Друзі Землі

Between 25 and 27 October 2017, Friends of the Earth Europe is participating in the First Agroecology Europe Forum in Lyon, France.

The Forum brings together various actors such as scientists, practitioners, social movements, civil society and policy makers to facilitate knowledge sharing and common action.

Their discussions are aiming to tackle global challenges related to environmental problems and consumer and citizen expectations to have sustainable, healthy food. The forum’s integrative approach consolidates knowledge from a broad variety of actors, recognising the knowledge of small-scale producers as a key to transition towards agroecology in order to create new initiatives and to formulate policy recommendations for new pathways towards sustainable agricultural and food systems. As part of this, the creation of an inclusive European community of professionals, practitioners, and more generally citizens interested in agroecology should emerge.

Friends of the Earth Europe will be involved in workshops on policies for agroecology, shaping the narrative of the topic, recognising the role of consumers and embedding the debate on agroecology in the broader vision of food sovereignty.

Stanka Becheva, food and farming campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe:

“Agroecology is an alternative to the industrialised food system. It questions the logic and power relations that underpin current agricultural production and instead promotes small-scale sustainable farming that is attuned to local ecosystems. This is why it is important that civil society organisations work with producers, researchers and policy makers to build up these alternatives and give citizens the opportunity to eat sustainable, healthy food, produced independently of big corporations.”

The event will hopefully create better links between different actors involved in creating agroecology and many ideas for actions to do so together.

More information about the forum can be found here.