We Build Food Sovereignty to Ensure a Future for Humanity
Mollie Wills and Jordan Treakle
In early December 2023, as part of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC), Mollie Wills of Rural Vermont took part in the 8th International Conference of La Via Campesina (LVC), in Bogota, Colombia, joining 185 member other organizations from 83 countries. La Via Campesina, often referred to as the world’s largest social movement representing over 200 million farmers, peasant, fisherfolk, pastoralists, and other food providers, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022, and continues to be the preeminent political organization for rural communities globally. Mollie joined Jordan Treakle of NFFC and other North American-based delegates from allied organizations Family Farm Defenders, Farmworker Association of Florida, Union Paysanne, and the National Farmers Union of Canada. The key message resonating throughout the conference from the more than 400 delegates affirmed that:
“We, the peasants, rural workers, landless, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, artisanal fisherfolk, forest dwellers, rural women, youth and diversities and other peoples who work in the countryside around the world and united within La Via Campesina, declare that “Faced with global crises, we build food sovereignty to ensure a future for humanity!”
LVC’s International Conferences, wh ich typically take place every four years, are important organizing moments for a number of reasons - new leaders of the global Secretariat are affirmed - in this case the LVC Secretariat’s move from Zimbabwe to France was celebrated -, international policy and campaign strategy are charted, and perhaps most importantly a strong web of relationships and solidarity are formed across territorial, cultural, and linguistic boundaries.
Preceding the official start of the 8th Conference were meetings of the LVC Youth and Women’s Articulations, where hundreds of delegates gathered to celebrate historical moments, offer trainings, exchange, and craft strategic frameworks and plans of action for Food Sovereignty. There was also the first convening of a new Anti-patriarchy and Gender Diversities organizing space to focus on gender equity and feminist work within our movement. These important gatherings not only set the tone for the Conference, but also marked important evolutions of the food sovereignty movement to be more inclusive and address systemic power asymmetries within our movement and organizations.
The Conference commenced with the welcoming of new member organizations from Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North Africa, and celebration of the integration of the new Arab/North African region of La Via Campesina. As the global network grew with new organizations and regions, the orientation and culture of the event and space was embedded in the Colombian territory that was hosting us, with a welcoming event from the Colombian government, presentation of a historical political economy analysis of the region, and dance, music, and theatrical cultural events. Over the course of the 10 days. additional plenaries and presentations focused on building strategic alliances, the global Nyeleni process, and strengthening the principles and organizational structure of the food sovereignty movement. Numerous working groups were held to strategize and construct concrete action plans around agroecology and agrarian reform, the climate crisis, migration, public policies and trade, and the fight against all forms of violence, criminalization, and militarization in rural areas.
Each day the conference opened and closed with a heartfelt mistica offered by different LVC regions that invited connection, growth, and inspiration in shared struggle. Cultural events dispersed throughout our time together allowed for delegates and supporters to share laughter, food, music and dance as we honored and celebrated the land and those who work it, and strengthened our commitment to food sovereignty and each other.
The 8th Conference concluded with a number of field visits to nearby farms and food sovereignty projects, and representatives from NFFC stayed for some days of solidarity farm work at the Maria Cando Agroecology School south of Bogota, hosted by local La Via Campesina member organization FENSUAGRO. Spending time at Maria Cando and learning about their history and work directly supports Rural Vermont’s involvement in starting an agroecology school here in Vermont.
Connected through shared struggle and the fight for food sovereignty, agrarian people and their allies from across the globe used our time together at the 8th Conference to tend to and build relationships amongst each other, and affirm our united vision for a just and decent food system for all, recognizing peoples’ needs, respecting nature, putting people before profit, and resisting corporate capture. As Rural Vermont and the National Family Farm Coalition, we reaffirm our commitment to this work as members of La Via Campesina and the global community as together we tend to the seeds of tomorrow.