grow vegan

Upload: veganorganicnetwork

Post on 04-Apr-2018

219 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

  • 7/29/2019 Grow Vegan

    1/2The Vegan l Spring 2013 31

    Grow VeganFood Sovereignty and Veganism

    Nicole is a permaculture practitioner, grower and community organiser based in

    Somerset. She has been vegan 11 years and thinks creating plant-based systems that

    feed our communities is a way of accelerating the social change necessary to endanimal agriculture. www.wildheartpermaculture.co.uk

    Time for Food Sovereignty La Via Campesina Europe

    What is food sovereignity?

    Food Sovereignty is the right of people to healthy and culturally

    appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and

    sustainable methods, and the right of people to define their own

    food and agriculture systems.

    Where does food sovereignty stand in relation to other movements?

    Its a framework that has been used by peoples in the Global South

    since the first Food Sovereignty Forum in Mali, Africa in 2007,

    where the Declaration of Nylni first stated that it is farmers and

    citizens who need to be at the heart of food systems and policies,

    rather than the demands of the markets or corporations.

    Why is it relevant to the vegan movement?

    Having self-determination over our food systems is essential if we are

    to manifest the social justice for non-human animals and ecological

    respect that we hold close to our hearts in the vegan movement.

    The same industrial agricultural models that are responsible for

    factory farms and wildlife habitat destruction perpetuate labour

    exploitation, the displacement of indigenous people and ecological

    harm across the planet. As vegans are fully aware: how we feed

    ourselves is a major determinant of our relationships with other beings.

    Challenging this industrial agriculture and corporate model of food

    production with one developed from the grassroots by and for those

    involved in food production is vital, and food sovereignty as a

    framework has shown its opportunities and strengths amidst social

    movements for change in the past decade.

    There are six principles that are presented as part of the food

    sovereignty framework promoted by international group La Via

    Campesina who represent 200 million small-scale farmers and

    peasants worldwide.

    In brief, food sovereignty:

    1. Focuses on food for people putting people at the centre of

    food policies and rejecting the proposition that food is another

    commodity for international agri-business.

    2. Values food producers valuing all, especially women and

    small-scale farmers, who cultivate, grow and harvest food.

    3. Localises food systems brings consumers and providers closer

    together and rejects inequitable trade practices.

    4. Puts control locally places control over natural resources

    such as seeds and land locally and ensures the right of local

    communities to inhabit and use their territories in socially and

    environmentally sustainable ways.

    5. Builds knowledge and skills develops appropriate research

    systems and rejects technologies that undermine, threaten or

    contaminate these, e.g. genetic engineering.

    6. Works with nature food sovereignty uses the contributions

    of nature in diverse, low external input agroecological

    production and harvesting methods and rejects industrialised

    production practices which damage the environment.

    Nicole Vosper

  • 7/29/2019 Grow Vegan

    2/2

    Which of the six principles is the most

    important?

    Food sovereignty cannot be achieved

    through one or the other; all principles

    must be practiced for true self-

    determination over our food systems.

    How is food sovereignty applied in the UK?

    Food sovereignty as a framework has been

    commonly adopted by those working in

    international development circles however

    the growing community food movement in

    the UK, permaculture networks, transition

    groups, local organisers and more are now

    increasingly using the principles to focus

    and frame their practice.

    In July 2012 the first UK Food

    Sovereignty Gathering took place at plant

    nursery and market garden workers

    cooperative, OrganicLea in London.

    Transforming our food system brought

    together over 100 farmers, activists,

    academics and more from all corners of

    the country and marks the crest of a wave

    of food sovereignty organising in the UK.

    What are the challenges facing food

    sovereignty in the future?

    It is clear for anyone reading the longerversion of the principles that food

    sovereignty is not explicitly vegan.

    This can be personally and politically

    challenging when many people involved

    are small-scale animal farmers with very

    different visions of what food sovereignty

    would look like if achieved in the UK.

    Are we allies in the fight against corporate

    control of our food systems or are we

    enemies in respect of the mistreatment and

    killing of animals for food? Despite the

    challenges, I feel we have an obligation to

    continue to participate and add our voices

    to the conversations that are taking place.

    There is a white elephant in the room and

    that is that industrial animal agriculture

    clearly impacts on the ability of people

    around the planet to have sovereignty over

    their food systems. It is here that veganism

    provides leverage for re-designing our

    food systems and achieving social justice

    for all beings and not just humans.

    The Vegan l Spring 2013 33

    Boo ArmstrongObituary by Louise Wallis

    On the 8th of October 2012, multi award-winning social entrepreneur

    Boo Armstrong, died after a valiant struggle with cancer.

    As she wrote in her chapter for the bookBe The Change, Boo cared a

    lot. Her first political act aged nine was to go vegetarian. At 16

    she turned vegan. She and I became friends soon after, when I was

    President of The Vegan Society. I hired Boo and her sister Franny to

    make the Societys first film Truth or Dairy. Boo stars (incognito) in

    my favorite two scenes as the Pantomime cow, and the dancing

    feet in Vegetarian Shoes. Boo went on to achieve more in 37 years

    than most manage in a lifetime. At 19, she was the youngest ever Chair

    of theLondon Lesbian & Gay Switchboard. Later, as Coordinator of

    charity Women and Health, she raised 400,000 in lottery funding to

    transform their base into a fully accessible eco-building. In 2004 she

    founded Get Well UK, which sought to make complementary therapies

    available on the NHS, and won many awards, including the Integrated

    Health Futures Award from Prince Charles in 2005. Boo inspired

    many people with her drive, determination, and infectious sense of

    fun. She lives on in our hearts.

    Interested in learning more about

    food sovereignty in the UK?

    Follow these links for more

    information.

    www.veganorganic.net

    www.foodsovereigntynow.org.uk

    www.reclaimthefields.org.uk