What is Food Sovereignty?

Food sovereignty is the right of a community to determine its own food system. It refers to the people’s decision making on what to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce. This concept was first introduced in 1996 by La Via Campesina, an international network for small farmers. From that day forward, this concept grew not only as an agricultural model, but also as a field of rights and an arena.

This approach is a rejection to a system which industrializes production for commoditization of nature and labor. It advocates for the participation of local communities, farmers, women, and consumers in the production processes. And it reminds us that seeds, soil, water, and information are public assets.

And food sovereignty steps in exactly at this point. Food sovereignty does not merely express access to food, it also means having a say on the production method, distribution and sharing of food. In this blog, we will talk about what food sovereignty is, why it has become an urgent need, and how it can be made possible. Because food does not only fill our bellies, but it also builds the society.

Food sovereignty is different from food security. Food security involves only access to adequate food. Food sovereignty, on the other hand, asks, “Where does this food come from? Who produces it? At what cost?”

Food security says, “Everyone should get enough food.”

Food sovereignty, on the other hand, asks, “Who is providing the food?”

Food security can be based on importation, industrial production, or foreign dependent chains. Food sovereignty, however, is based on local production and small farmers. Because the issue is not merely about eating food, it is about inquiring how we access food.

Please check out our blog post titled ‘How to Prevent Food Waste?’.

Food sovereignty is a lifestyle rather than being merely a production choice. There are some key principles behind this approach such as harmony with nature, social participation, and equal sharing. Each of these is shaped through criticisms of the current agricultural systems and make possible an alternative food regime.

1. Protection of Local Production and Small Farmers

​Food sovereignty puts small farmers at the heart of production. Because people who know their soil, their seed and produce with their labor, do not only produce food, but they also build know-how, culture, and communities.

Industrial agriculture is based on chemical fertilizers and hybrid seeds. This system makes farmers dependent. Food sovereignty, on the other hand, advocates methods in harmony with nature such as permaculture. It argues that seeds should be free. It emphasizes the need for information sharing and local production.

​Click here to find out more about permaculture.

2. Inclusive and Fair Food Systems

The decision on how to produce food should be taken not only by governments or companies, but also by the people who are directly affected. Women, villagers, local communities... They all should be included in the process. This inclusion materializes with cooperatives, community-supported agricultural models, and local markets. A direct connection is established between the producer and the consumer. Thus, a system in which mediators, market chains, and speculative pricing are eliminated, becomes possible.

3. Ecological Sustainability

A production approach that exists in harmony with nature rather than being in conflict with it is essential. The foundation of this approach is decreasing the use of pesticides, letting the soil rest, and using water carefully.

Food systems are both the reason and the solution to climate crisis. As such, food sovereignty argues for a production that reduces carbon footprint and does not harm nature. Thus, it constitutes a search for justice not only in social terms, but also in ecological terms.

Today, we face a food problem across the world which is an issue of injustice rather than abundance. Shelves may be full, but not every plate is equally filled. Food sovereignty questions this injustice. It brings into question not only production, but also ownership and accessibility. Therefore, it is more important today than ever.

● Crisis in Global Agriculture Systems

Global agriculture systems are based on fragile supply chains. The pandemic process and Ukraine War showed how dependent the world is on these chains. Systems based on importation break down in the smallest crisis. Prices go up, products become unprocurable.

Moreover, these systems operate under the control of a few global companies. Each stage is shaped according to the interest of a few, from seeds and pesticides to fertilizers and logistics. The small producer becomes lonely in this regime while the consumer is desubjectified.

● Local Resilience and Food Justice

The safest food in the moments of crisis are the food in the vicinity. Local production can feed the city and sustain the village. Self-sufficient systems decrease foreign dependency. Food sovereignty also offers a solution to poverty, not only in rural areas, but also in the cities. Neighborhood gardens and municipality-supported production areas facilitate access to food. Food becomes a common matter for everybody to share, not only the producer.

● Cultural and Social Bond

Food does not merely represent calories. It also represents identity. Seeds are like language, passed from one generation to the next. The relation with the soil is not only an economic bond, but also an emotional one. Food sovereignty protects this bond. It argues for local diversity against the uniform production imposed by industrial production. It says that each region and each culture has the right to lay claim to its own food. Thus, it keeps alive the memory of the community, the relation with nature and collective production power.

Food sovereignty can only be made possible through holistic and inclusive policies. The problem resides not only in production, but also in distribution, sharing, education, and even perception. Therefore, solutions are also required to be multidimensional. Below headings present the keystones on the road that leads to a sustainable and fair food system.

● Democratization of Policies and Laws

Agriculture policies should be accessible and protective, not only for big-scale producers, but also for small farmers.

o Heirloom prohibitions should be eased up, and the right of farmers to store and exchange their own seeds should be ensured.

o Main inputs such as diesel fuel, fertilizer and irrigation should be subsidized.

o Agricultural loan systems should be structured to be long-term and without interest.

Moreover, farmers, consumers, and civil society actors should be included in the food decision taking processes. Food should be considered as the common issue of the society, not merely the government.

● Raising Local Consumer Awareness

The consumer should know where their money is going. They should notice the labor, chemicals, and footprint behind the cheap product on the market shelf. Choosing seasonal and local foods is one of the most effective ways to transform the food system. The consumer can establish a direct relation with the producer by being involved in food communities. Moreover, it is of critical importance to raise individual awareness in terms of food waste.

● Education, Media, and Public Awareness

Food sovereignty can only be spread by raising awareness among masses.

o Education should be given in schools about agriculture, nature, and food policies.

o Municipalities should establish community gardens, orchards, and production workshops.

o Social media and visual media should talk about this issue without romanticizing it, using a genuine language.

Each of these steps is a part both of an individual and a collective transformation. Because food sovereignty can only be ensured by the efforts of not only producers, but also consumers.

Food sovereignty is an issue about rights, not hunger. It is about who is excluded, who cannot decide as much as it is about who produces food, how it is produced, and who gets to eat it. Therefore, it is not merely an agricultural policy, but an issue of democracy. Today, food systems are at the heart of crises, inequalities, and foreign dependency. But the same systems also offer an opportunity for transformation. It is possible to establish an order in which the small producer can survive, the consumer can take on responsibility, and the nature is not exploited.