LVC@30 | Building Stronger and New Alliances to Strengthen the Food Sovereignty Movement
La Via Campesina | Bagnolet
Now is the Time to Transform!
#FoodSovereigntyNOW #LVC30Years #16Oct22
The 16th of October – International Day of Action for Peoples’ Food Sovereignty against Transnational corporations – is a day to amplify the demand for food sovereignty and call out the destructive expansion and human rights violation of Transnational Agribusiness firms.
On this day, while the agribusiness promoters responsible for the failed food system and other actors in global governance focus on “food security”, La Via Campesina, along with the broader food sovereignty movement, proposes an alternative path to address the pressing crises of global warming, hunger, malnutrition and extreme poverty. This path for hope has a name: Food sovereignty! Agribusinesses seek only profit maximization!
It is unacceptable that in the 21st century that 2.3 billion people (30% of world population) are hungry when there is enough food for all, and inequalities and human rights violations are worsening. Most of food produced, instead of feeding people, is used as agrofuel and livestock feed. We reject this neoliberal model that runs counter to our collective vision of solidarity, harmony with nature, justice, unity and peace.
The effects of the capitalist system on the environment and climate are leading to severe damage to our planet, posing an ever increasing existential threat to humanity. For instance, the climate crisis, due to extremely high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the capitalist system, continues to worsen with each year leading to more frequent violent storms, cyclones, droughts, extreme heat waves, wild fires, floods, record loss of glaciers, etc. The increased uncertainty and vulnerability that accompanies the climate change, means that this crisis requires urgent attention. Food sovereignty based peasant agroecology, the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas and localized food systems are the solution to cool the earth, and better adapts to challenging context of climate crisis.
We call upon all defenders – members, allies, new organizations, activists, academia, and the youth, rural and urban social movements, trade unions and civil society actors, artists, and environmental activists to come together to once again push forward the discussions and reflections on how to strengthen the food sovereignty movement within the current global context where hunger, inequalities and power imbalances continue to push many countries to collapse. We must remind ourselves that the only way to make our voices heard is by uniting and building new alliances within and across every border to strengthen our collective vision towards systemic change.
JOIN US TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE!
We can only guarantee a safe and better world not only for today but also for future generations. Join us and be part of the actions during the month of October.
- Adopt a seed(s) and start growing your food to strengthen local production. Experience the joy of eating homegrown food.
- Ask your local authorities to support local food production and buy from local food markets. Let’s strengthen our local food systems.
- Lobby your government to prioritize food sovereignty in public policies and implement the UN Declaration of Rights of Peasants and other people working in Rural Areas (UNDROP).
- Make visible the collective mobilization for a better society based on Food Sovereignty. Share your actions with the following hashtags #FoodSovereigntyNOW #LVC30Years #16Oct22 (complete with your own message) a video or photo(s) of you or your community showing this act of resistance.
- On October the 20th, participate with your local organization in our Virtual Forum on “Building a Stronger Food Sovereignty Movement “, at 14.00hrs CEST, which will be held with the global movement for Food Sovereignty. Please note that the Zoom Link for the webinar will be shared later.
- Download our COMMUNICATION KIT and use these materials and guidelines to make our collective voice heard during this month of action.
Please send us your actions and articles to our email: communications@viacampesina.org , tag us on social media and make visible globally our collective mobilization for a better society based on food sovereignty.
- Twitter (@via_campesina)
- Facebook (@viacampesinaOFFICIAL),
- Instagram (@la_via_campesina_official)