Ethical Farming Regenerates Diverse Communities
Farming is hard work. But some things make it a lot harder.
One difficult challenge is food sovereignty. Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. What does that really mean? In a nutshell, people who consume and provide food should have the right to control their own land and resources so that food can be provided to everyone who needs it.
Farming is not just a means of producing food; it is also a way of life. It’s difficult work but can offer real satisfaction and a direct connection to nature unlike any other. Farmers should also enjoy choosing the foods they grow and the methods they use to grow them.
But control over those choices is gradually being pulled away from consumers and farmers and put into the hands of corporate greed. Many of these corporations are privatizing natural resources, genetically modifying food, and selectively determining which foods should be grown. In doing so, they’re transforming food from a community source of nutrition and livelihood to one of multinational corporate profit, often with brutal environmental costs.
The biggest problem is with the tiniest farm resource: the seed. Farmers want the ability to save, grow, sell and share their seeds as they see fit. They also recognize that consumers benefit when they have choice through diversity. A diverse selection of seeds gives farmers the opportunity to grow a variety of foods and offer real choice to consumers.
In contrast, corporations aim to clip production costs by producing food that looks great, lasts longer, and holds up to transportation abuse. But this is Frankenfood: the smells and tastes are bland, the texture tough, and the nutritional content lacking – especially when compared to local, organic, farm-fresh varieties. The seeds that produce these foods are patented and sold aggressively by a handful of large companies who control more than half of the global seed market. Not coincidentally, these companies also control almost 80% of the global pesticide market.
Protecting heirloom seeds has thus become an important part of food sovereignty. Heirloom seeds are seeds passed from one generation to another because of their inherent value. Typically, these are seeds that existed prior to the 1950’s and the industrialization of the food industry. People are free to grow or share them with others, without outside regulation or interference.
Heirloom seeds provide a connection to the past, but they also illustrate how people are part of the farm’s ecosystem: seeds from plants that are modified to terminate after a few generations (single use), or from hybrids that don’t grow true after a generation, can put future farmers and food producers at risk. In this way, heirloom seeds can bolster food security and truly sustain a farm for future generations.
The ability for a person, a community, or a culture to sustain itself without corporate dependency is just one reason for preserving heirloom seeds. It’s also why ABOV supports and recognizes farms growing non-GMO, non-hybrid, true species plants and vegetables. In addition, we champion regenerative farms that create a seed bank to preserve seeds for future generations.
To find out more about how your farm can meet ABOV standards, click here or visit our FAQ section . Still have questions? Contact us .
