BLOG

Learning from Covid-19? The European Commission’s Farm-to-Fork Policy sends a Positive Signal even though many Crucial Points are still Missing
Has the Commission succeeded in learning some lessons from the Coronavirus crisis? With the publication of its Farm-to-Fork Strategy and its Biodiversity Strategy today, the European Commission is sending a signal that shows greater awareness of the importance of resilient food systems and of the interconnections between human health, sustainable diets and the ecosystems win which we live. Sadly, however, many crucial points required for initiating true systemic change are still missing.

Webinar on SSE, Food Sovereignty and the Right to Food
The 3rd in the special series of RIPESS webinars covered the field of COVID-19, food sovereignty, solidarity economy and the right to food. The participants were Qiana Mickie, special policy consultant with Just Food in New York, Judith Hitchman, president of Urgenci International Community Supported Agriculture Network, and Marcus Hill, from the US Solidarity Economy Network as special guest. Sofia Monsalve, Secretary General of FIAN International was the very able moderator. The webinar was recorded. You can watch it online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lGhP7u0oQc&feature=emb_logo

SolidBase Hackathon Report is available
The full report from the SolidBase Hackathon, held in Freiburg in November 2019, is now available.

Joint letter on the importance and urgency of publishing the Farm to Fork strategy
Together with others, URGENCI, the international network of Local and Solidarity -based Partnerships for Agroecology, has asked European Union Commissioners and their teams to provide guidance and a clear perspective of the road forward, meeting citizens’ expectations across Europe, by publishing the #EUFarm2Fork by end of April 2020. The President

Community Supported Agriculture is a Safe and Resilient Alternative to Industrial Agriculture in the Time of Covid-19
The international campaign we are all engaged in to reduce our tragic losses to the Covid-19 crisis is just a rehearsal for the big campaign that lies ahead – to preserve and build sustainable local and territorial food systems that connect producers and consumers and provide healthy, nutritious food for all.

Eating in the time of Covid-19
URGENCI is joining a group of organisations and research units collecting experience -based feedbacks on “Eating in the time of Covid-19”.

Message of solidarity with Urgenci members around the world
The Covid19 virus is spreading fast at global level, and affecting all our lives, more in some countries than others.
This pandemic leads us to a certain number of collective reflections not just on our food systems, but also on the global political and economic system.

Solawi Spring Meeting
“Reaching the region” was the title and theme of the Solawi movement meeting that took place at the beginning of February. Around 120 people traveled to Freiburg from the whole of Germany to exchange ideas on how solidarity-based agriculture (Solawi) can grow beyond the niche position. The movement wants to make a contribution to the transformation of the agricultural system and social change.

URGENCI is happy to invite all CSA groups around the world to celebrate #InternationalCSADay!
For many thousands of farmers around the world, #InternationalCSADay can bring about real change: sign up and support your local farmer! Give CSA farms a solid base
New Year, New Decade and New Logo for URGENCI
We feel that collectively, this new era requires fresh energies and ever-greater cooperation between producers and consumers. And a new look.

CSA is Growing Big in the Netherlands!
Five years ago there were only five initiatives, now there are over 90. In Flanders, de part of Belgium where the same language is used as the Netherlands, the CSA network is a bit more advanced: their formal association exists for several years now and many CSA initiatives as well.

Localising the Sustainable Development Goals
In Ireland, the State has decided to hold a series of SDG Stakeholder consultations with civil society actors, ranging from social movements to NGOs and private sector interests. These consultations will then form the basis for a series of policy provisions. The Coalition 2030 (coalition2030.org) brings together over 60 CSOs to facilitate these consultations, together with the State Department of Communications, Climate action and Environment. These consultations take place every two months on the various SDGs. URGENCI was represented in the December 2019 consultation in Dublin.