Food sovereignty

Food sovereignty is a concept that asserts the right of peoples, communities, and countries to define their own agricultural, labor, fishing, food, and land policies which are ecologically, socially, economically, and culturally appropriate to their unique circumstances. It includes the right to food and the right to produce food, which means that all people have the right to safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food and to food-producing resources and the ability to sustain themselves and their societies.

Definition

The term food sovereignty was first coined by members of Via Campesina in 1996 to refer to a policy framework advocating a people-centered form of agricultural development. The concept of food sovereignty is considered by its advocates to be a prerequisite to genuine food security.

Principles

Food sovereignty emphasizes respect for farmers, fishers, and landless rural workers' rights. It includes the right to land, seeds, water, credit, and other resources. It also includes the right to protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and trade in order to achieve sustainable development objectives, to determine the extent to which they want to be self-reliant, and to restrict the dumping of products in their markets.

Implementation

The implementation of food sovereignty implies a radical reform of the current global food system, including the elimination of genetically modified organisms, agrochemicals, and industrial agriculture practices that harm the environment and human health.

Criticism

Critics of food sovereignty argue that it is an unrealistic and inefficient approach to food security. They argue that it ignores the benefits of trade and the efficiencies of large-scale industrial farming.

See also

• Food security
• Sustainable agriculture
• Agroecology
• Right to food