Food Sovereignty Movement in Poland

Our initiative was founded in 2016 in Cluj during the Nyeleni Europe Forum. We collaborate since then internationally with Nyeleni Europe, La Via Campesina, European Coordination Via Campesina, Schola Campesina and regional farmers’ unions, farmers and civil society organisations, such as food cooperatives and environmental NGOs.

OUR MISSION AND GOALS

Our mission at Nyeleni Polska is to engage rural and urban citizens in common work for the right to life-giving food based on Earth care and social justice.

Over 50% of Europe’s small-scale and peasant farms are located in three countries: Poland, Romania and Italy. Worldwide, 70% of food consumed by people is produced by small-scale and family farms, with only 30% of resources used by global agricultural production. Yet the number of small agroecological farms is declining rapidly, calling for substantial rethinking of our food system as we also need to adapt to climate change.

We are working to reverse this trend and regenerate traditional, localised low-input farming practices and wide access to healthy, sustainably-produced and adequately priced food, empower farming communities economically and strengthen the emergence of the new generation of agroecological farms. We support and develop new pathways for learning sustainable food production and the transmission of the experiential, practical knowledge and skills of farming for future generations.

We are using the frameworks of Food Sovereignty and Agroecology as defined by social movements and farmers’ organizations around the globe not to maintain the status quo: we are using them as a vision for social transformation and social change necessary for our times.

“Agroecology is a way of life. It is seeing the social, not only the productive function of the Earth. It is not only a production of small scale – it is seeing nature as a living being, not a commodity”

Salete Carolo, Brazil

6 PILLARS OF FOOD SOVEREIGNTY:

Nyeleni Polska builds its work on the six defining principles, developed by the international Food Sovereignty movement. Food sovereignty:

1. Focuses on food for people: The right to food which is healthy and culturally appropriate is the basic legal demand underpinning food sovereignty. Food is not simply another commodity to be traded or speculated on for profit.
2. Values food providers: Food sovereignty asserts food providers’ right to live and work in dignity.
3. Localises food systems: Food must be seen primarily as sustenance for the community and only secondarily as something to be traded. Under food sovereignty, local and regional provision takes precedence over supplying distant markets, and export-orientated agriculture is rejected.
4. Puts control locally: Food sovereignty places control over territory, land, grazing, water, seeds, livestock and fish populations on local food providers and respects their rights.
5. Builds knowledge and skills: Food sovereignty calls for appropriate research systems to support the development of agricultural knowledge and skills.
6. Works with nature: Food sovereignty requires production and distribution systems that protect natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, avoiding energy-intensive industrial methods that damage the environment and the health of those that inhabit it.

We work on five strategic goals:

1) to build into public debate key concepts and strategies of Food Sovereignty by promoting and protecting the heritage of family farming, agroecological production and local food systems

2) to enable small and family farms access to agricultural and food markets through the promotion of Direct Sale of farm produce. 

3) to create a mass movement for Food Sovereignty in Poland and its strong representation.

4) to create spaces for dialogue and learning of our members through the online platform and live gatherings

5) to develop international collaboration for Food Sovereignty

INNOVATING APPROACH TO FOOD AND FARMING

Nyeleni Polska introduced Food Sovereignty and Agroecology into public debate in Poland at over 20 nationwide events. We have also organized ourselves the 1st Polish Food Sovereignty Forum (4 days, Jan 2018) two Intergenerational Farmers gatherings (2017 and 2018) for total over 250 participants from circa 70 organizations, rural associations or unions. Our delegates represented Poland at international conferences and trainings organized by La Via Campesina, Schola Campesina, CSA network, Degrowth Movement. Since our inception in 2016, we have grown very dynamically.