COMMUNITY GROUP - FARMER - GOVERNMENT DIALOGUE
Linking Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable Development at
TWO YEARS AFTER UNCED:
Exploring Partnerships for Sustainable Development July 20-24,
1994 The Blackhawk Hotel Davenport, Iowa
This conference is being co-sponsored by the Citizens Network for
Sustainable Development, the Stanley Foundation and the Iowa
Division of the United Nations Association - USA. Located in the
heartland of the U.S., this meeting and these groups seek to make
the links between grassroots local initiatives towards
sustainability and global policy-making arenas.
To: All Interested Sanetters
From: Linda Elswick, Kathy Lawrence and Thomas Forster
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development,
Sustainable Food Systems Working Group
WHY PARTICIPATE IN THE IOWA MEETING?
- Reinforce communications channels between citizens & U.S.
policy makers
- Strengthen and expand sustainable agriculture coalition
building with U.S. sustainable community activists
- Ensure that food and agriculture issues are at the
forefront of the environment and development movement
- ADDITIONAL CHANNELS TO U.S. POLICY MAKERS
By November 1994, U.S. government agencies (including USDA and
EPA) are required to submit a national report on progress made
since 1992 on sustainable agriculture and rural development
commitments. The U.S. government has already committed itself to
many of the concepts being discussed in sustainable agriculture
debates worldwide. By signing on to Agenda 21, the 800 page
"blueprint for sustainable development in the 21st century" that
was negotiated at the Earth Summit in Rio, the U.S government has
agreed to ensure people's participation and decentralize
agricultural decision-making to the lowest community level.
(contact Kathy Lawrence for 4 pages of excerpts related to
Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development and the Role of
Farmers). In preparing its national report, the U.S. must take
into account farmer and citizen input. Farmers, community groups,
consumers and other citizens are vitally concerned about and
involved in shaping the future direction of their lives,
communities, economies and food systems. This is an opportunity
to hold government accountable for the many progressive positions
taken in Rio, and to highlight local initiatives in moving towards
sustainability. Town hall meeting with Vice President Gore: There
is a 50/50 chance that VP Gore will have a town meeting after the
July session of the President's Council on Sustainable
Development. Denise O'Brien, Iowa dairy farmer and president of
the National Family Farm Coalition, will be our farmer
representative and speaker.
- STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND COALITION BUILDING
The Citizens Network was established to facilitate U.S. citizen
involvement in the UN Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED or the Rio Earth Summit), to make sure that the concerns
and experience of grassroots and local people working in their
communities and regions on many critical issues were heard. The
Network brings together a variety of groups and interests --
architects and urban planners in the sustainable communities
movement, academics and faith activists, educators, environmental
justice groups -- all working toward a vision of a sustainable
society. The Network connects U.S. sustainable development
decision-makers at local, state and national levels and
facilitates citizen input in the global movement for sustainable
development.
The Network's quarterly newsletter, mailed to over 700 U.S.
individuals and groups in the sustainable development movement,
represents an excellent opportunity for sustainable agriculture
advocates to expand broad-based coalition building and to
highlight the essential role of agriculture in any sustainable
development debate. The Network is a source of information on
other ways to influence national policy making that could be of
considerable value in our efforts for sustainable agriculture and
is a framework through which to foster strong links with potential
allies for change.
We have placed sustainable agriculture food systems high on the
agenda for the Iowa conference. Through the conference you can
make connections with other concerned citizens, give input into
the sustainable food systems platform which emerges, and learn
about opportunities to push forward U.S. national sustainable
agriculture policy prior to the 1995 farm bill (i.e. the U.S.
national report process to the UN Commission on Sustainable
Development, the UN body responsible for follow up to all Rio
commitments). We are putting together a workshop on "Sustainable
agriculture and the 1995 UN Commission on Sustainable Development:
Developing Partnerships and Local / International Links". This
will be a working session/dialogue to explore how citizens can
influence the government report to the CSD and develop our own
analysis and action plan.
- FOOD & AGRICULTURE ISSUES AT THE FOREFRONT OF ENVIRONMENT
& DEVELOPMENT
The Iowa conference will provide several opportunities for us to
educate other development activists on the critical role of
agriculture and food systems in any sustainable society:
Sustainable food systems working group paper: A draft paper will
provide a starting point for dialogue, input and collaboration,
with a focus on action. It will be circulated for discussion and
revision, presented to the meeting of the President's Council on
Sustainable Development in Chicago on Friday, and finally,
presented for additional sign on by all groups at the Iowa
meeting.
Roundtables: These will be an opportunity to engage with other
constituencies on a range of issues. We need articulate people
well-versed in food systems issues to participate and highlight
the role of agriculture in each of these roundtables.
Condensed Schedule of Events: Thursday July 21 - Working Group
Papers Friday July 22 - Focus on Agenda 21 and Follow up Saturday
July 23 - a.m. Workshops, p.m. Roundtables Sunday July 24 -
Reporting and Closing Ceremonies
Last, but not least, we hope to use the conference to model our
goal of a vibrant, self-reliant, sustainable food system by
serving locally grown, organic food from regional markets. In
addition to good food, the location is quite lovely and offers an
ideal vacation or weekend getaway.
We hope that as active SANNETTERS you will take this opportunity
to educate the sustainable development movement. We understand
that the Mid-West SAWG will be meeting at the same time, and will
make every effort to avoid such overlap in the future. If you are
not able to attend please share this invitation or call in
suggestions for other people you recommend.
Sincerely,
Linda, Kathy and Thomas
For further information or copy of the draft working group paper,
contact:
Linda Elswick, World Sustainable Agriculture Association, 1331
Pennsylvania Avenue, 907 North Tower, Washington, DC 20004 Tel:
202 347 0637 Fax: 202 347 0654 Email: wsaa@igc.apc.org
Kathy Lawrence, Women, Food & Agriculture Working Group, 10
Prospect Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: 718 622 4314 Fax: 212
431 4427 Email: klawrence@igc.apc.org