Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance

Fair food for all Australians

Farm Day Out: A music fest for lovers of good, fair food!

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The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) is hosting the inaugural Farm Day
Out at Jonai Farms in Eganstown, Victoria on 17 March 2019.

It’s a day on the farm meets music festival, where one can meet local farmers, catch
a dance-inducing line-up of live music, and sink your teeth into some delicious local,
ethical & ecologically-sound food, while kicking back in the rolling hills outside
Daylesford.

Best of all, the event is a fundraiser in support of farmers and their allies working
towards sustainable and regenerative food systems. At a time when Australia is
suffering drought and our rivers are dying from the worst excesses of industrial
export-oriented agriculture up north, many are looking to new/old, better ways of
farming.

The morning kicks off with a tour of Jonai Farms, where local farming legends
Tammi and Stuart Jonas will guide visitors through their diverse, small-scale,
agroecological farming system, and the on-farm boning room and commercial
kitchen where they produce fresh cuts, smallgoods, charcuterie, and salumi.
Back at the beautiful Jonai event space – the grandly named ‘Belvedere’ – punters
will be treated to a lilting line-up of folk, country and indie acts throughout the
afternoon. Local stars Freya Josephine Hollick (fresh off the back of recording a new
album with Buick 6 at Rancho De La Luna studios in California), Sean McMahon,
and Sal Kimber and the Rollin’ Wheel, will be hitting the stage with full bands on
show for big, deep tunes.

You’ll be able to fill up on locally-produced eats and treats from some of Victoria’s
favourite food trucks, including hyperlocal Danny’s Farm and ever-popular Lil’ Nom
Noms, and enjoy the likes of Captain’s Creek organic cider and wine and Holgate
beer from just down the road. In keeping with AFSA’s mission of fair food, Farm Day
Out organisers are ensuring that all food is sourced ethically from farmers we know
and love. (You can also bring your own picnic lunch – no BYO alcohol).

Farm Day Out will also see the launch of AFSA’s revolutionary new book Farming
Democracy: Radically transforming the food system from the ground up. The book
shares the stories of eight small-scale regenerative farmers from across Australia,
from veg growers and pastured livestock farmers to organic grain farmers. It delves
into just how they grow, process, and sell their food, and what it takes for them to
farm the way they do – giving practical, on-the-ground insight into what is happening
around the country to build a fairer food system, and opening the books to share
what it costs (and makes) them to grow food fairly.

All funds raised by the event will support AFSA’s work in advocating for a fair,
nourishing, and ecologically-sound food system – supporting more farms, not bigger
farms, and working to drought proof Australia with agroecology!

About the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance
The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) is working towards a fair, diverse
and democratic food system for the benefit of all Australians. We are a civic
organisation of Australian farmers, communities, organisations, and individuals
committed to upholding the rights of peoples to food sovereignty.

Food sovereignty asserts the right of peoples to nourishing and culturally appropriate
food produced and distributed in ecologically sound and ethical ways and their right
to collectively determine their own food and agriculture systems.

The degree to which peoples experience food sovereignty has a direct bearing on
their food security. Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical,
social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The greater
peoples’ food sovereignty, the greater the level of control they have over their food
choices and the sources of their food.

When: Sunday 17 March, 10:00am – 6:30pm
Where: Jonai Farms, Eganstown VIC 3461
More info and tickets: https://www.facebook.com/events/381367049352162/

FOR INTERVIEW:
• Tammi Jonas, President M: 0422 429 362
INFORMATION:
• afsa.org.au
• admin@afsa.org.au

Farm Day Out 2019!

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GREAT FOLK, GOOD VIBES, FAIR FOOD

Join us on Sunday, March 17th 2019 at Jonai Farms for FARM DAY OUT!

Farm Day Out will draw you in with the sweet sounds and delicious local food and drink while helping the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance to raise funds for our work supporting Australia’s small-scale and regenerative farmers. Farm Day Out is set to get you and your family, friends and loved ones up and dancing so AFSA can continue their work supporting farmers in need.

Set among rolling hills, home to some of the world’s happiest piggies and people, Farm Day Out will get you a ticket for not only a great time, but a great big fuzzy feeling – knowing that you’re supporting the community that feeds you! Do more than ‘buy a Parma for a Farmer’ this year – buy tickets to Farm Day Out and support ongoing action for a food system that is fair to farmers, animals, land, water, and eaters everywhere!

