Barrio for Food Sovereignty

Agriculture and Climate

18th – 24th August at the “Connecting Movements Camp” in the Rhineland

Soil not Oil – Resistance is fertile!

 

If we’re going to slow down climate change and create global social justice then we need to change agriculture—together! Industrial agriculture and animal production are not only two of the main drivers of climate change, they also worsen the position of (small) farmers who are working sustainably. The current global food system is based on oppression, exploitation and injustice. That needs to change!

There are many different movements and campaigns working on issues around agriculture and at the Barrio for Food Sovereignty we’ll be providing a space to explore the opportunities for working together. Come and find out about, or have discussions with others on issues such as access to land, seeds in the hands of growers not corporations, about the exploitation of workers in agroindustry as well as about racism and gender relations in our everyday lives. Find out about resistance by small farmers around the globe (La Via Campesina) and about community land projects in Brandenburg, Germany. Come and enjoy the atmosphere of alternative camp life!

Programme

From the 19th to the 23rd of August we’ll be holding workshops, discussions and networking discussions on various themes. Starting on the 24th of August we’ll be taking part in the various protests against the coal industry under the title “Action Days in the Rhineland”.

On Saturday morning (19th August) we’ll be holding a panel discussion with farmers on how to boost sustainable change. On Sunday 20th August you’ll have the opportunity to hear about what’s been happening in the movement for food sovereignty. Later on that day we hope to host some activists from the French land occupation ZAD which for several years has been fighting against airport expansion.

We’ll be focussing on our main topics on Monday and Tuesday, 21st-22nd of August: “Property” and “Access to land” along with “Who owns the world?” and “Who makes the decisions?”
Finally, we’ll be hosting a discussion on animal production on Wednesday.

This is just a taste of what we have planned—there’ll be plenty more conversations, discussions and meetings, not to mention our daily plenary in which we’ll be putting self-organisation and direct democracy into action.
There’ll be space for you to contribute your own questions and ideas, as well as to share your and others’ experiences on whatever topic you’re interested in. We aim to learn from each other and enhance our understanding by hearing different perspectives.

Take part in a comprehensive, radical movement for food sovereignty! At the camp we’ll plan further steps, build new alliances, and plan actions. Let’s move agriculture forward!
Looking forward to meeting you!

The organisation team for the Barrio for Food Sovereignty
Let us know your questions and ideas: barrio.for.food.sovereignty@riseup.net

 

1 A Barrio is a neighbourhood with a thematic focus. In the Barrio for Food Sovereignty we advocate the vision of food sovereignty: a network of local, collective structures where people decide for themselves what to grow and how to farm, structures in which they work together rather than stand in competition which each other and where they can live according to their need and in harmony with nature.