posted by Karen Hampson
ILEIA was given the opportunity to attend the Soil Association Conference this week (well, I say ILEIA but in practice that meant lucky old me). The Soil Association is the U.K.'s leading organic campaigning charity, promoting "planet-friendly" food and farming systems. Much of the organic produce appearing on supermarket shelves in the U.K. has been certified according to the Soil Association's standards, and carries this well-recognised mark.

The theme of the conference as a whole was "The Future of Food". We were asked to contribute to the workshop looking at the international challenge, in light of the recent IAASTD report's key message that "business as usual is not an option". The workshop was framed around the question "How can the global north and south work together in developing truly sustainable food and farming systems?" I was joined by Patrick Mulvany of Practical Action, and Julia Wright, an expert in agroecology and food security, who has written for our publications before (click here to read her article on Cuba). The workshop was designed and chaired by Joy Carey, who has worked for the Soil Association for many years and is now an independent consultant on sustainable food systems with f3-the local food consultants.
Together we tried to provide some suggestions for future directions, and open the debate on this wide topic. Our ideas included encouraging the widespread endorsement of the principles of food sovereignty, and an acknowledgement that a paradigm shift in food and farming systems is needed. One small step would be for all organisations with an interest in this debate to form a strong network to lobby in the U.K. and Europe around this global issue, and to sign up to the 12 principles of the European Food Declaration.
I missed the opening session, but the conference has been well-reported in the U.K. press (for example, The Guardian, and The Telegraph). I was so absorbed in the afternoon panel session, and then spent so much time mingling, and enjoying the variety of locally-produced and organic food, that at 1030pm when I finally left the conference venue, I realised I had not taken a single photo to put up here!

I came away with my head buzzing with ideas, infused with the positive energy that comes from meeting inspirational people, and spending a day in an environment when the overwhelming attitude was "change is possible, and it is in our hands".