Asserting peoples food sovereignty

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ASSERTING PROPLES' FOOD SOVEREIGHNITY

TIME: 2.30-5.30 PM

ORGANIZERS: PEOPLES COALITION ON FOOD SECURITY

SPEAKERS: MOSES (KENYA) JOSETH ISUMA (SOUTH AFRICA)

PARTICIPANTS: 110

MALE 70

FEMALE 40

SUMMARY

The discussion was based on how to avoid food insecurity. Various circumstances that lead to food insecurity were explored.

About 75% of people in East, Central and South Africa are small scale farmers, who despite being able to feed the world, are not able to feed the region.

according to Moses, lack of food sovereignty is caused by the following problems: tribal clashes/skirmishes poor land tenureship inherited from the colonial masters displacement of farmers to give way for other projects e.g. the titanium factory at the coast of Kenya. To Tsuna Joseph, the prevailing farming conditions are unfavourable. the problems are political, economic, social and ideological in nature

Politically, farmers are not represented in the political class yet they are the majority. They do not initiate and shape the political agenda to make it favourable for agriculture. They are simply voters who vote donors in politics.

Economically, there are unfair restrictions imposed on farmers when they want to borrow funds from banks. They may not have the required loan security and interest charges and conditions are so prohibitive t encourage borrowing. Farmers have no control over markets ad price determination of their produce. Governments under fund farming activities, overprice farm inputs but offer very low prices for farm produce.

SOCIAL-IDEOLOGY

Indigenous knowledge is not recognized (that it is unscientific) yet it is crucial in farming activities. Agriculture is considered as a pass time activity in Africa and also associated with school failures and the poor in society.

disenfranchising farmers through land alienation, poor information polices and lack of linkage between science research and farming therefore lack of knowledge for farmers. Besides, officials running agriculture departments may not have he basic training in agriculture yet they are in charge. All these impacts negatively on achieving food sovereignty.

WAY FORWARD

farmers should be involved in policy and decision making farmers should form societies that will advocate for their rights farmers should be empowered with the right information initiation of reforms that will end over reliance on the western lending institutions governments should formulate appropriate agriculture policies