The European Days of Action for Good Food Good Farming are just around the corner. In October, Slow Food Europe will join forces with other civil society groups across Europe to demand of decision-makers that they implement food and farming systems which support small farmers and rural livelihoods, and protect our soil, water, ecosystems, and biodiversity. The first joint Good Food Good Farming action took place last October and saw the emergence of more than 60 events across 19 European countries.
Slow Food Action in Europe
Through awareness-raising actions, public demonstrations, and discussions, numerous Slow Food groups in the Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Croatia, Malta, Italy, Czech Republic, and Slovakia are ready to make some noise and join the European Days of Action this October. The Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN) will also join the Europe-wide action by organizing “eat-ins” in several European cities; where citizens are invited to bring a home-cooked meal, share stories, and eat together. The SFYN will also invite the youth to join one big transborder “Eat-in” event during the month of October, to symbolize the cross-border dimension of EU-wide agriculture and food issues.
In October, civil society organizations across Europe are invited to mobilize citizens, consumers, farmers, cooks, food producers and retailers in their cities to organize events where the demands and visions for Good Food Good Farming will be shared. The organizations involved will call on policymakers to build a better food and farming system in solidarity with populations and regions across Europe.
Final Event in Strasbourg
Slow Food Europe will be part of the final demonstration in Strasbourg, which will take place in front of the European Parliament on October 22. As the new Parliament and national governments are expected to make crucial decisions concerning the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, the Good Food Good Farming movement will use this moment to demand policies that respect the rights of people and the planet.
Around 60 civil society groups will deliver citizens’ messages collected during the Good Food Good Farming events in October, directly to the Members of Parliament in the form of postcards. The final demonstration in Strasbourg will be the opportunity to illustrate the clear demands of citizens that urgent changes be made to Europe’s agricultural system to provide healthy, fair and sustainable food.
The current CAP takes up almost 40% of the EU’s budget but fails to support small-scale farmers, sustainable, and environment-friendly agriculture while instead financing industrial agriculture. Slow Food Europe is certain that it is time to put the public interest before big business, and instead of narrow proposals to fundamentally reform the CAP to develop a better and sustainable society.
Indre Anskaityte, Slow Food Europe