Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-8-2021
Abstract
Modern food-systems come with a plethora of environmental and social problems. There is an urgent need to transition from modern high-tech monocultures towards diversified agro-ecological alternatives in order to preserve natural resources and feed the growing population. Over the past century, there have been radical transformations in farming, and industrial agriculture is arguably the most productive it has ever been. However, the issue isn’t a lack of food, it is the vast power imbalances that exist in the control of the food, preventing those who need nourishment the most from getting it. La Via Campensina is a global movement fighting for agrarian reform while promoting agroecology, peasant rights and food sovereignty. According to the Declaration of Nyéléni, 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. Food sovereignty puts those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.” This movement relies on the decentralization of agricultural power, which is a daunting but necessary task if we are to facilitate the societal changes needed to address the culminating environmental problems. With over 200 million members worldwide, La Via Campensina has made substantial progress but there is still much work to be done.