The Future is Emerging Together
On March 6, 2024 Prairie Food System Vision Network (PFSVN) hosted their first online gathering of a food sovereignty solutions hub: “Working Together for Food Sovereignty.” The intention of the meeting was captured in a quote by Hellen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It was an opportunity to learn about projects from PFSVN Food System microgrant recipients and presentations from other local and global food initiatives, to discuss new possibilities and to grow solutions.
Lyndon Linklater, Knowledge Keeper from Thunder Cree First Nation, began the event in a good way with some food for thought. He reminded us all to consider the meaning behind words, as words are powerful. As we begin our journeys towards a future built on relationships connected through food and respecting the land, we must recognize the limitations we can impose on ourselves and our thinking. He encouraged us to dig deep into words such as collaboration, which can be exclusive and have military connotations regarding collaboration with a foe. The journey towards food sovereignty shouldn't be one of conflict, but one of love, acceptance, respect and finding common ground. Therefore, using the words working together is more powerful than collaborating because it avoids exclusion as grassroots food and biodiversity projects move communities in new directions.
Gatherings such as this reveal how working together need not be shoulder-to-shoulder in a physical sense, but rather we are building the momentum of change working collectively as like-minded individuals and organizations across the globe. This event highlighted ways people are reconnecting intergenerationally and internationally, sharing experiences and finding placed-based solutions with community.
The gathering demonstrated how storytelling can empower people and bring hope, a hope for a future that will hold the vision and mission of the Prairie Food System Vision Network at its core. Addressing decolonization and reconciliation through our relationship with the land, our food and each other creates a more equitable and just approach to our lives and inclusiveness among peoples. The importance of gathering and sharing stories and experiences cannot be overstated. Learning from others and being supported by others is vital to spreading the hope of grassroots change.
During the virtual gathering we heard from projects supported by PFSVN’s Microgrant fund: One School One Farm Shelterbelt Project, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Nourishing our Foundations: Young Agrarians’ Prairie Mixer for new entrants into farming; and, Carry the Kettle First Nation’s Community Orchard in southern Saskatchewan. Stories shared by Flying Dust Market Garden in NW Saskatchewan revealed how a community garden start up can have a transformative role in fostering food sovereignty, self-sustainability and re-connecting community to traditional foods. Oceans Alive Trust: Smart Backyard Kitchen Gardening Food Systems shared their story from Kenya of empowering families to grow food by using local materials and teaching them how to create a simple, highly productive backyard garden. Leah with Oceans Alive Trust also shared her experience as a participant and speaker working with PFSVN through the Rockefeller Foundation’s LIFT Network.
My Learning perspective by Leah Nyawira
“My experience on the platform has been enlightening, revealing the vast array of opportunities and the richness of human diversity. Embracing collaboration with nature presents us with the opportunity to address our challenges collectively. Taking a broader perspective on collaboration entails the formation of networks, frameworks, and channels that leverage our diverse capabilities, thus facilitating sustainable solutions to overarching issues in the realms of environment, technology policy, cultures, diets, and economics.
Learning about other projects profoundly impacts my perspective. I believe that food systems and food sovereignty represent the last vestiges of dignity for many cultures, serving as vital components of their biocultural heritage. It is imperative that these systems be protected and that policies are formalized to prevent their extinction. Engaging with various speakers, particularly those who involve children in their activities, fosters the development of extensive networks and cultivates future leaders capable of affecting transformative change.
My primary career goal is to advance food systems utilizing modern innovations to conserve indigenous and traditional food sovereignty, despite the challenges posed by population pressures, modernization, and globalization.
Addressing food system and biodiversity challenges are emerging through initiatives like these presented at the PFSVN solutions hub gathering and through the efforts of other communities that are taking approaches to re-shaping how we produce and consume food, and in essence how we might live differently in the future. Networking among food system initiatives strengthens human capacity, vision, and creativity. The convergence of Indigenous knowledge, local food system development and biodiversity projects points to the way these projects aim to create a future driven by love, and respect for ourselves and our earth, together.”
The future is in community. PFSVN is expanding that community through events, microgrants and ongoing communication. There is an opportunity to participate. If you are interested in learning more or being included on our contact list, email community@prariefoodsystemnetwork.org.
Author: Terra Pombert