New Book: Farmers, Environmentalists and Researchers Working Together for Food Sovereignty

Grassroots International is pleased to announce a new book co-edited by our Resource Rights Specialist, Corrina Steward, “Agroecology and the Struggle for Food Sovereignty in the Americas” (International Institute for Environment and Development, IUCN Commission on Environmental Economic and Social Policy, and Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 2006). The publication explores the emerging alliances among small farmer organizations, environmentalists and scholars to promote ecologically sound and economically just food and agriculture systems across the Americas.

The book is a primer for understanding the growing food sovereignty movement. The Landless’ Workers Movement in Brazil, a Grassroots International partner and leader in the global fight for food sovereignty, will be using it in their state training schools. It will also be apart of the curriculum for 250 students at the newly opened Latin America School for Agroecology in Venezuela.

Many of Grassroots’ partners and advisors are contributors to the publication, including George Naylor of the National Family Farm Coalition, Alberto Gomez Flores, of the National Union of Autonomous Regional Peasant Organizations, Eric Holt-Gimenez of Food First and Silvia Rodriguez of Genetic Resources Action International.

Features include:

• Articles and policy recommendations from scholars working at the intersections of conservation, trade, and agriculture;
• Interviews with leaders of national, regional, and local farmer organizations;
• Case studies of food sovereignty and ecologically sound farming systems from the Amazonian frontier to the Mexican highlands to New York City; and
• Global resources for food sovereignty and agroecology.

The book is based on the 2004 workshop “Food Sovereignty, Conservation, and Social Movements for Sustainable Agriculture in the Americas” held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The workshop brought farmer representatives, environmentalists and researchers together to discuss their work, the meaning of “food sovereignty,” and the potential for collaboration in order to change and improve agroecological systems across the Americas.

The book is available in English and Spanish for free download or for purchase in hard copy at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Publication Series website: http://www.yale.edu/environment/publications.

Feel free to contact Corrina Steward by email, csteward@grassrootsonline.org, with questions or publication requests.