We at the Temple of Understanding call on the United Nations to hear the voices calling for a food system change that centers on people and planet, human rights and the environment. Industrial agriculture is a huge polluter and contributor to climate change, whereas regenerative agriculture can help implement the SDGs.
“The most important challenge we have today is to connect the dots between climate change and the many ways corporations and the private sector have contributed to the devastation of the world’s food system. Poverty, famine, lack of clean water and healthy food for an increasingly large number of populations has an underlying cause that has catapulted us into the many crises we face today and as people of many faiths, we must speak out, and act.” Alison Van Dyk, Chair
When Vandana Shiva asked the TOU to further support diversified, local, regenerative agriculture, in opposition to industrialized monocultural agriculture, we heartily agreed. Our FORUM2021 manifests that response, with faith leaders, farmers, and scientists speaking together on September 9. The intention is to provide “loyal opposition” to the UN Food Summit and to promote the small scale agriculture that feeds most of the planet, that can be diverse and resilient in the face of climate change, and that can begin to regenerate depleted soils.
The TOU stands with the African faith leaders and farmers, who through the Southern Africa Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) are challenging the Gates Foundation to change their model from imperial colonialism benefiting multinational corporations that export the produce, to one that serves the local communities and preserves the soil.
The August 5th article, “African Faith Communities to Gates Foundation: Industrial Agriculture is No Solution for Africa” is an excellent read, highlighting succinct demands from farmers and faith leaders. Not surprisingly, their concerns are very similar to the ones that Vandana Shiva has been raising for decades. The question is raised, is the African development towards food security or food slavery? We at the TOU have long advocated for food sovereignty, and the stakes are getting higher.
The UN Food Summit, to be held shortly after our September event, has been compromised by its extensive reliance on corporate leadership and focus on technical solutions that will profit multinationals rather than support community resilience. We have been monitoring the critique offered by the Independent Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES) who, along with special rapporteurs, have withdrawn from the Summit as of July 27 “ the concerns, raised so clearly and consistently by farmers’ organizations, social movements, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and independent scientists, have not been addressed. IPES says Summit organizers bypassed the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), “the foremost democratic space for discussing the future of food systems” as well as a High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) regularly providing reports. “By bypassing the CFS and hastily constructing a new architecture, the Summit organizers showed little interest in genuine participation. From the start, the Summit threatened to replace democratic debate with increasingly unaccountable modes of decision-making.” IPES says the Summit’s rules of engagement were determined by a small set of actors, “The private sector, organizations serving the private sector (notably the World Economic Forum), and a handful of scientific experts kick-started the process and framed the agenda. That has meant a focus on scalable, investment-friendly, ‘game-changing’ solutions.”
The Global People’s Food Summit raised concerns and solutions. The TOU’s Grove Harris attended sessions, and learned more about the UN’s previous work on the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crisis that has not been implemented, even though it was fully developed over 2012- 2015. It offers principles that head towards localized food sovereignty; in light of the recent report on the devastation we are causing through climate change, now is the time to muster political will and make the necessary systemic changes.
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FORUM2021 Sacred Food ~ Blessed Earth
Presented by the Temple of Understanding in collaboration with Marble Collegiate Church
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Online Thursday September 9, 2021 10:00am - 1:30pm ET
FORUM2021 explores the ancient, respectful and regenerative ways of farming practices and our spiritual relationship to food by focusing on the Earth as an interconnected web of life. A moral and spiritual voice is essential in the transition away from the industrialized, fossil fuel and chemical intensive, global agriculture system which is degrading our Earth, contributing to the climate crisis and to the extinction of species, as well as creating severe health issues for all living beings. FORUM2021 is a call to all spiritual and religious leaders and activists for a return to local, biodiverse organic food systems which regenerate soil, water and biodiversity while providing healthy sustenance for all.
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Opening Prayer & Welcome
19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle for the Great Sioux Nation.
TOU Board Member
Welcome to the FORUM2021:
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Opening Keynote
Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan and serves as a Member Chief of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs and the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy, the Haudenosaunee Peoples.
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Dr. Vandana Shiva
Reclaiming Ancient Wisdom
to Protect Our Future
Founder, Navdanya Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (India) and President of Navdanya International. World-renowned environmental thinker, activist, feminist, philosopher of science, writer and science policy advocate.
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Dr. Vandana Shiva & Lyla June Dialogue
Reclaiming Ancient Wisdom
to Protect Our Future
Indigenous musician, scholar and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages.
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International Activists on Regenerative Farming Panel
TOU Board member
Peasant Movement, KMP, Philippines
Director of Primary Sector & Renewable Natural Resources,
Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources, Mexico
Seed Saver Network, Kenya
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Scientists on the Impact of Industrialized Agriculture Dialogue
Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley.
Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco, and Research Scientist at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health.
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Faith-Based Farming in the United States Panel
Interfaith Power & Light, USA
Freedom Farm Community NY
Peoples’ Farm, AZ
Jewish Farmer Network, NC
Soul Fire Farm, NY
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A Call to Urgent Action to Support Sustainable Food Systems
Denominational leader, climate activist, author and public theologian. Special Advisor on Climate Justice to the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.
Senior Lecturer & Research Scholar, Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Divinity School, Department of Religious Studies.
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The Sacred Way
Hopi/Havasupai/Tewa elder. She is the Chair of the International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers.
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Interfaith Prayer Service |
A deeply moving and inspiring Interfaith service of prayers, affirmations and contemplations offered by Indigenous and world religious leaders and sacred music by renown international artists.
Prayers and Offerings
Rev. Dr. Michael Bos, Imam Saffet Catovic
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Prof . Ephraim Isaac, Eda Zavala Lopez, Grandmother Mona Polacca, HE Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche, Pandit Shukla Ji, Rev. Dr. John H. Vaughn
(pictured)
Sacred Music
Samir Chatterjee & Steve Gorn, Lyla June
Marble Collegiate Church Choir, Marble Collegiate Gospel Choir
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#Support local farmers, support your health, protect the Earth |
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