offices, where they were received by senior World Bank staff who agreed to meet and discuss the issue.

“It was a very cordial meeting and we explained how much support our campaign has received across the country from ordinary parishioners,” said Father Rob Esdaile, whose own parish, St Dunstan's in Woking, was one of the 750 parishes who supported the campaign.

Campaigners walk across Blackfriars Bridge with Salina letters

Signed 'Salina letters' representing 70,000 Catholics were carried across Blackfriars Bridge on the way to the World Bank offices

Meanwhile, CAFOD campaigners are also in Marrakech, Morocco where the World Bank’s Annual Meetings are taking place, to speak directly to World Bank officials there about what more they can do to support small-scale farmers who are responsible for growing the food that feeds us all.

Andrea, Ruth and Farida at the World Bank meetings in Morocco

CAFOD campaigners, including Farida Akhter from Bangladesh, at the World Bank meetings in Marrakech

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