Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance

Fair food for all Australians

Food Sovereignty Convergence 2019

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Tickets available now

The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) is proud to present the 5th annual Food Sovereignty Convergence, this year hosted in Brisbane by local legends Robert Pekin & Emma-Kate Rose of Food Connect at their newly crowdfunded & community owned Food Connect Shed!

Convergence is a space where Australia’s food sovereignty movement comes together to debate, collaborate, share, and strategize to advance food sovereignty in Australia, and build the movement for the future. From farmers to consumer advocates, food rights activists to chefs, from researchers to community organisers: we encourage everyone working on food sovereignty and food system change to join us to help shape the agenda for the coming year.

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. 

Sunday night: Food Sovereignty Convergence Dinner and Farming Democracy author panel

This year, Convergence kicks off on Sunday evening with a panel discussion on AFSA’s new book, Farming Democracy, with the authors and other small-scale producers discussing the real costs and value of farming, what it takes to build a better food system from the ground up, what works, and how we can make radical change. 

Monday: Convergence Un-conference

Monday’s Convergence discussions open with lightning talk sessions that will spotlight the diversity of people and experiences that make up our food and farming systems, including women, youth, people of colour, Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ people. Convergence will continue with on Monday with un-conference sessions and break-out discussions on the key current issues for the food sovereignty movement, our roles in it, and next steps. Lunch and refreshments are provided.

Tuesday: Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance AGM

Convergence concludes on Tuesday with AFSA’s Annual General Meeting, where members can raise, discuss, and vote on key issues for action and governance decisions for the coming year. The AGM will be followed by time to share a potluck lunch with your fellow members – we welcome you to join us and, if you are able, bring something to share.

The Food Sovereignty Convergence is central to determining the work that AFSA does to advance food sovereignty and address the important issues in our food system. For that reason, we encourage everyone’s input on identifying the key issues for the food sovereignty agenda, and for discussion at Convergence. We look forward to seeing many voices join this year’s conversations on food sovereignty and hope to have your voice be one of them! 

Ahead of Convergence, we encourage you to join the FSC Facebook group to add to the pre-event discussions about what issues and topics you would like included at Convergence: https://www.facebook.com/groups/917279945015531/

Support the Food Sovereignty Convergence

Ticket prices for the Food Sovereignty Convergence are kept as low as possible to enable as many people as possible to participate in the discussion.

If you have capacity to contribute to Convergence with a donation in addition to your ticket price, this will help to cover the full costs of the event, and support AFSA’s work advocating for food sovereignty in Australia. Your support is greatly appreciated, and enables Convergence to be an inclusive and democratic space for the food sovereignty movement in Australia

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!

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