As an intern, I focused on the topic of the digitalization of agriculture from a food sovereignty perspective. I first worked on Schola Campesina鈥檚 contribution to the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples鈥� Mechanism鈥檚 Working Group on Data鈥檚 response to the proposed draft scope of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition鈥檚 e-consultation on the topic of 鈥淒ata collection and analysis tools鈥� for food security and nutrition. From this process, Schola Campesina recompiled and expanded their contribution to the Working Group as a working paper to be disseminated among food producers鈥� organizations. For the working paper, I received a co-author credit.
Both projects allowed me to develop my research and writing skills. Multiple drafts of the different projects encouraged the appropriate use of synthesis and summary in my writing. The subject matter allowed me to deepen my knowledge of digitalization in agriculture and familiarize myself with the different organizations and perspectives involved in global governance processes surrounding this topic.
Peter Hill (MA Food Studies student)
厂肠丑辞濒补听颁补尘辫别蝉颈苍补听- overview
厂肠丑辞濒补听颁补尘辫别蝉颈苍补听is an听international agroecology school,听based in Italy (Biodistrict delle Via Amerina e delle Forre, Viterbo province).
Thier goal is to听develop and share knowledge听on agroecology and specifically on the global governance of food and agriculture (international processes that influence policies at all levels, having an important impact on small-scale food producers).
Schola Campesina facilitates the听sharing of knowledge听amongst food producers鈥� organizations and other allies (academia, activists) on global governance processes in order to (1) improve their participation within the global spaces; and (2) facilitate the use of documents (policy recommendations, guidelines, etc.) at local level in view of advancing the food sovereignty agenda in the world.
The 2015听听 is the conceptual base of Schola Campesina. We work at implementing its principles and action plan. The Ny茅l茅ni Declaration principles represent the starting point of all activities (trainings, participatory action research,鈥�).
Schola Campesina works directly with small-scale food producers鈥櫶齩rganisations identifying themselves with the food sovereignty movement听and with the 2015听.
鈥淭he diverse knowledge and ways of knowing of our peoples are fundamental to Agroecology. We develop our ways of knowing through dialogue among them (di谩logo de听saberes).
Our听learning听processes are horizontal and peer-to-peer, based on popular education. They take place in our own training centers and territories (farmers teach
farmers, fishers teach fishers, etc.), and are also intergenerational, with听exchange听of knowledge between youth and elders.
Agroecology is developed through our own innovation, research, and crop and livestock selection and breeding"
How does Schola听Campesina operate?
- They train听organisations of food producers (peasant farmers, fisher folk, indigenous peoples, farmers, landless 鈥�)
- Their starting point is the听local level, so that our position is deeply grounded and thereby enhanced, in order to influence change on the global level.
- Their work is constantly in a听bi-directional sense:听they follow global processes in order to influence them and, at the same听time, they apply global outputs at the local level, otherwise.
- Schola Campesina鈥檚 references are the 鈥淎groecology schools鈥� of La Via Campesina:听horizontal pedagogy听鈥淐ampesino a campesino鈥� and 鈥淒ialogo de Saberes鈥�.
- Schola Campesina pay specific attention to听濒补苍驳耻补驳别蝉听as instruments of popular culture. It aims to go beyond the 鈥渃olonial鈥澨齦anguages.
- Being based near Rome (the headquarter of all food and agriculture related UN institutions), Schola Campesina has the particularity to be able to organize activities with peasant and activists coming from all over the world to defend their peoples鈥檚 rights.
- An agroecology school must be rooted in a听territory and a community听of knowledge; the听产颈辞-诲颈蝉迟谤颈肠迟听represents these territorial roots.
- Beyond the training objective, Schola is also a centre for听Participatory Action Research.听It seeks to mobilize knowledge from peasants and their organizations,听from academicians and their institutions, from activists and their听organisations through a Dialogo de saberes. Schola Campesina seeks to stimulate a co-production of knowledge thanks to a constructive dialogue between Agroecology and Food sovereignty allies.