Nyéléni 2007 - Forum for Food Sovereignty. 23rd - 27th February 2007. Sélingué. Mali

An alliance of social movements has taken the initiative of organising an international meeting on food sovereignty in Mali in February 23-27, 2007.

The principle of food sovereignty was first launched by Via Campesina in 1996 during the FAO World Food Summit which took place in Rome.

Since then this proposal has started to play a key role in the debate on agriculture and alternatives to neo-liberal policies. Before the introduction of the concept of food sovereignty, food security was limited to searching for ways to guarantee sufficient food through trade, at the national or international levels. The principle of food sovereignty puts agricultural producers at the centre of the debate, and supports all peoples in their right to produce their own food independently of market conditions.

The principle of food sovereignty promotes the development of alternative production, distribution and consumption models based on a new logic, far removed from that of neo-liberalism, which for its part gives the central role to markets and liberalisation of trade, and which considers that only international markets can solve the problem of food insecurity.

We consider that a Forum in 2007 will offer a new opportunity to increase the recognition of food sovereignty and to strengthen the actions and campaigns which are carried out for its implementation. During the five days of the Forum the participants will not only be asked to clarify what the right to food sovereignty means and what its implications are for food and agriculture policies in their own regions and countries. They will also consider a global and dynamic strategy to ensure that food sovereignty is considered and applied at both international and local levels.