Food Sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations. It defends the interests and inclusion of the next generation. It offers a strategy to resist and dismantle the current corporate trade and food regime, and directions for food, farming, pastoral and fisheries systems determined by local producers and users. Food sovereignty prioritises local and national economies and markets and empowers peasant and family farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal – fishing, pastoralist-led grazing, and food production, distribution and consumption based on environmental, social and economic sustainability. Food sovereignty promotes transparent trade that guarantees just incomes to all peoples as well as the rights of consumers to control their food and nutrition. It ensures that the rights to use and manage lands, territories, waters, seeds, livestock and biodiversity are in the hands of those of us who produce food. Food sovereignty implies new social relations free of oppression and inequality between men and women, peoples, racial groups, social and economic classes and generations.
Nyéléni forum 2007 final declaration
Other documents[[Links checked March 2019]]
- Michel Pimbert, Towards Food Sovereignty: reclaiming autonomous food systems, IIED 2010
- Peter Rosset, Food Sovereignty – Global Rallying Cry of Farmer Movements, Food First Backgrounder 2003
- Raj Patel Guest Editor, Food Sovereignty, Journal of Peasant Studies (2009) 36: 3, 663 – 706
- Food Sovereignty, National Family Farm Coalition and Grassroots International 2010
- Michael Windfuhr and Jennie Jonsén, Food Sovereignty: towards democracy in localized food systems, FIAN. ITDG Publishing 2005
- Food Sovereignty for a future without hunger, La Via Campesina , Declaration Rome 1996
- Patrick Mulvany, Securing Future Food: a summary of the IAASTD findings and their implementation… or not!, Practical Action 2010