The 2nd African Organic Conference – Mainstreaming ... - ICROFS

2 nd AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE 2012
May 2-4, 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia
EXPLORING&THE&CONCEPTS&OF&FOOD&SOVEREIGNTY&AND&SOCIAL&CAPITAL&IN&RELATION&
TO&THE&ORGANIC&PRINCIPLES,&PRACTICES&AND&POLICIES&
METTE VAARST
Aarhus University, Denmark, Mette.Vaarst@agrsci.dk
Abstract
Food sovereignty is a concept based on an idea of food security (a varied diet with diversified, nutritious
and culturally appropriate food) for everybody including the right of people to define their own food and
agriculture, to protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and trade in order to achieve
sustainable development objectives. Food sovereignty is a concept which has become increasingly
discussed and debated, especially in relation to power over seed, water, land and food, which become
privatized and belong to corporations, rather than to the people, communities and countries, where farming
and processing of food take place.
Organic agriculture also faces several challenges in relation to food sovereignty, although the concept can
be argued to be strongly related to the organic principles of health, care, fairness and ecology. Organic food
is often subjected to food systems and markets, over which the producers or their organisations have no
influence. The argument in this presentation is to emphasise the fairness and care aspects of the trade
systems, and thus the importance of involving the actors at all levels in organising the food systems.
Social capital is defined and used differently in various contexts, but refers to social networking and
resources, which can be mobilised in communities and societies through collective action and exchange of
e.g. knowledge and experience. Strengthening social capital in local societies may empower and improve
the ownership of peasants, processors and societies, which are in risk of losing power over land, food, other
agricultural products and trade.
In this paper we explore the concept of food sovereignty and the potential role of active social capital
building e.g. through farmer organisations, active policy making and governmental regulations related to
the current development of the Global food systems. We emphasise in particular the formation of social
networks for farmers, processors and small businesses, as well as agricultural learning network building as
important pathways to organic farming and food systems with appropriate weight on fairness and care.
Key words: Food sovereignty, social capital, organic principles, learning, interaction
ORGANIC&NEEM&TREE&(AZADIRACHTA&INDICA)&EXTRACT:&KEY&TO&THE&CONTROL&OF&
INSECT&PESTS&COMPLEX&OF&THE&GRAPE:VINE&(VITIS&VINIFERA&L.)&FOR&SUSTAINABLE&
CROP&PRODUCTIVITY&&
* 1 SAMBO, B. E. AND 2 P. C. OKUTU
1 Department of Horticulture , Federal College of Forestry Mechanization,
P.M.B. 2273, Afaka, Kaduna – Nigeria.
2Department of Agronomy, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University,
P.M.B. 1044, Samaru, Zaria – Nigeria.
* Corresponding author. E- mail: banelisam@yahoo.com. Tel: +2348023308577.
Abstract
The neem tree ( Azadirachta indica) belongs to the family Meliaceae. The neem oil extract (Azadirachtin)
has long been discovered to repel or control insect pest species; and entomologist have discovered that the
Neem plant extract can affect more than 200 species of insects as well as mites, nematodes, fungi, bacteria
and even some viruses. The neem oil is been used to protect stored corn, sorghum, beans and other stored
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BOOK OF ABSTRACTS