FOOD SOVEREIGNTY FOR AFRICA:A CHALLENGE AT FINGERTIPS
January 2008
This publication is a compilation of the documents produced in Nyeleni 2007(Mali, 23rd to 27th Febbruary 2007) and the outcomes of severalconferences held at the same place in November-December 2007.
DECLARATION OF NYÉLÉNI
27 February 2007Nyéléni Village, Sélingué, Mali
We, more than 500 representatives from more than80 countries, of organizations of peasants/familyfarmers, artisanal fisher-folk, indigenous peoples,landless peoples, rural workers, migrants,pastoralists, forest communities, women, youth,consumers, environmental and urban movementshave gathered together in the village of Nyéléni inSélingué, Mali to strengthen a global movement forfood sovereignty. We are doing this, brick by brick,have been living in huts constructed by hand in thelocal tradition, and eating food that is being producedand prepared by the Sélingué community. We giveour collective endeavour the name “Nyéléni” as atribute to and inspiration from a legendary Malianpeasant woman who farmed and fed her peoples well.Most of us are food producers and are ready, able andwilling to feed all the world's peoples. Our heritage asfood producers is critical to the future of humanity.This is specially so in the case of women andindigenous peoples who are historical creators of knowledge about food and agriculture and aredevalued. But this heritage and our capacities toproduce healthy, good and abundant food are beingthreatened and undermined by neo-liberalism andglobal capitalism.Food sovereignty gives us the hope and power topreserve, recover and build on our food producingknowledge and capacity.Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthyand culturally appropriate food produced throughecologically sound and sustainable methods, andtheir right to define their own food and agriculturesystems. It puts those who produce, distribute andconsume food at the heart of food systems andpolicies rather than the demands of markets andcorporations. It defends the interests and inclusion of the next generation. It offers a strategy to resist anddismantle the current corporate trade and foodregime, and directions for food, farming, pastoral andfisheries systems determined by local producers.Food sovereignty prioritizes local and nationaleconomies and markets and empowers peasant andfamily farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal - fishing,pastoralist-led grazing, and food production,distribution and consumption based onenvironmental, social and economic sustainability.Food sovereignty promotes transparent trade thatguarantees just income to all peoples and the rightsof consumers to control their food and nutrition. Itensures that the rights to use and manage our lands,territories, waters, seeds, livestock and biodiversityare in the hands of those of us who produce food.Food sovereignty implies new social relations free of oppression and inequality between men and women,peoples, racial groups, social classes andgenerations.In Nyéléni, through numerous debates andinteractions, we are deepening our collectiveunderstanding of food sovereignty and learned aboutthe reality of the struggles of our respectivemovements to retain autonomy and regain ourpowers. We now understand better the tools we needto build our movement and advance our collectivevision.A world where……all peoples, nations and states are able todetermine their own food producing systems andpolicies that provide every one of us with goodquality, adequate, affordable, healthy, and culturallyappropriate food;...recognition and respect of women's roles andrights in food production, and representation of women in all decision making bodies;…all peoples in each of our countries are able to livewith dignity, earn a living wage for their labour andhave the opportunity to remain in their homes;...where food sovereignty is considered a basichuman right, recognized and implemented bycommunities, peoples, states and internationalbodies;…we are able to conserve and rehabilitate ruralenvironments, fish stocks, landscapes and foodtraditions based on ecologically sustainablemanagement of land, soils, water, seas, seeds,livestock and other biodiversity;…we value, recognize and respect our diversity of traditional knowledge, food, language and culture,and the way we organise and express ourselves;…. there is genuine and integral agrarian reform thatguarantees peasants full rights to land, defends andrecovers the territories of indigenous peoples,ensures fishing communities' access and control overtheir fishing areas and eco-systems, honours accessand control over pastoral lands and migratory routes,assures decent jobs with fair remuneration andlabour rights for all, and a future for young people inthe countryside;...where agrarian reform revitalises interdependencebetween producers and consumers, ensurescommunity survival, social and economic justice andecological sustainability, and respect for localautonomy and governance with equal rights forwomen and men...where it guarantees the right to territory and self-determination for our peoples;
What are we fighting for?
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Food Sovereignty for Africa
A necessity for our people in the home land who are mostly farmers and not free.
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