You can purchase your tickets on Eventbrite, by following this link.

Are you an AFSA member? Email admin@afsa.org.au for a 10% discount code.

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MUSIC
Some of Australia’s finest providers of sweet folk, country & Indie tunes have been booked to deliver soul-satisfying music to your ears all day. We’re excited to announce that ‘small town songbird, country resurgent, spellbinding messenger of heartbreak and womanhood’ Freya Josephine Hollick will be here to woo us, along with Sean McMahon, who ‘traverses a musical landscape from densely textured alt-country through to an eclectic blend of folk, blues, ‘cosmic’ country and rock and roll’. Sal Kimber rounds out the musical offerings, ‘born and bred in the mountain valleys of Victoria, Kimber’s songwriting is stitched with tales of rivers, wild horses, flood, fire and the strength and vulnerability of the human spirit.’

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FOOD & DRINK
Victoria’s best food trucks, ale suppliers & sweet treat dealers will be personning their grills, pouring punch, and dishing up desserts all day to keep you full and happy. We’re asking all of our wonderful food providers to keep their prices as low as possible to support the fundraiser and keep your costs down on the day too. We are working with all our friends to ensure the grub you get at Farm Day Out is sourced ethically from farmers we know and love. Watch this space as we confirm who will be there to feed you on the day! You are also welcome to bring your own picnic lunch, but no alcohol can be brought with you from outside.

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FARM TOURS
Farm Day Out will start with a morning of optional farm tours to see how these leading small-scale agroecological farmers manage a diverse system that includes pastured pigs and cattle, an on-farm boning room and commercial kitchen where Tammi and her team transform whole carcasses into a range of fresh cuts, smallgoods, charcuterie, and salumi, and a thriving community-supported agriculture (CSA) model with 85 happy households that receive monthly packs of uncommonly delicious meat while sharing the risks as well as the rewards of the farm.

FAQs

Who are the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance?
The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) is a farmer-led organisation made up of organisations and individuals working together towards a food system in which people can create, manage, and choose their food system. Food sovereignty asserts the right of peoples to nourishing and culturally appropriate food produced and distributed in ecologically sound and ethical ways, and their right to collectively determine their own food and agriculture systems. Day to day, we support small-scale farmers by providing access to our Legal Defence Fund hotline, work with government bodies to develop more scale-appropriate legislation, advocate for the support and rights of agroecological farmers, and undertake work with international organisations such as La Via Campesina and the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereigntyto strive for global food sovereignty.

Do I have to be a member of AFSA to attend?
No – but if you want small-scale, local, family farms to be the norm and not the exception so you and your family can access nutritious, delicious food grown with care and love near you, then you really should be a member of AFSA because that’s the future we’re working for! Join now and get a 10% discount on tickets to Farm Day Out! Just email admin@afsa.org.au for the discount code.

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?
No! This is a fmaily friendly event! It will be a licensed event, so only those able to provide us with ID that proves they are over 18 years old will be able to purchase delicious booze from the local brewers, winemakers, and distillers.

What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?Jonai farms is in Eganstown, around a ten minute drive from Daylesford. We recommend organising a designated driver for the day, and why not make a weekend of it and book some accommodation in Daylesford?

If driving to the event, there will be country-style parking provided. We’re also working on a bus option from the train stations in Woodend and Ballan – watch out for updates soon.

What can I bring into the event?
Friends with tickets, kids, your own picnic foods, your best energy, a broad-brimmed hat, and a big smile.

What can I NOT bring into the event?
Booze (we’ll have heaps!), pets (there’ll be enough of those roaming!).

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?
If you have any questions please email: admin@afsa.org.au

What’s the refund policy?
Tickets are non-refundable but feel free to transfer into a friend’s/buyer’s name if you can no longer attend.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
No! What a waste of paper! E-tickets all round (unless you have an old school Nokia, of which we approve) – we’ll be checking names against our list. :-)

I’m In! How Do I Buy Tickets?
You can purchase tickets through Eventbrite by following this link.
And don’t forget, if you are an AFSA member (or decide to become one), remember to email us at admin@afsa.org.au for your 10% off discount code!

