Food sovereignty is associated with community development.
Food sovereignty is the power of a community to choose its strategies and policies related to the production, distribution and consumption of food . It is the ability to determine, according to its needs and culture, what type of system to adopt in terms of food.
The idea of sovereignty refers to power and authority. Food , meanwhile, is anything related to food (the nutrition necessary for subsistence and development). It can be said that a people with food sovereignty is in a position to choose what to eat.
Characteristics of food sovereignty
Food sovereignty is the condition of a social group that can select which foods to produce and consume . The notion was proposed by the movement known as Via Campesina , which brings together more than a hundred rural organizations from around the world.
At the World Food Summit held in November 1996 at the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization , Via Campesina argued that every people should have the right to determine their own food. In this way, it linked food sovereignty with the possibility of accessing healthy food produced sustainably in harmony with the values and cultural practices of each community.
The notion of food sovereignty therefore encompasses diverse issues such as agroecology , agricultural biodiversity , peasant rights and fair trade . Rural development and the consumption of local foods are among its pillars.
Urban gardens can contribute to food sovereignty.
Differences with food security
Food sovereignty is often confused with food security . However, they refer to different ideas.
Food security is linked to the availability of food . For it to exist, there must be enough nutritious food available to the entire community to satisfy its needs on a stable basis. This means that the notion is linked to the right to food . Food sovereignty, on the other hand, refers to the free choice and development of the food system, from production to distribution and consumption of food.
It is possible to identify different stages of food security. The worst situation is famine : the lack of access to food leads to displacement and fatalities. The so-called general food security , on the other hand, is the best stage, since there is stable and adequate access to food for all people.
Food sovereignty includes the consumption of seasonal foods.
Importance of food sovereignty
Food sovereignty, as we have seen, goes beyond food security because it also concerns itself with the way food is produced. In this context, it promotes ecological agriculture and organic farming as a means for the proper exploitation of natural resources. Therefore, it encourages the production of healthy food without using agrochemicals that harm the environment. Likewise, it encourages the care of agricultural lands, avoiding overexploitation.
On the other hand, the idea of food sovereignty helps to increase the supply of quality food at a fair price. It is important to note that it opposes dumping (loss-making sales that aim to eliminate competition).
Policies that aim at food sovereignty give priority to local production and attempt to guarantee consumers access to information about food. They also advocate agricultural policies that strengthen the local economy with community management of resources, the protection of native crops and the implementation of farmers' markets, among other measures.
Power struggle and conflict of interest
One of the fundamental principles of food sovereignty is that consumers can decide what food they put on their table. This means that they must have a margin of action that does not depend on the main producers of the agro-industry. In other words, they must have a varied offer available to them and not be forced to consume what the largest groups offer them on their own terms .
Another central aspect of food sovereignty is that the decision-making capacity of a community or even a nation is not subject to the will of other countries . In this way, there is no food sovereignty if the satisfaction of needs is tied to foreign production.
A nation that cannot produce the food its population demands cannot achieve food sovereignty, since the vicissitudes of foreign policy and international trade limit its decision-making power. Of course, internal social and economic inequalities also mean that many people cannot decide what to eat or even access the food they need.
How to achieve food sovereignty
Achieving food sovereignty is a challenge that requires the commitment of different parties. It is essential that the State implement public policies that promote sustainable agriculture and strengthen local food systems .
Safeguarding traditional agricultural practices , promoting the use of organic fertilizers and implementing soil conservation measures are other necessary actions.
Authorities, on the other hand, must work on food education, since training is essential for food sovereignty and nutritional security. Information must be provided on the risks of obesity and diet-related diseases if processed foods are consumed and healthy food is not favoured, for example.
Food labelling regulations are another valuable resource for responsible consumption, a key element for food sovereignty.