About the network
The power over food network gathers smallholder, solidarity, environmental and human rights organizations that work together to disseminate information about – and create opinion for – food sovereignty. Together we have experience of work for food sovereignty from all over the world – from north to south, east to west.
Food sovereignty is about the right and control over one’s own production and consumption of food. Today, we see how civic influence is weakening, while food production and natural resources are being commercialized. The Network The power over food works with the concept of food sovereignty in relation to democracy, human rights and real sustainability.
Our vision: “To help create a world in which all people have the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced using ecologically sustainable methods, and where small-scale producers have the right to define their own food and agricultural systems without being limited by dumping against other countries”.
Organizations in the network: Africa Groups, Fian Sweden, Future Earth, Friends of the Earth Sweden, Latin America Groups, Small Farmers, Swallows India Bangladesh
Background
In the neoliberal system that dominates the world today, global sales of natural resources and a centralization of power are ongoing. This means that small-scale producers, minority groups, women and children access to productive land, ecosystem services and decision-making platforms are being limited. In a world of growing gaps, weakened people’s movements, a rise of right-wing extremism, results in that food sovereignty is jeopardized. Therefore, the Power Over Food Network wants to build a Swedish people’s movement for food sovereignty, by strengthening existing collaborations, disseminating information about and create a strong advocacy for food sovereignty. All organizations in the collaboration support the Nyéléni Declaration of 2007.
Food sovereignty – fight for land and natural resources
The smallholder network La Vía Campesina first launched its political vision of “food sovereignty” for the first time at the World Food Summit in 1996. Food sovereignty is the people’s right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through sustainable methods, as well as their right to define their own food and agricultural systems. Food sovereignty is based on small-scale and sustainable production that
benefits society and nature. Local food production and consumption are given priority, giving a country the right to protect its local producers from cheap and price-dumping imports and also the right to control their own production. Nevertheless, consumers’ right to control their diet and nutritional intake is included.
Food sovereignty also encompasses the struggle for land and land reform that ensures the right of people to use and manage land, natural resources, water, seeds and livestock. These should be in the hands of those who produce food and not in the ands of large corporations. The fact that food and natural resources are handled like any product in world trade is one of the main obstacles to a development towards genuine food sovereignty.