YesterdayI went to to the first National food plan consultation in Berwick. As the website states: "The aim of the national food plan is to foster a sustainable, globally
competitive, resilient food supply that supports access to nutritious
and affordable food." It was an interesting experience. People from local councils, local primary producers, representatives from the DPI and from a local permaculture group (us) and members of the Frankston Food Access Network as well as regular citizens concerned about the issue spoke up. It was a very interesting and there was predictably a variety of viewpoints expressed. These were expressed in a respectful manner and I learnt a lot from listening to these. (Things to follow up on: AgChatOz and Food Security group on Yahoo). I did get a chance to speak up, but if I had had 18 minutes to speak I might have expressed a few of these thoughts as well (Roger Doiron is founding director of Kitchen Gardeners International, a
network of people taking a hands-on approach to re-localising the global
food supply.) His video "A Subversive Plot: How to Grow a Revolution in Your Own Backyard" (below) is so inspiring.
Try and get to a meeting if you can, or submit a written submission by September 30, 2012. Follow the progress of the Food plan development on the blog or through twitter.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Vandana Shiva talk
Just recently a group of us from Greater South Eastern Permaculture went to Montsalvat to hear Vandana Shiva speak. This talk is now on YouTube.
Dr Vandana Shiva, founder of Navdanya International, radical scientist, ecofeminist, author and environmental leader, was in conversation with Dr Susan Hawthorne of Spinifex Press for this special event at Montsalvat. Dr Shiva has been an active campaigner against the corporate-led globalisation of food production and genetic engineering, and a passionate advocate for organic farming and community-led social movements.
This event was an opportunity to hear one of the world’s major environmental advocates discuss the wars waged against the planet, wars about land, water, climate, forest and biodiversity. Importantly, she helped us envision a future in which human rights and the earth’s rights are aligned.
What did I learn? In answer to a question about the 8 millennium development goals – she stated that all of them can be achieved with becoming food self reliant.
She spoke
about a common plant growing wild that her mother used to feed her family with.
It was rich in Vitamin A and iron. It is now sprayed with herbicides as a weed.
What a waste. After the talk I went straight to my library catalogue and looked up her book Soil not Oil: Environmental Justice in an age of climate crisis and I am looking forward to reading it.
Dr Vandana Shiva, founder of Navdanya International, radical scientist, ecofeminist, author and environmental leader, was in conversation with Dr Susan Hawthorne of Spinifex Press for this special event at Montsalvat. Dr Shiva has been an active campaigner against the corporate-led globalisation of food production and genetic engineering, and a passionate advocate for organic farming and community-led social movements.
This event was an opportunity to hear one of the world’s major environmental advocates discuss the wars waged against the planet, wars about land, water, climate, forest and biodiversity. Importantly, she helped us envision a future in which human rights and the earth’s rights are aligned.
What did I learn? In answer to a question about the 8 millennium development goals – she stated that all of them can be achieved with becoming food self reliant.
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