Occupations and food justice – from Brazil to the UK

Highlights from a recent event in Manchester featuring leading Brazilian and Sri Lankan activists for land redistribution and food justice. And what next for food sovereignty in the UK?

Delwek Matheus is no stranger to occupations. As one of the coordinators of the Landless Workers’ Movement in Brazil (MST), he has been on the frontline of efforts to redistribute land in one of the world’s most unequal countries. Over the last three decades, the MST has helped organise half a million people to claim land.

A key tactic has been peaceful, mass occupations of uncultivated land – which under the Brazilian constitution can be redistributed.The MST has also occupied the state-controlled Banco de Brasil, challenging its support for industrial, export-led agriculture rather than local food production. Delwek visited the London occupation by the stock exchange during his visit and said it was part of a global movement showing “a new vision of how society can be organised” in relation to finance, resisting the drive to turn essential natural resources into commodities:

Today’s problem of food speculation is very closely linked to the exploitation of natural resources and it is fundamental that we make these links. Because the way in which we are producing food is compromising the future of humanity. 

Guerrilla growing in Sri Lanka

We were also joined by veteran Sri Lankan activist, Sarath Fernando, a coordinator the Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform. His focus was on how replacing industrial agriculture with agroecology can positively transform the food system. In practice, it means that farmers are making the most of natural resources and local knowledge and growing a range of crops, rather than relying on expensive and toxic inputs like fertilisers, or growing a single crop for export.

For example, plantation workers, who live and work in some of the worst conditions, have started to grow their own food on uncultivated patches. Even the government, despite its attachment to industrial agriculture, is finding it hard to ignore the benefits that these people are reaping from having much better access to affordable, nutritious food. Women in particular can benefit – facing less tedious labour, higher incomes that can improve their standing, and better health and nutrition for them and their families.

Higher food prices, caused in part by financial speculation, are making imported food far more expensive and having knock-on effects on local markets. People are having to skip meals, gather wild food, and cope with malnutrition. Yet Sarath stated that the success of agroecology shows, this is "absolutely unnecessary in Sri Lanka where nutritious food is available at a lower cost if agriculture is done properly."

What next for food sovereignty in the UK?

Our new briefing explores a radical approach to the food system, food sovereignty, which emerged from social movements in the global south. It includes suggestions of how to take action locally and for wider change of the food system, as well as links to a selection of films about food sovereignty.

If you’re within reach of Kinghorn, Fife, head to Food Revolt: food sovereignty, climate justice and resistance. This free event on Saturday, 12 November, will feature brilliant speakers from Ecuador and across Europe. They’ll be addressing questions including: how does eating locally relate to famine, trade, aid and land use? 

In London on 12 November, a seminar on food sovereignty explores Feeding the world without destroying the planet. Among the speakers are activists, documentary makers and writers from the Philippines, South Africa and France’s Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste.

In London on 18 November, Feeding the 5000 is taking place to highlight the excessive food waste that is inherent in our global food system. Food will be prepared fresh vegetables too ugly to meet supermarkets’ exacting cosmetic standards.

For 2012, we’re working with allies to organise a high-profile event at City Hall, home to London’s government. Details are still being decided, but it could involve a star-studded preview of a new film, Seeds of Freedom (watch the trailer here).

We’re also starting to think about a much bigger, grassroots gathering of people interested in food justice – why not share your ideas, below?