Kindling's Helen is joining the UK delegation to attend The Nyeleni European Forum for Food Sovereignty from the 16th to 21st of August 2011.
Next month six hundred people will gather in Krems, Austria from over 40 countries to: articulate a regional plan for food sovereignty based on the very rights of people, the potential and the constraints of European territories, the need to cool the planet and to restore ecological services.
This first forum will be focused on emerging issues that will enable Europeans and others to achieve food sovereignty, with the following five thematic areas covered:
- Models of production (agro-ecology, energy, climate, GMOs, protein dependency, biodiversity, etc.)
- Markets/organisation of food chains and food webs (corporate domination in the food chain, local markets, food speculation, transparency, criminalization, solidarity, etc.)
- Conditions of work/social aspects (agricultural and migrant workers, income, health, access to food, etc.)
- Access to land and other resources (installation, renewal, financing, water, seeds, etc.)
- Public policies (CAP and rural development, fishery policies, energy, trade, etc.).
“I'm really excited about taking part in the forum. I feel honoured to be part of the UK delegation and am looking forward to the opportunity to learn loads from farmers and people working towards a more sustainable food system all over Europe. I also hope that what we have learnt from FeedingManchester, Manchester Veg People, and the Land Army will be useful to others. It's all exciting and pioneering stuff and the more we can learn from others the closer we get to revolutionising our food system here in the Northwest!” Helen Woodcock.
Recognising the harmful effects of corporate-driven globalisation of agri-food systems, Food Sovereignty Movement was initiated in order to defend local, small-scale food systems by strong alliances of social movements active in the food and agricultural domain.
The UK delegation is a really inspiring bunch of 17 farmers and food activists. From organic farmer and GM free Cymru activist Gerald Miles and FoE's Kirtana Chandrasekaran, to Patrick Mulvany (UK Food Group and senior policy adviser for Practical Action). The long bus journey out there looks to be almost as interesting as the forum itself!
For more information about the forum click here.