Press Release: Largest-ever European food sovereignty gathering kicks off in Romania
Friends of the Earth Europe & the European Coordination Via Campesina | Press release |Cluj-Napoca, October 25th
The largest-ever European meeting on food sovereignty starts today, as over 500 people from over 40 countries gather to discuss how to reclaim our ever-more corporate-controlled food and farming system. [1]
The second European Nyéléni Forum for Food Sovereignty runs from October 26-30, and brings together farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists, gardeners, food and agricultural workers, researchers, activists and many more.
For Jyoti Fernandes, peasant farmer from the UK and coordination committee member for the European Coordination Via Campesina, « the convergence here in Cluj of so many sectors and constituencies of society is essential in transforming and strengthening our food systems in Europe, based on agroecology. From the farm to the plate, the economic, environmental, social and public health stakes of food production must mobilize all levels of society – local, national and international. Here, in Nyéléni Europe, this is happening.»
Stanka Becheva, food and farming campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said: “The food fight is on against agribusiness mega-mergers, which would rubber-stamp industrial farming. The diversity and size of the movement assembled here this week shows the strength of the food sovereignty movement, and how it is ready to push for better farming for people and planet.”
The forum features a “peasants’ market”, film screenings, and site visits to local peasants demonstrating sustainable local farming methods and environmental justice struggles including the highly controversial proposed gold mine at Roșia Montană.
Themes discussed at the forum include models of food production and consumption, food distribution, the right to natural resources and the commons, and how to improve work and social conditions in food and agricultural systems.
Spokespeople from a variety of professions and backgrounds are available for interview in person or on the phone in English, Romanian, French, German, Turkish, Spanish, Dutch etc.
A press area is available here: http://nyelenieurope.net/press
A full agenda and map is available here: http://nyelenieurope.net/index.php/program
Notes
[1] More information on the forum and the Nyéléni movement: www.nyelenieurope.net The European Coordination Via Campesina and Friends of the Earth Europe are co-organisers of this event along with: Asociatia Eco Ruralis, World Forum of Fisher People, Urgenci Community Supported Agriculture Network, Transnational Institute, European ATTAC Network, European Shepherd’s Network, FIAN European Sections and Coordinations, OBV – Via Campesina Austria, The Resource Center for Indigenous People, and The Biological Farming Association Elkana