In reflecting on the keywords posted this Friday, I noted first that every group in our class has some phenomenal writers and storytellers! The posts were really clear and understandable in the context of the bigger topics at hand in LAST303. I had no idea that all of the terms could be so applicable to the concepts we’re tackling in the course but I’m glad to have had some light shed on the more complicated, obscure and even taboo keywords that aren’t discussed much outside of the course.
A particular connection I made when going over the keywords was between the definition of Food Sovereignty and last weeks’ Belasco reading. Belasco discussed the concept of “technological utopianism,” and how for decades, corporations have been trying to make food “disappear” by obscuring the links between farmer/producer and consumer. However the result of this obscurity has been the failure to recognize the “true cost” of our food. I think this connects nicely to the definition of food sovereignty provided by the group. The term not only implies having agency over what one produces and consumes, but also implies taking responsibility for one’s food choices, and the impacts they can have on both our society and the environment. Food sovereignty can be both a means to assert self-determination and reclamation, as was discussed by Linda Tuhiwai Smith in the “Introduction” we read last week, and also a way of exercising ecological stewardship and responsibility to the land, as per Claire, Ata, Ashley and Jeremiah!
I think that the ideas behind Food Sovereignty relate to the definition of Agroecology provided to us by Emma, Estefania, Nima, and Constantine. They defined the term at a base level and then expanded on its importance to Indigenous cultures which I think was really useful. They said that Indigenous agro-ecological practices “maintain/build healthy ecosystems, and disseminate information and build upon ancestral knowledge and customs,” which connects to the definition of food sovereignty in terms of values around self-determination through food-related practices, and responsibility for one’s impact on the land through food choices.
katerina vyskotova
September 29, 2020 — 9:05 pm
Hello Aves!
I really liked your reflection on the keywords because it provided me with a new perspective! Especially the part where you talk about taking your own responsibility for food and its production into your hands – part of our “food sovereignty ” that we so often as people forget to do. We tend to forget where our food comes from and we tend to omit how did it influence other aspects of nature and our planet. We just focus on the present moment and our needs. Your post was a great reminder to me that every responsible human being should be aware of their “food sovereignty” and take appropriate actions to get to know the “true cost of our food”. and hence make wiser choices 🙂