food, farming and biodiversity at friends of the earth
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Food, farming and biodiversity at Friends of the Earth. FoE International Food Sovereignty Programme FoE Europe Strategic Planning Process. FoEI Food Sovereignty Programme. First meeting in Jojakarta, Indonesia, April 2008 Decision that the programme be called “Food Sovereignty” - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Food, farming and biodiversity at
Friends of the Earth
FoE International Food Sovereignty Programme
FoE Europe Strategic Planning Process
FoEI Food Sovereignty Programme
First meeting in Jojakarta, Indonesia, April 2008
Decision that the programme be called “Food Sovereignty”
Areas of work / important focus agreed (but too ambitious!)
FoEI Food Sovereignty Programme
Food Sovereignty steering committee set up
Call for coordinators put outMartin Drago from FoE Uruguay takes on the Southern coordinator role
Northern coordinator role still open
Framework approved at BGM
We are building global food sovereignty which is based on diverse localised solutions. We define food sovereignty as:
Peoples right to determine and control their local, national, ecological, just, sovereign food and production systems
Peoples right to enough nutritious, healthy, ecologically produced, culturally sound food
Food produced through ecological traditional or indigenous / peasant / family agriculture / Artisanal fisheries/ Pastorals
In the urban context this means the ability to buy such food sourced locally and regionally from a network of diverse retail outlets and markets
Building the bridges between people and their food and between those who produce and consume food
At the centre of food policies, those who produce and consume food take precedence over trade and corporate interests. Local and national economies are a priority
The recognition of peoples’ control over territories and seed, upholding land rights, and the right to water
The right to reclaim and defend seed diversity as peoples heritage at the service of humanity
The right to reproduce, exchange and breed seed varieties
Positive land conversion from intensive, large scale agriculture to ecologically compatible and diverse systems
Food Sovereignty rejects technologies which threaten, undermine and contaminate local food production and traditional wisdom
It also rejects the free trade system and the power of TNCs
Key strategic areas for action:Agribusiness vs agriculture for food sovereignty
Trade in agricultural commodities and food AND food miles vs local markets and
Fisheries and marine issues
Land and territory rights and integrity
Consumption (over and under consumption) and the right to access food
Food Aid and Hunger
Agrofuels
GMOs and other corporate driven technologies
Agriculture and climate
Taking it forward: Amsterdam meeting, April 2009
For the first time, with la Via Campesina and the World March of Women
FoE groups in Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Nigeria, Swaziland, Denmark, Latvia, England Wales and Northern Ireland, United States, Uruguay, Paraguay, El Salvador, and Mexico.
Representatives from FoEI Climate Justice and Energy Program, FoE Europe Food and Biodiversity Program, FoE Europe Economic Justice Program, Asia Pacific regional facilitation, and the FoEI International Secretariat.
Amsterdam meeting, April 2009
Three lines of action from the FoEI food sovereignty work-plan approved by the 2008 BGM:
• GMOs,
• land rights and agribusiness (link with Economic Justice – Resisting Neoliberalism program)
• climate and agriculture. We brought in the • Also, the promotion of solutions and our positive our
agenda as a cross-cutting theme• gender implications of our analysis and our activities
For a GMO free world
Materials that kill the myth of GMOs and propose alternatives. This could be the next version of the “Who Benefits from GMOs” report, which would focus on myths and alternatives (for farmers – production without GMOs and for food aid – support local/regional products instead of external GM food aid).
Create solidarity for direct actions, build a network of direct actions and alert systems in response to repression of activists.
Capacity building for groups and communities: test kits for GMO, popular education, more information.
Resisting land grabbing and agribusiness
Gathering and sharing up-to-date information about corporate actions.
Build understanding and support for our diverse strategies.
Track chain of custody for different products, target specific corporations.
Strengthen regional strategies and coordination.
Build visibility for victims of agribusiness.
Opportunities around events:International Forum of Victims of Agribusiness, Paraguay August 2009.
