Radio Mundo Real

Who decides on the food policies? Who controls the resources? Who has access to food? These are some of the questions that the hundreds of delegates from social movements and organizations have been discussing for several days in Rome as part of the Forum: Peoples Food Sovereignty Now!

Real World Radio interviewed Sofia Monsalve. She is part of FIAN (FoodFirst Information and Action Network) an international human rights organization that promotes and defends the right to food.

“The forum takes place as it was revealed that the number of people suffering hunger in the world is increasing again, after a decade when the number of people with hunger had been reduced – even though, very slowly. Today, after the food crisis in 2007-2008, there has been a considerable increase. Nowadays there is over a billion people suffering hunger and malnutrition, according to FAO figures”, said Monsalve.

She later said that the aim of the forum was to discuss strategies from the four main themes: world governance of food systems – i.e. who decides the food and agriculture policies; who controls the resources for food production – something to be discussed as part of resources concentration and large scale land acquisition; how food is produced and consumed – including a discussion on climate change; and finally there will be a discussion around who has access to food.

About this, Monsalve explained that this will be the first time that the food sovereignty movement will discuss the links between urban and rural movements.
Monsalve also spoke about the role of the movements and the civil society when promoting an agenda based on food rights and human rights policies, and said there is greater willingness from the governments to listen to the peoples’ demands in terms of food sovereignty.

Foto: http://peoplesforum2009.foodsovereignty.org