2/5 The Nyéléni Global Forum on Food Sovereignty

The Nyéléni process began with the first Nyéléni Global Forum in 2007,  held in the village of Sélingué, Mali. The process is named after a legendary woman from Mali, Nyéléni, who farmed to feed her family and community. The goal of the initial gathering was to increase the power of food producers within the food system through food sovereignty. As defined by La Via Campesina (the world’s largest social movement), 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 food and agriculture systems.  

Nyéléni evolved from a global forum into an ongoing process of coordinated actions that are aligned with a common political agenda. The second forum, held almost a decade later,  focused on affirming agroecology as a means to achieve food sovereignty. Practiced here in the northeast and around the world, agroecology is an approach toward food production centered on thriving ecosystems, dignified labor, just and viable livelihoods, and local control. 

The third Nyéléni forum, held in Kandy, Sri Lanka in September, 2025 was a deliberate step toward greater solidarity across social movements. This forum’s theme was convergence, and participants represented agroecology, food sovereignty, climate justice & labor movements, social & solidarity economy activists, farmers, human rights defenders, health advocates, researchers, and solidarity philanthropists (among others).  More than 700 people from 100+ countries gathered to build shared analysis, devise strategies, and revise a Common Political Action Agenda that will guide local work around the world to be in solidarity and alignment with a global agenda.

Rural Vermont staff and members were honored to be part of the North American delegation to the 3rd Nyéléni forum on food sovereignty. You can read more about their experiences and reflections and how it relates to local work in the Winter 2026 issue of the Natural Farmer, or check out the 2/14/25 workshop at the NOFA Winter Conference titled: Internationalism & Why it Matters: Building Power in Vermont through Global Food Sovereignty, or reach out to mollie@ruralvermont.org for more information. 

North American Delegation to the 3rd Nyéléni forum on Food Sovereignty, held in September 2025 in Sri Lanka.