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Archive for November, 2009

Nov 18, 2009

Bad Things Happen When Good People Do Nothing

Despite some well-placed nods to small farmers, the final World Summit declaration doesn’t go far enough to be considered anything more than business as usual. Read More about the final declarations from both the World Summit and the People’s Summit.

Nov 17, 2009

While Farmers Struggle, Who Comes Up With the Policy Document?

We need to be able to demonstrate successes through research and documentation. That’s the mantra of the many NGOs here in Rome. That’s what will change policies. That’s certainly important. But in my view, that’s only half the picture. Read More…

Nov 16, 2009

800+ People at the Summit…and Every Voice Counts

Antonio Onorati is a busy man these days. He’s the guy in charge of organizing the Peoples Forum – Food Sovereignty Now! – and that entails feeding 800 delegates a day, dealing with logistics, space constraints, caucuses, journalists, and other pressures, all with a pretty small budget. Read More…

Nov 16, 2009

Young Farmers Stare at a Dubious Future

Farming is ageing, and that spells trouble for the future of food. Here in Rome, though, the People’s Forum has a Youth Caucus. And they are informed, energized, and from every part of the world. They share the belief that if we don’t create the policy conditions and incentives for young people to stay on the land, the future of the food system is indeed grey. Read More…

Nov 16, 2009

Whose Land Is this Land?

Those of us who have been working in development for any length of time know that land is a central issue, but that it comes and goes. Well, at this summit, land looms large again. After all, without land you can’t grow food, organize your community, or achieve food sovereignty.Read More…