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What is Food Sovereignty?

According to the 2007 Declaration of Neyelani: Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations. It defends the interests and inclusion of the next generation.

Although food Sovereignty originated the Global South, it has become a worldwide social movement composed of diverse global citizens all united in the common effort to create a more equitable, healthy and ecologically sustainable food system. Food Sovereignty recognizes the human right food and therefore is based upon creating a more food-secure world. However, the right to food includes more than basic food security, it involves the creation of a food system that supports and promotes the cultural importance of food. In short, food is different. Food sovereignty envisions a world in which we fully understand our interconnectedness, both in the human and the natural world.

The theme of interconnectedness is expressed in the concept of agroecology, which is central to food sovereignty. Agroecology is the integrative study of the entire food system and encompasses ecological, economic, and social dimensions of life.