Call to Action
Posted: October 23, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Call to Action
The following Call to Action is adapted from the Call to Action to End the Food Crisis issued by the US Working Group on the Food Crisis in 2008 and endorsed by several thousand organizations and individuals. It is included here as a springboard for future action of the Alliance, with the understanding that it will evolve to reflect new ideas, voices, and perspectives as the Alliance develops.
We call on people across the United States to use our political power and actions to fight poverty by rebuilding local food economies, and specifically for food system changes that:
1) Stabilize prices for farmers and consumers locally, nationally and globally by:
- Ending rampant financial speculation in food;
- Establishing and strengthening publicly-owned domestic, regional, and international strategic food reserves;
- Suspending international trade and investments in industrial-scale biofuels (a.k.a. agrofuels);
- Transforming corporate-oriented food aid;
- Ensuring fair prices to farmers, fishers, pastoralists and other food providers;
- Establishing equitable regional and global trade arrangements that enable countries, communities, and all farmers, fishers, pastoralists and other food providers to meet food and livelihood needs.
2) Balance power in the food system by:
- Reducing the political influence of agrifood corporations on public policy, e.g., by strengthening antitrust enforcement on those corporations and reducing their unregulated market power;
- Convening multi-stakeholder, representative food policy councils at state and local levels.
3) Make agriculture environmentally sustainable by:
- Supporting family farms’ transition to agroecological practices through incentives, purchasing and procurement;
- Halting expansion of government-supported agrofuels (biofuels) and transgenic seeds programs, mandates, and tax incentives and other subsidies
- Directing state and national farm policy, R&D, education and investment toward agroecological farming and sustainable food businesses.
4) Guarantee the right to healthy food by building local and regional food systems and fostering social, ecological and economic justice by:
- Calling on the US to join the community of nations to support the human right to food;
- Supporting domestic food production and independent, community-based food cooperatives and businesses in the United States and around the world;
- Establishing living wages, so that everyone can afford healthy food;
- Implementing full workers’ rights for farm workers and other food system workers;
- Implementing agrarian reform that takes land out of the hands of large corporations and puts it in the hands of communities for local food production.
- Strengthening the social safety net for low-income people across the US;
- Creating a solidarity economy that puts people before corporate profit in the US and around the world.
Through food sovereignty, the Earth can feed all living things.
Tags: Corporations & Policies, Defense of Mother Earth, Food Sovereignty, Immigrants, Indigenous Sovereignty, Labor & Trade, Land/Resource Grabs, Local Food & Farming, Popular EducationMember Organizations
Posted: October 16, 2012 at 6:06 pm
To follow the example of the teachings and life of Jesus Christ, to accompany and support people of faith and conscience around the world in the struggle to end poverty and injustice that affect rural communities, and work toward creation of a sustainable society.
Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust
The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust’s mission is to strengthen Alaskan fishing communities and marine resources through scientific research, education, and economic opportunity.
Tags: Immigrants, Indigenous Sovereignty, Labor & TradeThe Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust’s mission is to strengthen Alaskan fishing communities and marine resources through scientific research, education, and economic opportunity.
The Applied Research Center (ARC) is a racial justice think tank and home for media and activism. ARC is built on rigorous research and creative use of new technology. Our goal is to popularize the need for racial justice and prepare people to fight for it. By telling the stories of everyday people, ARC is a voice for unity and fairness in the structures that affect our lives.
Dando La Mano al Hermano CASA is striving to help people help themselves by way of education with tradition, culture and communication.
CASA ayuda a la gente ayudarse por si mismos por medio de educación, tradición, cultura y comunicación.
Community Alliance for Global Justice
Community Alliance for Global Justice educates and mobilizes with individuals and organizations to strengthen local economies everywhere. CAGJ is grassroots, community-based and committed to anti-oppressive organizing as we build solidarity across diverse movements. CAGJ seeks to transform unjust trade and agricultural policies and practices imposed by corporations, governments and other institutions while creating and supporting alternatives that embody social justice, sustainability, diversity and grassroots democracy.
Community Alliance for Global Justice educates and mobilizes with individuals and organizations to strengthen local economies everywhere. CAGJ is grassroots, community-based and committed to anti-oppressive organizing as we build solidarity across diverse movements. CAGJ seeks to transform unjust trade and agricultural policies and practices imposed by corporations, governments and other institutions while creating and supporting alternatives that embody social justice, sustainability, diversity and grassroots democracy.
Community to Community – De Comunidad a Comunidad
Community to Community Development is a women-led, placebased, grassroots organization working for a just society and healthy communities. We are committed to systemic change and to creating strategic alliances that strengthen local and global movements towards social, economic and environmental justice.
Community to Community Development is a women-led, placebased, grassroots organization working for a just society and healthy communities. We are committed to systemic change and to creating strategic alliances that strengthen local and global movements towards social, economic and environmental justice.
Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
The Detroit Black Community Food Security network is a coalition of organizations and individuals working together to build food security in Detroit’s Black community. Our mission is to build self-reliance, food security and food justice in Detroit’s Black community by influencing public policy, engaging in urban agriculture, promoting healthy eating, encouraging co-operative buying, and directing youth towards careers in food-related fields. D-Town Farm is a seven acre farm on Detroit’s west side that features organic vegetable plots, mushroom beds, four bee hives, four hoop houses for year-round food production, and a composting operation.
Our mission is to create a farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented food and fiber system, based upon democratically controlled institutions that empower farmers to speak for and respect themselves in their quest for social and economic justice. To this end, FFD supports sustainable agriculture, farm worker rights, animal welfare, consumer safety, fair trade, and food sovereignty.
