Partnership Africa Canada

Food Sovereignty

In February 2007, an international Forum on Food Sovereignty was held at Nyéléni, Mali. The Forum’s Declaration states in its opening paragraphs: “Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.”

The Nyéléni Forum took place at a time when the issue of control over food production began to emerge as a major issue. As a response to world fuel shortages, multinational companies are scrambling to secure land in Africa to grow bio-fuels, this on a continent where food shortages frequently occur.  At the same time, international seed and fertilizer companies see Africa as a new frontier for their technology, which includes genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  In parallel with this commercial push, US foundations have launched a new ‘green revolution’ for Africa - AGRA. 

In response to this situation, a campaign has been launched in West Africa by the Coalition for the Protection of Africa’s Genetic Heritage (COPAGEN), a network of over 250 civil society organizations.  COPAGEN is working to encourage national governments in the different countries to establish and enforce stringent bio-safety legislation, as well as legislation recognizing community rights over their genetic resources, including traditional seeds. In addition, the coalition is raising awareness about the dangers of GMOs and the need for communities to exercise their rights over their genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

What PAC is doing

Partnership Africa Canada believes that the key to securing adequate and appropriate food production in West Africa lies in communities retaining full control over their agriculture.  This is why PAC is supporting COPAGEN’s efforts to educate and sensitize communities across West Africa.  PAC is also helping to strengthen linkages between West African organizations and Canadian civil society organizations.

Read more about COPAGEN’s work on the INADES-Formation web site at:
http://www.inadesfo.net/spip.php?rubrique272

Additional information on food sovereignty and bio-safety can be found at:
Nyéléni Declaration: http://www.nyeleni.org/?lang=en&lang_fixe=ok
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network: http://www.cban.ca
ETC Group: http://www.etcgroup.org/en
GRAIN: http://www.grain.org/
Food First: http://www.foodfirst.org/
Third World Network Bio-safety Information Centre: http://www.biosafety-info.net/
Convention on Biological Diversity: http://www.cbd.int/