Fachtag Solidarische Landwirtschaft: An international perspective of CSA: Urgenci, the international CSA network Berlin, 24th January 2018

Some key dates in CSA Originated in Japan with Teikei in the mid-1960s, formally in 1971 Spread to Europe and the USA in the 1980s and 1990s Urgenci launched in Aubagne, France in 2004

Who do we represent? A network of national and regional CSA and Local Solidarity Partnerships for Agroecology networks Approximately 2 million member shares According to the 2016 overview, approximately 1 million in Europe

What is our role? Work on policy at EU and UN level: advocacy and alliances on food sovereignty and solidarity economy Represent consumers constituency in the food sovereignty movement Develop and support transnational projects and research

How to achieve this? The need for systemic change Territorial food systems Food sovereignty and civil society empowerment Solidarity economy: collective solutions

What are the commonalities we are talking about? Community-centred and controlled Grass-roots empowerment The Commons Re-localisation Break with the neo-liberal economic and financial system of globalisation

Agroecology is based on traditional approaches Food Sovereignty Solidarity Economy

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding with FAO Oct 2017

Why is the MoU so important? Difficulty to raise funding for work outside Europe Will enable us to meet strategic workplan for all continents developed at Urgenci International conference in Beijing (mapping, experience sharing ad capacity building…)

What have we done so far? The Mediterranean network v First meeting in Marseille in 2016: 10 countries, shared concerns of climate change, building local food systems, issue of right to food for migrants 2017: Cross over ‘Learning journeys’ in Turkey and Lebanon. Immediate outcome: Turkish state prepared to implement training on agroecology

What have we done so far? The West African Network Supported by Brot für die Welt and IPES-Food 2017: Initial meeting March 2017 Togo Mapping Local Solidarity Partnerships for Agroecology (LSPAs): In-depth audit in 7 W African countries and interviews in Focus groups. Report published soon!

What have we done so far? Other achievements… 4 new European projects Input into CAP Participation in Peasants’ Rights process Work on many different UN processes (UNTFSSE, New Urban Agenda, FAO regional process (Facilitation Committee and Consultations…

What have we done so far? Other achievements… 4 new European projects Input into CAP Participation in Peasants’ Rights process Work on many different UN processes (UNTFSSE, New Urban Agenda, FAO regional process (Facilitation Committee and Consultations…

What have we done so far? Other achievements… CFS-CSM: - Connecting Smallholders to Markets - Urban-Rural policy - SDGs - Nutrition

SDG 12: Responsible production and consumption SDG 12.3:  “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses” One of the SDGs put forward by civil society in both FAO consultation in Europe and Central Asia and Hlll

Table: 10 Complete Food Chain (CFC) comparison of FLW

Territorial food systems and relocalisation Benefits Challenges Comments Potential indicators Prices farmer led and agreed Consumers commit for a season Producer can plan and finance production Decent income for producer; affordable for consumer Direct sales from producer to consumer No choice: you take what you get Higher price for producer, affordable for consumer Numbers of CSA members Shared risk and benefits Need to (re)learn how to cook (Re)builds social connections Resilience

What have we done so far? Other achievements… Research: Mapping of European CSA movement Access to Land book Study of West African partnerships

Urban-rural regeneration and cooperation through solidarity partnerships

Importance of framework legislation to link food sovereignty, solidarity economy and Agroecology

Challenges that impact out ability to strategize Repression: legislation, violence, non-respect of human rights…betrayal by elected duty-bearers: TTIP,TPP, TISA, ISDS… Corporate capture (of legislation, agroecology, short distribution chains, our successful initiatives…) Green-washing Compartmentalisation of institutions & inability to work with complex adaptive situations Social movement’s consensual approach takes time Sustainable Development Goals, Hlll and post 2015 Finance for Development: how to get grassroots control of funding?

The issue of Trade and the dangers of capture! TTIP, CETA, TPP and ISDS: (and why we need to fight them!) Fair Trade versus “commercio justo” Local food systems and systemic solidarity economy

Emerging trends * Agroecology * Local Food Councils * Local Food Hubs * Local solidarity procurement (school canteens, hospitals, public services…) * Community Land Trusts * Integrated solidarity systems (Vancouver)

Our economy or theirs? Neoliberalism versus grass-roots solutions: solidarity economy and food sovereignty as illustrations of change and part of Agroecology… Food sovereignty and Agroecology must include an economic paradigm change!

Extract from the Nyéléni Forum on Agroecology (March 2015) « IV. Build local economies Promote local markets for local products. Support the development of alternative financial infrastructure, institutions and mechanisms to support both producers and consumers. Reshape food markets through new relationships of solidarity between producers and consumers. Develop links with the experience of solidarity economy and participatory guarantee systems, when appropriate. »

Thank you!