On October 16, World Food Day, Grassroots International applauds the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for its ongoing work to call attention to the problems of hunger and poverty around the world, and for calling on the international community to invest in agriculture, rural infrastructure and education.

Unfortunately, we don't believe the FAO's vision of relying on agribusiness and industrial agriculture will solve the problems of hunger for the millions of small farmers and rural workers who make up the vast majority of the world's hungry. The global food system--including agribusiness and well-intentioned but ultimately harmful food aid programs--is broken, and the small farmers and progressive social movements of the world have a plan for how to fix it. It's called food sovereignty.

Click here to read how Grassroots International is helping healthy communities grow and eat healthy food.

Food Is . . .

In order to raise awareness about our food and farming system we asked the people in our community to complete the phrase, “Food is…” We received responses from our friends and colleagues, partners and allies all over the United States, Brazil, Haiti, Mexico and Palestine.

Their answers ranged from one word to long essays and illustrated what Grassroots International has known since we launched our Resource Rights Initiative—people around the world have a lot to say about our food and farming system and recognize that food is more than a simple commodity.

We have posted a few of our favorite poems about food here. Grassroots board member Charlotte Ryan shares memories of the power of a simple soup to get us through the darkest times in their life here and National Family Farm Coalition board member Dena Hoff shares her lovely vision of the power of shared food here.

Some of these responses are practical, some poetic, some scientific. They are all provocative and point to a different way of envisioning and valuing our broken food system. We hope you will find them as provocative and as inspirational as we do.

Food is to the body what poetry is to the soul.

Food is like friends. We all should have plenty of both.

Food is one of the cruelest weapons of war.

Food is best when you have grown it yourself, watered it yourself, harvested it yourself, and cooked it yourself!

Food is sacred. As we say in Mexico, when we die nobody can take back what we danced, sang and ate.

Click here to read more.

Building Local, National and International Solutions

“Those who are against food sovereignty have the power of money, but we have something even stronger: the power of hope and the power of unity.” BADRUL ALAM, BANGLADESH

Grassroots is proud to be working together with the National Family Farm Coalition and other members of the Via Campesina around the world to build sustainable, community-led solutions to the problems of hunger and dependency.

Read more of our partners' voices on our our weblog, Grassroots Journal.

A Food Aid Program that Builds Self-reliance, Not Dependence

An innovative alternative food aid program supports struggling local farmers while feeding hungry families.

Jennifer Lemire interviews Ahmed Sourani of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees about PARC's Farm to Table program.

Click here to read about alternatives to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Communities and Neighbors Regaining Control of Their Food

“Food sovereignty is about international trade, fair prices for farmers, all that. But it all starts with you—where you buy your food, how you take care of your neighbors. It’s that simple.”

Joel Greeno, Wisconsin dairy farmer and NFFC member

Click here to read an online copy of the Special Fall Issue of Insights.

Grassroots is Supporting Family Farmers in Advancing Rights to Food, Land and Water: You Can Help

We are committed to supporting community-focused, small farmer friendly food sovereignty work in the Global South and the United States.

Your online donation will help alleviate hunger and dependency and change lives in a sustainable and meaningful way.