By Vincenzo Velletri
It seems to be the latest trending word, however, the concept was launched by the international movement “Via Campesina” in Belgium in 1993.
The movement is made by 182 organizations of small and medium farmers, rural women and indigenous communities representing 81 Countries.
This movement was born to counteract the new model of globalization where corporations and marketing institutions control the global food system.
Food sovereignty proposes a different model where there is a solid link between local food economies and food policies, sustainable farming, ecosystems, local communities that live on that land and their cultural identities.
Food sovereignty is connected to biodiversity and values the work connected to food production around the world.
Slow Food is a strong supporter of Food Sovereignty around the world promoting local food economies and communities connected to the land and culture, reducing food waste and treasuring small and medium producers that work to preserve biodiversity.
In 2008 the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), together with the United Nations and the World Bank, defined Food Sovereignty as “the right of people and local governments to control their food and agriculture policies” .
This food system is claimed to be less productive, however, in 2014 it was found by FAO that 9 out of 10 of the 570 million food producers around the world were small family-based farms and they were producing 80% of the world’s food.
Food sovereignty advocates the right of people to determine food policies that reflect local communities, cultural traditions and sustainable practices and that protect our resources in order to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food and control over their food system.
This system is for the benefit of everyone and not just for the profit of a few multinationals and corporations.