Agroecology and the Struggle for Food Sovereignty ... - Yale University

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agroecology and the struggle for food sovereignty
we have worked a lot for the cooperatives, the community organizations, for the local
economic groups, the ejidos, so that they could get organized – but even more, so that
they have results in terms of local development strategies. We insist a lot on that – the
immediate – but the strategic part of our activity is also fundamental to continue
existing as an organization. Our role, since UNORCA is a network of organizations,
is to synthesize the best of all our experiences and to translate that synthesis into laws,
into political plans, into major demands. This has allowed us to have a series of firm
plans for what we want in this country of Mexico.
I think that in these past six years we have not stopped learning new things. At the
national directorate, we are nine people. We have made an effort to imprint a stamp
of transparency, of democracy, of firmness in our positions, to struggle in the search
for local alternatives but also to search for how to change public policies, and to be
willing to propose alternatives. We aren’t going to only oppose and say “No” to these
things, and say “No” to those things. In November our assembly will take place, and
the assembly members will evaluate the work we have done. I believe we’ve fulfilled
our duty. Despite some flaws, we fulfilled a role, and we’ve paved a path for the
organization.
Q: What are the most important issues for the campesinos you work with?
A: How to keep surviving. Yes. We don’t want to emigrate for reasons of poverty. We
want to be rooted in our communities, to maintain our cultures, our story. But we
want to live with dignity and live by our profession, because being a campesino is a
profession, and it is a right, and today they are denying us that right. So in order to
continue to exist, to continue practicing our profession, we need to raise the issue of
food sovereignty to a political level in the country of Mexico. Food sovereignty, far
from being a [mere] concept, needs to be a central strategic axis for overarching
policies. Food sovereignty is the guarantee of our existence; it is the central issue of
our existence.
The other issue has to do with trade, and how to develop local markets in our
country. This is an important issue because it has to do with access to food. The question
is: How do we develop local markets using other rules, with intervention from
the state to develop new laws even at the international level? How do we look for
alternatives in a world where the existing international institutions are in crisis? How
do we develop other international institutions that treat this agriculture and food system
differently – not as a business or to make more profits, but instead as a source of
benefits for humanity?
Q: Which experiences, ideas, do you think you will take back with you from this
workshop? What will you tell your colleagues?
A: How the issues are approached from different experiences and ideas about
agriculture in relation to food sovereignty and natural resources. There were some
contradictions today, or various opinions – but because there was an open space for
debate, these important issues that [can seem] antagonistic seemed complementary.
I think I will share the list of issues discussed here, because in some way there exists
yale school of forestry & environmental studies