The Food Chain Workers Alliance is a coalition of worker-based organizations whose members plant, harvest, process, pack, transport, prepare, serve, and sell food, organizing to improve wages and working conditions for all workers along the food chain. The Alliance works together to build a more sustainable food system that respects workers’ rights, based on the principles of social, environmental and racial justice, in which everyone has access to healthy and affordable food.
Food First’s mission is to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger.
Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping the global commons — our shared resources — under public control.
The Food ORganizing Collaborative (FORC) organizes food growers, food workers, and food eaters in the Philadelphia region to reclaim control of our food system and build food sovereignty.
Grassroots International
Grassroots International works to create a just and sustainable world by building alliances with progressive movements. We provide grants to our Global South partners and join them in advocating for social change. Our primary focus is on land, water and food as human rights and nourishing the political struggle necessary to achieve these rights.
Grassroots International works to create a just and sustainable world by building alliances with progressive movements. We provide grants to our Global South partners and join them in advocating for social change. Our primary focus is on land, water and food as human rights and nourishing the political struggle necessary to achieve these rights.
The Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative is a new initiative aimed at dismantling racism and empowering low-income and communities of color through sustainable and local agriculture. This comprehensive network views dismantling racism as a core principal which brings together social change agents from diverse sectors working to bring about new, healthy and sustainable food systems and supporting and building multicultural leadership in impoverished communities throughout the world.
Established in 1990 within the United States, IEN was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues (EJ). IEN’s activities include building the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities.IEN accomplishes this by maintaining an informational clearinghouse, organizing campaigns, direct actions and public awareness, building the capacity of community and tribes to address EJ issues, development of initiatives to impact policy, and building alliances among Indigenous communities, tribes, inter-tribal and Indigenous organizations, people-of-color/ethnic organizations, faith-based and women groups, youth, labor, environmental organizations and others. IEN convenes local, regional and national meetings on environmental and economic justice issues, and provides support, resources and referral to Indigenous communities and youth throughout primarily North America – and in recent years – globally.
IDEX identifies, evaluates, and grows the best ideas to alleviate poverty & injustice, connecting passionate and engaged supporters to visionary local leaders & organizations around the world.
Live Real is a movement of everyday people restoring respect for ourselves, each other, and the Earth.
This organization is a group of individuals of Black African descent and organizations with constituencies and leadership of predominantly Black Afro-descendants, from all socio-economic backgrounds, committed to grassroots community organizing to strengthen their collective power, coming together, to explore the formation of, and interest in, the creation of local, national and global alliances to represent and promote the interests of Black Afro-descendants on issues of peace and security, food and agriculture, and environmental, economic and social justice.
The mission of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns is carried out through education and advocacy in cooperation with other Maryknoll departments and entities. The office also collaborates regularly with other institutions and organizations working for peace, social justice and the integrity of creation. It brings the voice and experience of Maryknoll into policy discussions in the United Nations, the U.S. and other governments, international financial institutions and the corporate world.
The National Family Farm Coalition represents family farm and rural groups whose members face the challenge of the deepening economic recession in rural communities. The NFFC was founded in 1986.
The New Orleans Food & Farm Network works with individuals, communities and growers to support sustainable growing practices and to ensure equal access to safe, nutritious, enjoyable food.
Worlds is a women-driven, multi-media education and movement-building collaborative. We inspire hope and knowledge that other worlds are possible — and also help to build them. We compile and bring to light political, economic, cultural, and social alternatives that are flourishing throughout the world, with the goal of drawing in new participants and strengthening existent efforts for economic and social justice, environmentally sound systems, and meaningful democracy.
Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN North America) works to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives that protect the health of communities and the environment. PAN North America is one of five independent regional centers of PAN International, a worldwide network of more than 600 organizations in 90 countries, including local, national and regional consumer, labor, health, environment and agriculture groups. Our network challenges the global proliferation of pesticides, defends human rights to food, health and environmental quality, and combines community-led campaigns and science to advance environmental justice, sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty.
The Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP), a ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), works to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes.
The Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural is an alliance of farmers, farmworkers, indigenous, migrant and working people from the United States, Mexico, Canada and beyond working together toward a new society that values unity, hope, people and the land.
The South Bronx CSA is a community-driven initiative that brings the people of our community together to build the necessary resources and infrastructure to transform the South Bronx from a “food desert” into an accessible and affordable food oasis. Our mission is to create affordable access to locally and organically grown vegetables for everyone in the South Bronx, while advocating for a more just food system.
Southwest Workers Union
Southwest Workers’ Union (SWU) unites workers, communities and youth in the struggle for dignity and justice. Based in San Antonio, Texas SWU is a grassroots membership based organization working for social change from the bottom up.
Southwest Workers’ Union (SWU) unites workers, communities and youth in the struggle for dignity and justice. Based in San Antonio, Texas SWU is a grassroots membership based organization working for social change from the bottom up.
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering around the globe. UMCOR’s work reaches people in more than 80 countries, including the United States. We provide humanitarian relief when war, conflict, or natural disaster disrupt life to such an extent that communities are unable to recover on their own.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering around the globe. UMCOR’s work reaches people in more than 80 countries, including the United States. We provide humanitarian relief when war, conflict, or natural disaster disrupt life to such an extent that communities are unable to recover on their own.
WhyHunger
WhyHunger is a leader in building the movement to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food and by supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.
