Where do I get my food from when the supermarket shelves are all empty?
It is a question many people are asking, but it is part of a much bigger one. Times of crises are also times for reflection.
In the midst of this cloud of COVID 19, a larger proportion of the society is beginning to see the fragility of our dominating current food system, a system which relies heavily on imported and processed foods, a system that sees human beings fighting in supermarkets, a system that is not sustainable.
Now more than ever, we must seek to reinforce local short food supply chains not only for food security but also for the local economy. It is time to stand for family farming and peasant agriculture, for environmentally friendly production, for access to healthy local food. As restaurants and public markets close, it is time to identify and reach out to the food producers in our communities, towns and cities, to buy their locally grown, seasonal food.
BOND gives us a space to acknowledge the fundamental role farmers and land managers play in the environmental and economic sustainability of the farming sector in Europe. Our project gives us a voice, as we unleash, strengthen, and organise the great potential for collective action and networking of those farmers and land managers working in an agroecological way.
Agroecology brings ecology: the balance of relationships between plants, animals, people and their environment, into agriculture. It is farming in way that is truly sustainable, using local renewable resources. It is farming that employs biodiversity and solutions that provide environmental, economic and social benefits, reliant on the knowledge and priorities of local farmers.
So let us stand in this storm of fear and be kind to our families, be kind to our communities, be kind to those who grow and raise our food, be kind to our planet, be kind to our bodies. And as we do these things, the dark cloud of fear will pass, and hope will again shine though.
AMPI, CCPV-COAG, CNA, EcoRuralis, FRCuma, Kislépték, LWA, Pro Entranse, UCO SLG and Vedegylet
