[WSF-Discuss] Building a European Movement for Food Sovereignty

[CACIM]

*Building a European Movement for Food Sovereignty

*

*IATP <http://www.iatp.org/>'s Alexandra Strickner is blogging from the fifth
European Social Forum <http://www.fse-esf.org/> taking place in Malmö,
Sweden, from September 17-21.*

@ http://iatp.typepad.com/thinkforward/2008/09/building-a-euro.html

Given the current social and ecological crisis facing the food system in
Europe and elsewhere, the Assembly on Food Sovereignty held during the
5thEuropean Social Forum<http://www.fse-esf.org/>in Malmö decided to
work together to build a European movement for food
sovereignty. Participants to the assembly included the European Coordination
Via Campesina <http://www.cpefarmers.org/w3/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=2>,
Friends
of the Earth Europe <http://www.foeeurope.org/>,
Attac<http://www.attac.org/spip.php?rubrique1>groups from different
European countries, civil society groups working on genetically
modified organisms<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organisms>and
for a moratorium on agrofuels, Red
FAL <http://redfal.org/> (a network of local communities working toward
sustainable local food economies) and consumer groups. The participants of
the assembly concluded that in order to move toward food sovereignty in
Europe, the development and construction of a socially and ecologically
sustainable food system is needed. In addition, key European policies
regulating the food system and agricultural production must be strengthened
and reformed.

The focus on reforming policy may spur a renewed debate on the Common
Agriculture Policy
<http://www.iatp.org/iatp/publications.cfm?refid=100145>(CAP). To
date, only a few groups have engaged in the discussion and shaping
of the CAP, and overall, the work around food and agriculture policies has
been rather fragmented in Europe. This network will hopefully develop strong
joint campaigns and collaboration toward reforming the food and agriculture
system in Europe.



 Several concrete first steps have been agreed upon by the participants of
the assembly for work in 2009:

- Developing communication tools that support European collaboration on food
sovereignty;

- Making April 17 a European-wide day of action for Food Sovereignty in
Europe;

- Ensuring a strong presence (and visibility) at the Anti-G8 mobilization in
Italy (early summer) and the climate justice mobilizations in Copenhagen
(December); and

- Jointly organizing a European Forum for Food Sovereignty in late 2009 or
early 2010.
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