Growing Power Tāmaki Makaurau: a Food Sovereignty Hui

Growing Power is a 3 day food sovereignty hui 2-4 June for the Auckland region. It aims to connect and strengthen us to create a food system that serves people and ecosystems. It follows and will build on a similar, successful hui in Canterbury at the beginning of the year.
Everyone is invited, from farmers & campaigners, food workers & foodies and those who just want to learn more about food sovereignty - we want you to join us!

Dates: Saturday 10am, 2nd June - Monday 3pm, 4th June (Queens Birthday weekend)

Location: Kotare Education Trust, near Wellsford (1hr 15 mins from Auckland)

Cost: $70 -$200 (sliding scale, we don’t want money to be a
barrier so if it is please get in touch)

Registration: https://goo.gl/forms/MrLnYfuKKnvGOsxm1

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/176961299623335/

Why have this food sovereignty hui?

The ways we currently grow, distribute and access food are hugely
inequitable. They’re causing overwhelming damage to our soil -
water -atmosphere, our collective health and prosperity (not to mention
driving climate change).
The current privatised, industrial model is having huge impacts on
all of us - but WE CAN CHANGE THIS. This hui is a step towards making
that change.

Who are we?

Growing Power is working to build an effective food sovereignty movement
in Aotearoa. We seek to nourish leadership from those living with
the current inequity - be they struggling with extreme food poverty, or
struggling for a livelihood in regenerative farming.
We are a bunch of volunteers who have come together with a common
cause- to change the food systems in New Zealand

What do we hope to achieve at the hui?

We want  to upskill and connect people around common cause, to build
the foundation for winning campaigns and to foster ecological,
people-centred, resilient and carbon capturing food systems.

What can you expect?

*Meeting others who want to create an equitable, ecological food system
*Facilitated sessions to explore:
*Roots of inequality in the food system
*What food sovereignty means for us in Aotearoa
*Our vision for the food system, and how we can get there
*Applying & learning tools for social change
*Chance to learn and share about each others interests/projects
*‘Open Space’ for participant led workshops
*Guest speakers from Aotearoa and abroad

Who will be our Guest Speakers be?

*A Māori food sovereignty perspective - currently being confirmed.

Dee Butterly from UK Landworkers Alliance [3], Southern Roots Organics
[4]

Nandor Tanczos, chair of Permaculture NZ [5]

More background:

As individuals we have relatively little control of what is in the
supermarket, its production or how profits are distributed. Should
it be sourced from just over the Bombay hills, or California? Should the
farming of it regenerate or mine the land? Should the profits go
into the communities who process it or to distant, ever wealthier
shareholders? When food is a commodity to trade, these decisions
rarely serve equity or ecology; we lack food sovereignty.
We can grow and focus our collective power to reclaim control of the
food system. From Canada and the United Kingdom we see examples of
crowd sourced food policy shaping national priorities. In Scotland,
campaigns for the right to food are winning and starting to change the
structures that commodify food. Denmark is working to double its organic food
production with a commitment to serve it in all public institutions.
Grassroots movements are setting this direction.

Can’t go but would like to support us?

We would appreciate you sharing this email with anyone you think may
be interested. If you want to support the hui financially, with food,
promotion or in any other way please get in touch:
growingpowernz@gmail.com.

CURIOUS? If you're unsure if this is for you don't hesitate to get
in touch. Send us a message, or email us: growingpowernz@gmail.com