#India - Seeds of #Resistance for #FoodSovereignty
April 2017
Excerpt: "Community action-reflection-action processes to identify and analyse the forces that obstruct food sovereignty, and evolve collective transformative actions for food sovereignty is a core practice of our movement. Community food sovereignty plans have emerged as a critical expression of political action.
"Life cycles amongst #adivasi communities, and agriculture cycles in small #farmer peasant and pastoralist communities, along with communities’ indigenous knowledge, provide a framework for the plans. The plans include: democratic governance of resources-land, water, forests, territories, biodiversity, seeds, breeds and knowledge; nurturing life in our soils and growing, consuming and sharing healthy diverse and culturally appropriate food agro-ecologically, asserting seed and animal breed sovereignty through saving and exchange of local seeds and breeds between food farmers; reciprocal systems of sharing labour, knowledge and produce; strengthening local food markets that connect producers and consumers, leading to the diversification and revival of food crops. The alliance enables members to share and exchange seeds across regions, particularly accessing seeds that have disappeared from their region, which they wish to revive. Social justice is central to the idea of food sovereignty, and hence breaking the unjust structures of caste, class and patriarchy are core elements of the movement.
"Intergenerational learning and sharing of knowledge between community elders and youth is an essential strategy. Youth learn from community elders, particularly women, accompanying them as they collect diverse tubers, herbs, fruits and seeds, learning about how to process and store produce, save seeds, establish community seed banks and learn to craft and use local agriculture implements.
"Celebrating the diversity of food, through local festivals, song, dance, theatre, community cooking and other cultural actions, linked to the life cycles and seasonal agricultural calendars, enhance our practice. Campaigns, jatras and food sovereignty summits, community action research on specific questions, sharing our experiences and concerns through mainstream media, popular and academic journals, are other critical strategies to nurture solidarity and collective actions for food sovereignty."
Read more:
https://www.leisaindia.org/seeds-of-resistance-for-food-sovereignty/
#SolarPunkSunday #SeedsOfResistance #FoodSovereignty #GenerationalKnowledge #KnowledgeSharing #TraditionalAgriculture #CollectiveAction #CollectiveLearning #SeedBanks #SeedSaving #BioDiversity #FoodIsLife #Agroecology
