{"id":3527,"date":"2019-10-10T10:09:55","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T02:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/?p=3527"},"modified":"2021-12-01T20:39:27","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T12:39:27","slug":"food-for-freedom-food-for-thought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/story\/3527\/food-for-freedom-food-for-thought\/","title":{"rendered":"Food for Freedom, Food for Thought"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is not unusual for us Filipinos to hear news about our farmers rallying to fight for their land and human rights, or laborers of large Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)<\/span> companies protesting for <\/span>fair<\/span>\u00a0wage that sometimes result in bloodshed and violence. We\u2019ve heard countless news on farmer killings and several research and statistics that claimed they belong to the poorest sector in the Philippines for decades. It is not unusual for us to hear about our farmers being threatened, whether by big corporations, their landlords, or the extreme changes in our climate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ecological

Virginia Ambil, 85, is the oldest farmer who joins the rice harvests in Brgy Del Pilar, Dolores, Eastern Samar. Her family lost almost everything they had: standing crops, stored seeds and properties after Typhoon Hagupit made its landfall and destroyed their source of livelihood.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Then we see news about our food being thrown and wasted because of oversupply, being recalled because of life-threatening effects, being injected so they could weigh more and look tastier. It is also not unusual for us to hear news about our food being threatened, politicized, and controlled.<\/span><\/p>\n

The awareness and concern for our food system has been growing and slowly gaining its much-needed attention. We now know that highly processed, genetically modified, and chemically sprayed foods expose our bodies to harmful risks that lead to the development of various chronic diseases. But how much do we really know and understand about what goes into our food? Does our food provide us with the proper nutrition that we need or does it only bring us more disease instead of ease? Who grows our food and who controls it? How do our food choices affect not only our health, but also our economy, our environment, and the wellbeing of the people who grow them?<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the biggest food-related issues we\u2019ve encountered for this year is the enactment of RA11203 Rice Liberalization Law, which has stirred a lot of conversations about our food system and farmer rights. It is said that the bill has brought despair to local rice farmers all over the country and the Filipino citizens have been empathizing with them; which we hope would lead to more concrete, sustainable actions from consumers. The consumers are one of the key actors in shaping our food system, and the farmers at the center of the circular food web.<\/span><\/p>\n

On October 26, a group of food justice advocates will be mounting \u201cFood. Farming. Freedom.\u201d<\/strong>, a conference that seeks to raise awareness on critical issues in our food systems and hopes to mainstream the worldview that agro-ecology, organic food systems, and biodiversity will heal our broken food and farming systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Food

Food Farming Freedom – A conference that aims to raise awareness on critical issues in our food systems that affect human health and the health of the environment and all living beings in it.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The lectures and workshops will be facilitated by different food justice advocates from various backgrounds and experiences related to food, farming, education, and social enterprise. Plant-based chef and founder of Ecology of Food Plant-Based Nutrition course Asha Peri will be talking about the peasant food web and how it is critical to global food security and the future of the planet. Chito Medina, P.h.D., an Associate Professorial Lecturer at De La Salle, Manila, former consultant to the office of the secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and former national coordinator of MASIPAG, will tackle the corporate control of our food system and its impacts to human health and the health of the environment. Karla Delgado and Amena Bal of Kai Farms, will discuss seed-saving as a powerful way to reclaim our biodiverse food system. Good Food Community co-founder Charlene Tan will talk about community-supported agriculture as an alternative distribution model to promote a food system that benefits everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Five simultaneous 2-hour workshops will follow the lectures to strengthen the call to action and engagement of the consumers. An introduction on the historical perspective of customer action in the Philippines, the role of the consumer and current consumer trends will be discussed by Ka Jhun Pascua of Pambansang Katipunan ng Makabayang Magbubukid and People\u2019s Food Movement. The workshop includes:<\/span><\/p>\n