Local food and farming communities on the agenda at Canberra Agroecology Dialogue

The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) is coming to Canberra for the final event of their mammoth Agroecology Roadshow, covering 11 events in Queensland, NSW and now the ACT.

AFSA President Tammi Jonas told Region the roadshow events so far had brought up common themes around systemic barriers to small-scale farmers.

“In spite of the farmer’s good work, they feel like they are always up against a lack of security. But these communities are achieving really great things despite the odds being stacked against them,” she said.

“Rivers are still being poisoned, supermarkets are still screwing farmers, abattoirs are shutting their doors to small-scale producers and there’s real challenges around access to land and infrastructure. So these events hope to connect people together in ways that will combat these barriers.”

While the events are open to anyone who wishes to attend, many of the Agroecology Roadshow events so far have focussed on regional, rural and peri-urban areas and have mostly been attended by farmers. The Canberra event will likely see a higher percentage of activist eaters and academics.

Ms Jonas explained that it’s important for people in cities to understand their role in the food system.

“Getting the idea of agroecology into the cities is really important because it’s about so much more than farming. It’s about the entire food system and connecting eaters with farmers in a relational way,” she said.

“It’s about resource governance, social values and diets. So there’s deep relevance to anyone who cares where their food comes from. It’s about bringing farmers and eaters together to build food sovereignty.”

Unlike food security, which focuses solely on whether there is enough food for a population, food sovereignty is a global movement which focuses on the environmental and social impacts of the food system in a more holistic way.

With the newly released local food strategy and a food hub feasibility study on the horizon for Canberra, Ms Jonas anticipates that this event will focus on discussions around how local food organisations can ensure that the hub serves the needs of the community.

“There’s already some really good work happening in Canberra through local organisations like Southern Harvest and the Food Co-op. So I think we can expect a fairly mature conversation with a focus on policy barriers and opportunities.

“I’m hoping to hear some really positive stories about how farmers are already collectivising in this region, and look at how eaters can support them.”

The Agroecology Roadshow events are run using the campesino a campesino methodology: aka farmer to farmer knowledge sharing. This horizontal way of learning means that there’s no one voice of authority telling people what to do or how to think, rather all participants share their thoughts in a facilitated roundtable discussion.

One topic of conversation that will likely come up is the need for a local, community run, small scale abattoir. A recent decision by the owners of the abattoir at Cowra to cancel 59 private kills has impacted farmers in the region, with the only remaining processing facility at Picton, in Western Sydney.

Discussions may also include the impact of the recently released Canberra Local Food Strategy, and the upcoming feasibility study for a food hub in Canberra. But it will be up to the participants to choose which issues are most important to them.

The Canberra Agroecology Dialogue will be held on Monday 21 October at the Canberra Food Co-op, 3 Kingsley street. Tickets and more information via Humanitix. Learn more about the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Lucy Ridge is a volunteer member of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance national committee.