Short description
Name of collective initiative Food Sovereignty Platform
Country Spain
Region Valencia Country
What kind of initiative Farming/production, Processing, Marketing, Educational/training, Policy making
Success factors
Briefly describe what your initiative is about. A Platform that brings organization to the producers, distributors and consumers of food, to give them a voice and a measure of control in the food system rather than it being done entirely by the corporations and market institutions.
Why did you start it and when? At the Forum for Food Sovereignty in Mali in February 2007, Spain was one of more than 80 countries that adopted the Declaration of Nyéléni, which ‘puts those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations’. Following the Forum, regions of Spain began to work in this line, attempting to bring co-ordination at a local level.
We began with a meeting to find out who we are and shared our desires to create something wonderful. The Food Sovereignty Platform, Valencia, was the result.
How did you establish it? Our new Platform organized fairs and an annual meeting and made links with local governmental administration.
What enabled collaboration? Certain regions, such as Catalonia, already had strong organisation, but for Valencia, working together like this was relatively new. This made us work hard. As we had little in place already, we could start from the beginning.
We all had a shared belief in Food Sovereignty: a movement growing from the bottom up, empowering the farmers, fishers, indigenous peoples and those that work the land but don’t own it. Those most impacted by global hunger and poverty. A movement where distribution and consumption are based on environmental, social and economic sustainability.
What challenges did you face? Were you able to resolve them? How? Five years ago, there was a policy change. This saw some of the people who had been working inside the platform move to working inside the local administration instead or, at least, start a new work supporting local administration’s proposals. Initially this was a real benefit as they were able to exert more of an influence over policy.
The power balance has definitely shifted from our Platform to the local government. They hold more resources and have taken on much of what we were doing, which leaves us less able to influence, but I’m confident that as a result of our Food Sovereignty Platform Valencia’s rural farmers and ecology are in a much better position than they would otherwise have been.
What were the lessons learned? We’ve learned that when we face a difficult situation; we have the need to work together. When things are going better, there is less need for collaboration.
What did it change in your life and the life of your community?
In Valencia, there is increased awareness around quality food, sustainability, the environment, healthy eating and justice.
Choose 3-5 key words
Food sovereignty, local
Additional information
plataformasobalvalencia@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/PlataformaSobalPV/
https://twitter.com/plataformasbapv?lang=ca
https://www.facebook.com/PlataformaSobalPV/
https://twitter.com/plataformasbapv?lang=ca
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Repository compiled by: Juan Clement Abad
E-mail contact:juan@ccpvoag.org
IN MEDIA UPLOAD IMAGE: Food-sovereignty-photos.jpg
