Whether planting community gardens or organizing actions like Occupy Monsanto, the Occupy movement has been particularly effective and creative in addressing food issues on the national level, in local communities and even within individual encampments.
Food sovereignty – the right of people to define their own food and agriculture – is intricately tied to issues of economic inequality, the global climate, and social justice. From underpaid workers on Kenyan plantations to the destruction of local farming in Chile to the lack of access to healthy food for low-income Americans – our food policy has far reaching implications for people across the planet. The Occupy Movement has started a national conversation on economic justice and it is uniquely situated to start a similar conversation about food justice.
With spring returning, this presents the perfect opportunity for Occupations across the country to step up their efforts in this area. Occupations can begin looking into alternative forms of food production and start organizing outdoor actions that can draw attention to issues of food and farming in this country.
For this reason, Occupy Supply will be devoting tonight’s webinar to food sovereignty, justice and activism. We’re pleased to invite you to join our free online talk “Occupy the Food Supply: Sovereignty, Justice and Activism” with blogger/author Jill Richardson and Occupiers from Asheville, Tampa and Rochester this evening at 8pm eastern.
Tonight’s panel will begin with a presentation by Jill Richardson, blogger at La Vida Locavore and the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food System Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It. Jill will focus on the issue of Food Sovereignty – what is it, how is it being attacked and what can we do to restore it? She will cover the global ramifications of our current agricultural system, and discuss ways – large and small – in which we can begin to make that system more just and sustainable.
We’ll also be joined by Occupiers who have done some amazing work in the area of food sovereignty:
Jessica Hardy and Rosetta Star of Occupy Asheville will be talking about various food actions they have organized, Shawn Samuels of Occupy Tampa will share his expertise in Occupy gardening, and Olga of Occupy Rochester will explain the importance of “Urban Gardening” and how to do it effectively.
The presentation portion of our webinar will be recorded for everyone, but we will not record the Q&A portion so that people may speak freely. In addition to the recording, we will also provide resources to help Occupy groups take up issues of food sovereignty and justice in their own communities.
For an interesting take on the role of Occupy in the Food Justice Movement, check out this Huffington Post article by Eric Holt Gimenez ahead of tonight’s discussion.
As always, tonight’s discussion is open to the public – occupier, activist or supporter. I hope you can join us on the webinar TONIGHT, 3/21 at 8pm Eastern.