Strengthening Food

Sovereignty
in Timor-Leste
By: Arsenio Pereira Da
Silva, HASATIL
What is food sovereignty?
“Food sovereignty mean the RIGHT of peoples, communities,
and countries to define their own agricultural system, labour,
fishing, food and land policies which are ecologically, socially,
economically and culturally appropriate to their unique
circumstances. It includes the true right to food and to
produce food, which means that all people have the
right to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food and to
food-producing resources and the ability to sustain
themselves and their societies”(IPC 2006, p.1).
Origins of food
sovereignty
 Food sovereignty, originally, existed in most countries in
the world.
 Food sovereignty means, food that has its own local
point of origin.
 Usually these are diverse, adaptable and integrated with
local environment without intervening influences from
outside.
 Food sovereignty, also means access to land, water,
genetic resources, as well as the people’s right to know
and to decide about their food policies.

Pandangan sikap kedaulatan pangan SPI Indonesia

Obstacles of food sovereignty
 Colonialism
 Globalization of the free market system
 Large corporations manipulate food issues force
developing countries to open their markets by damping
food aid in the name of “Humanitarian Aid”.
 Privatization of land, water and seeds
 Most native food plants have been polluted or mixed
 Traditional diet of most of the world’s population has
changed dramatically including Timor-Leste
 Concept of food security?

Concept of food security

covers three aspects;
‘availability, access to
ability and food safety’ (FAO at
World Food Summit in Rome, 1996)
Food security concept- challenges

 Concept of food security was not strong enough to

advocate for farmers on agricultural issues.
 This concept also very limited and of itself
insufficient.
 Created dependency of people of import food
 Fuel prices and climate change automatically will
affect the food production in exporting countries and
food prices will go up all the time
Solution for food security

“Food security can only work if it follows the

principles of food sovereignty incorporating;
food as a basic human right, application of
agrarian reform, protecting natural resources,
reorganising food trade, ending the
globalisation of hunger, social peace, and
democratic control” (Windfuhr and Jonsén,2005)
The 6 Food Sovereignty Principles

1. Focuses on Food for People

2. Values Food Providers
3. Localizes Food Systems
4. Makes Decisions Locally
5. Builds local Knowledge and Skills
6. Works with Nature
(La Via Campesina 2007, p.2)
Conclusion

To achieve the concept of food sovereignty

farmers need to reject GMOs (Genetically
Modified Organisms) and land reform which
privatizes communal resources.
Farmers and peasants have the right to
grow food and consumers the right to
decide ‘what they consume’
Conclusions continued

Consumers as a group need to know how a

particular commodity is produced and ‘by
whom it is produced’.
Countries have a right to protect themselves
from agricultural and ‘food imports’ which
may be dumped on them.
Conclusions continued

 Diversify local food crops with sustainable

land management
 Promoting community seed savers
 Using appropriate technology for farming
system
 Establish community cooperative system
and credit
 Food
sovereign

Thank you
ty
concept