World Food Day at the European Social Forum
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October 16th 2004 was World Food Day, which took the theme of Biodiversity for Food Security. This was a day to promote food sovereignty, sustainability and diversity in agriculture and food.
Food Sovereignty Seminar
4.30-6.30pm
Great Hall 7, Alexandra Palace, London
ITDGPractical Action, as part of the UK Food Group, was one of the sponsors of Food Sovereignty, Fair Trade and Diversity: challenging corporate control, a seminar at the European Social Forum on 16th October 2004, World Food Day.
The seminar championed the demands of smallholder farmers organisations and civil society organisations for international recognition of the right to Food Sovereignty.
It challenged World Trade Organisation (WTO) and trans-national corporation dominance of the global food system that feeds corporations not people. It promoted fair trade, regulation of agri-food corporations, local control of natural resources and GM-free agroecology and agricultural biodiversity that feeds the world.
It also sent messages of solidarity with organisations across the world that are campaigning on World Food Day to criticise pro-biotech international development organisations, especially the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for the publication of its annual report which promotes GM crops.
| Panel 1 - Food Sovereignty and Diversity |
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| Panel 2 - Corporate Regulation and Fair Trade |
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Co-sponsors included: the UK Food Group (ITDGPractical Action, Action Aid, CIIR and others), CPE, Amis de la Terre, Plataforma Rural, Artisans du Monde, Associazione Botteghe del Mondo Italia, Roba dell'Altro MOndo, Rete Lilliput and CTM Altromercato.
Latest reports from the seminar from UKabc
Message to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) from the European Social Forum 2004 on World Food Day criticising this United Nations agency for promoting increased investments in GM crops for the poor
Other events for World Food Day at the ESF
Alexandra Palace:
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09:00 CAP Seminar
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11:30 Plenary: Politics on Your Plate
- 16:30 Food Sovereignty Seminar
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19:00 Land Rights Seminar
Bloomsbury:
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11:30 Nanotechnology Workshop
(NB: Sugar Dumping Workshop cancelled) -
14:00 CORE Workshop
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19:00 Boycott Nestl頗orkshop
Other food and agriculture seminars at the EAF included GM-free Europe, and the European Union / World Trade Organisation dispute on GMOs (Friday 15th October). Click here for GM events on at the ESF
Andrew Scott, ITDGPractical Action Policy and Programmes Director, spoke at Beyond GM: Nanotechnology (workshop 778) on Saturday 16th October, 11.30am-1.30pm, room 3D, University of London Union, Bloomsbury.
This workshop laid out what nanoscale technologies mean for civil society, for food and agriculture (on world food day) and highlight the corporate, military and government players
bringing them to market now. Other speakers included: Caroline Lucas(Green MEP), Doug Parr (Greenpeace), Tom Wakeford (PEALS), Mike Reinsborough (PGA), Olaf Bayer (Corporate Watch), Alex Vlanda (Scientists For Global Responsibility), Rob Doubleday (Cambridge Nanoscience Lab), Will Holloway (Poet), Kathy Jo Wetter and Jim Thomas (ETC Group).
Links
- UKabc - UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition has the latest information on World Food Day seminars and workshops at the European Social Forum:
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