Ending Hunger With Dr. M. Jahi Chappell

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16 of October 2018
6:30PM
Library at The Docks
Melbourne, VIC

 

About Ending Hunger With Dr. Jahi Chappell

Ending Hunger with Jahi Chappell is an opportunity to hear from author, scholar, and political agroecologist Dr. M. Jahi Chappell as he discusses food sovereignty and ending hunger through the lens of his book, Beginning to End Hunger: Food and the Environment in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and Beyond.

Beginning to End Hunger presents the story of Belo Horizonte, home to 2.5 million people and the site of one of the world’s most successful food security programs. Since its Municipal Secretariat of Food and Nutritional Security was founded in 1993, Belo Horizonte has sharply reduced malnutrition, leading it to serve as an inspiration for Brazil’s renowned Zero Hunger programs. The secretariat’s work with local family farmers shows how food security, rural livelihoods, and healthy ecosystems can be supported together. In this convincing case study,

M. Jahi Chappell establishes the importance of holistic approaches to food security, suggests how to design successful policies to end hunger, and lays out strategies for enacting policy change. With these tools, we can take the next steps toward achieving similar reductions in hunger and food insecurity elsewhere in the developed and developing worlds.

The event kicks off at 6:30pm with opening drinks & nibbles.
Dr. M. Jahi Chappell will speak at 7pm.
After his presentation, atendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and chat over closing drinks & nibbles.

About Dr. M. Jahi Chappell 

Dr. M. Jahi Chappell is a political agroecologist with training in ecology, evolutionary biology, science and technology studies, and chemical engineering. He is a Senior Research Fellow in Agroecology and Agricultural Policy at Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), a Fellow of FoodFirst/the Institute for Food and Development Polilcy, and an Adjunct Faculty member of the School of the Environment at Washington State University.

Dr. Chappell has worked with and consulted for groups like Via Campesina, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the urban agriculture nonprofits Growing Hope (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and Growing Gardens (Portland, Ore.).

This event is proudly sponsored by the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, The Australian Open Food Network, and the Right to Food Coalition.

 

For tickets to the event, head to: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ending-hunger-with-dr-jahi-chappell-tickets-50847947580

This event is proudly sponsored by the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, Open Food Network Australia, and the Right to Food Coalition.

Food Sovereignty Convergence in Canberra 14-16 October!

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This year’s Food Sovereignty Convergence is not to be missed!

We’re bringing the brilliant M Jahi Chappell out to talk about how Belo Horizonte nearly ended hunger through coordinated and targeted policy and grassroots reform, as well as some perspectives on what makes a successful food movement!

Thank you to our partners Open Food Network Australia & Right to Food Coalition for helping make Jahi’s visit possible!

Get your tickets now – everyone needs to be part of the movement if we ever hope to radically transform the food system! And please share widely to ensure the most democratic participation possible!

Viva la revolución!

For its fourth year running, the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) is proud to present the 2018 Food Sovereignty Convergence.

From farmers to consumer advocates, food right activists to innovators and everyone in between — this event is designed to create a space where anyone who sees themselves as being a part of Australia’s food sovereignty movement can come together to debate, collaborate, share, and strategize in the name of food sovereignty. This is your chance to participate in redesigning our broken food and agriculture system.

Food sovereignty asserts the right of peoples to nourishing and culturally appropriate food produced and distributed in ecologically sound and ethical ways, and their right to collectively determine their own food and agriculture systems.

BUY TICKETS NOW!

Notice of Annual General Meeting & National Committee Call For 2019 Nominations

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AFSA Annual General Meeting

With the Annual General Meeting quickly approaching, we are writing this post to share with AFSA members the materials they’ll need to be prepared. We’ve already sent members notice of a special resolution to amend the AFSA constitution to make AFSA explicitly and constitutionally farmer led. We aim to of course remain a whole of food systems alliance – farmers and allies – but to put decision making around issues with a material impact on the growing movement of small-scale regenerative farmers in the hands of those farmers. We invite you to let your farming friends know they have a national voice for small-scale regenerative farmers and they should join us if they haven’t already!

This move mirrors the global food sovereignty movement, and we’ve developed the concept in collaboration with La Via Campesina and the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC). At this year’s Annual General Meeting on 16 of October 2018 we will be seeking to ratify the constitution, and hereby attach a draft for your consideration.

We need your input and opinions. Any amendments may be sent in advance to admin@afsa.org.au. All proposed amendments will be discussed and a final draft adopted at the AGM.

We also seek members’ feedback on the draft Budget and Terms of Reference for the Legal Defence Fund Steering Committee, which will also be adopted at the AGM.

