Seed the Commons joined an international mobilization against the corporate takeover of food systems. We were the only vegans there.

The United Nations is hosting a Food Systems Summit this September as well as a pre-summit this week. Last November, Seed the Commons joined hundreds of civil society organizations to condemn the partnership between the FAO and Croplife, a pesticide lobby group. Unfortunately, the United Nations is only moving further towards corporate capture with its present Food Systems Summit, which is centering around the promotion of false solutions by large corporations rather than food sovereignty and people-led solutions. In response, many food, farming, land rights, indigenous rights and other civil society organizations are boycotting the summit. 

This week is seeing online and in-person mobilizations around the globe, including the four-day People’s Counter Mobilization to Transform Corporate Food Systems. 

It kicked off today with an incredible online rally with political interventions, testimonies, performances and more from a diverse range of voices. We were thrilled to participate and join our voices to those of activists from around the world to call for a People’s food system and to put forth real solutions. 

In the years I have interacted with American animal rights and vegan circles, I have heard many proclaim that they work or wish to work towards “equitable food systems” “food systems for all” “ending all oppression” etc etc. And yet beyond the urge to “vote with your dollar” and performative charity and ID politics, I have seen astonishingly little interest in actually doing this. In other words, the vegan world is countering the ills of neoliberalism with more neoliberalism while cynically calling it “food justice” and “intersectionality”. But actual food justice, and actual solidarity with those who experience an intersection of oppressions, will only come about by challenging the systemic issues we face. This starts with countering the corporate takeover of our food systems and reclaiming land, seeds and food in the hands of the people. 

Join worldwide grassroots movements in reclaiming food systems – and support our efforts to finally bring animals into the conversation. 

Watch and share the video of our intervention at the today’s Global Virtual Rally to Transform Corporate Food Systems. Follow the mobilizations here and here, spread the word (with the hashtags #SiegeTheSummit and #FoodSystems4People), and contact us to get involved.

Let’s rally together for a food system for people, not corporations… and for the liberation of all.