Conference on AGRA, Nigeria in September/October 2009: launch the results of the joint research between FoE Europe and groups in Africa regarding agrofuels. Exchange with groups in Asia that may have experience of resistance to “green revolution”.
EU/ Latin American summit in Madrid (May 2010), round of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on European Corporations. • We can present cases related to the chain of custody of
soy and other crops.
Climate justice and agriculture
New area, importantLong distance transport of food
Land use change (deforestation, plantations for industries, monocultures, GMOs)
Industrial agriculture provokes climate change Agrofuel production (extends fossil fuel consumption - delays implementation of other energies)
Role of women, and importance of peasant farming as “cool farming”
Climate justice and agriculture
UN climate negotiationsimportant to denounce false solutions – such as off-setting, agrofuels, forest carbon trading, and GMOs
more testimonials needed about who is affected by climate change
more technical and accessible information about how to advocate for compensation and reparation of ecological/climate debt
develop more popular education materials about the threats of false solutions• for example the danger of land grabbing from REDD or
agrofuels, also “climate friendly” GM products.
Climate justice and agriculture
Events / processesCopenhagen, joint activities with VC and WMW
make use of other international spaces such as the Food and Agriculture Organization
FS programme coordination
Steering committee made up of regional focal points plus alternates
ATALC: Carlos Murralles (Guatemala), ?
APAC: Basant Prasad Adhikari (until May) (Nepal)
Africa: Mariann Bassey (Nigeria), Sicelo Simelane (Swaziland)
Europe: Helen Holder (FoE Europe), Kirtana Chandrasekaran (FoE EWNI)
Coordination: 2 people? (North and South)Details still to be agreed• Martin Drago, FoE Uruguay from South
• focus on agribusiness?
• Northern coordinator• focus on GMOs?
Next steps
Minutes to be finalised and circulated
Steering group meeting to define steps and timeline
Working groups to proceed
Fundraising
Coordination questions to be decided, coordinator(s) to be recruited
FoE Europe Strategic Planning Process
Prior to SPP, FoEE campaigns structured into programmes
GMOs, agrofuels and Feeding and Fuelling Europe become Food and Biodiversity Programme
EU agriculture policy (CAP) and biodiversity discussed at meeting with groups in February 2008, working groups set up.
FoE Europe Strategic Planning Process
Planning process aims to define strategic aims and objectives for FoEE programmes
Strategic planning group set up after last years AGM:
Chair: FoEE director
Asad, FoE EWNI (contact point for FaB)
Evert, MD
Anne, FoE France
Paul, FoEE EJ coordinator
Stine, FoEE Events Manager
Klaus, Global 2000
SP process
SP group recommendations
April consultation with groups
Changes being made following consultation
Consultation with FoEI
Final decision at AGM
Evaluation
Aim: problems of European consumption and intensive agriculture on ecosystems, biodiversity and livelihoods
Objectives: GMfree Europe and impacts in third countries (including
soy monoculture and livestock)
Stopping agrofuels and impacts around the world
EU agriculture policy with focus on soy/plant protein/livestock
Biodiversity (in the EU and as a means of developing our network)
Aims and tactics of FFE project WITHIN the objectives
Who’s gonna do all this?!!
YOU! Campaign coordination
GMOs: HelenAgrofuels: AdrianEU farming policy / CAP: Reinhild, Kirtana, Anne B, HelenBiodiversity in EU: Friedrich Wulf (Pro Natura) and Nicola Uhde (BUND)FFE team: Adrian, Gina, Suzan, Jeroen, Michiel, Kirtana, HelenFundraising needed to recruit third FoEE coordinator
Food, farming and biodiversity at FoEE
Consistently voted top priority at AGMs
Last year, second after Climate and Energy
And second for resource allocation after Network Development
Good coherence with FoEI, including strategic partnership with Via Campesina
Thanks to you all for your hard work, support and great campaigning!