Please find Dropbox links to:

1) Draft Amendments to Constitution
2) Draft Amendments to Terms of Reference for the Legal Defence Fund Steering Committee
3) Proposed 2019 Budget Draft
4) Budget Variance Report
5) Minutes from 2017 AGM
6) 2018 AGM Agenda
7) Proxy Vote Template
8) Policy Statements and Definitions Draft

If you have any trouble with the links above please email admin@afsa.org.auand we will send you an attachment.

For this year’s Convergence, we invite members to come prepared to share your thoughts on some of the key policy issues AFSA has been working on. Please share with us updates on your efforts in food policy and grassroots activism, and bring your thoughts for a policy debate on GM, labelling, and a sugar tax.

The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance will be holding its Annual General Meeting on 16 October, during the Food Sovereignty Convergence in Canberra from 14-16 October 2018. Tickets are still available for purchase online through the Facebook page.

Call For Nominations To Office Bearer Positions

The AGM will also involve the election of office bearers and general members of the AFSA National Committee for the 2019 year. Nominations close on the 10th of October.

If you are interested in nominating for a position please email a short bio to us expressing your interest at: admin@afsa.org.au.

Please note that nominations for positions to the new National Committee must be endorsed by two members of AFSA. Please contact admin@afsa.org.au if you do not already know two AFSA members to endorse your nomination.

Details of the individuals who have nominated for the new Committee will be made available on the website prior to AGM.

 

Office Bearer Position Descriptions

Role of the President

Charged with providing leadership and direction to the Committee, the President is responsible for ensuring that the Committee fulfils its responsibilities for the governance and success of the organisation, and is responsible for providing direction to the staff of the organisation. The President is also the primary liaison with farmer-led international organisations working for food sovereignty such as La Via Campesina, and the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC). S/he communicates regularly with all members via the AFSA website and regular newsletter. The President is generally the spokesperson for the organisation and should work to maintain key relationships within and outside of the organisation. The President must be a farmer who is actively farming.

Role of the Vice President

The Vice President is responsible for assisting the President to fulfil his/her responsibilities for the governance and success of the organisation. S/he also works to optimise the relationship between the Committee, volunteers, and members, and to achieve the organisation’s agreed goals. The Vice President monitors memberships, and provides membership reports at each meeting of the Committee. S/he also leads membership drives and supports the Committee in developing strategies for growing and maintaining membership, and helps lead membership engagement through social media and a regular newsletter. The Vice President typically fills in for the President when s/he is on leave.

Role of the Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for the financial supervision of the organisation to allow the Committee to provide good governance of the organisation. The Treasurer’s tasks include the preparation of annual budgets, planning for the organisation’s financial future and monitoring the organisation’s revenue and expenditure. It is desirable that the treasurer is well organized and possesses a level of financial expertise.

Role of the Secretary

The Secretary is responsible for the documentation and communication of the activities of the Committee.  The Secretary is the primary administration officer of the Committee and provides the links between the Committee, members and outside agencies. The Secretary should be a good communicator, maintain confidentiality on relevant matters and have the ability to delegate tasks and supervise others. The Secretary oversees the preparation of agendas and minutes, and all AFSA governance documents (constitution, regulations, policy), especially in advance of the AGM.

Role of the Communications Officer

The Communications Officer develops and implements effective internal and external communications strategies to maintain and build the reputation of AFSA with key publics including allied organisations, media, government and members. She/he supports the team with feedback on a range of communications pieces. A key element of the role is media relations, requiring the monitoring of news media to identify opportunities to attain media coverage (environmental scanning), and the production of media releases and rich content for the website and promotional materials. Assisting staff to effectively field inquiries from stakeholders including journalists, politicians, members, and the general public is an ongoing responsibility. The Communications Officer collaborates with the Administrative Assistant in planning, writing and distributing the electronic newsletter.

Role of the International Officer

The International Officer (IO) is responsible for maintaining connections with international food sovereignty organisations. Where there is a budget and it is appropriate, the IO attends meetings and conferences with groups such as the IPC and FAO thematic symposia, and is responsible for reporting back to the committee and members. In collaboration with AFSA staff and others on the Committee, the IO stays informed about global issues relating to food sovereignty and communicates these to members via newsletters and social media.

If you have any questions or concerns be sure to reach out to admin@afsa.org.au for more details.

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