Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture

 We, theundersigned, believe that food and agriculture offer essential solutions to theurgent challenges of our time. Behind us is a half century of industrial foodproduction, spurred on by cheap fossil fuels, abundant land and waterresources, and a drive to maximize the global harvest of calories and profits.Ahead lie spiking energy and food costs, a changing climate, declining watersupplies, growing population, and the contradiction of widespread hunger andobesity. Theserealities require a radically different approach to food and agriculture. Webelieve that the ways we grow, prepare, and distribute food must celebrate ourcultures and humanity, providing sustenance, justice, and beauty. 

Food andagriculture must be made healthy, for people, for animals, for communities, forthe land, and for nature. Governments have a duty to protect the land andpeople from malnutrition, unsafe food, corporate exploitation, and ecologicaldegradation. Individuals, organizations, and producers must work concurrentlyto create regional solutions that provide healthy food for their communities.The change has begun and the time has come to accelerate this urgenttransformation.

Webelieve that the following twelve principles can and must be employed toenhance the health and wealth of the nation:

 1. A healthy food and agriculture system forms the foundation of secure societiesand a stable world as well as human and community health.

2.  A healthy food and agriculture system rests on policies and programs thatprovide sustenance and food sovereignty to all people around the globe.

3.  A healthy food and agriculture system protects the limited resources ofproductive soils, fresh water, and biological diversity.

4. A healthy food and agriculture system uses renewable rather than thenonrenewable resources.

5.A healthy food and agriculture system emerges from a biological rather than anindustrial mindset.

6.  A healthy food and agriculture system prevents the exploitation and dominationof people, land, water, genetics, processing, and markets by nations,corporations, or other entities.

7.  A healthy food and agriculture system upholdsthe dignity, safety, and quality of life for all workers.

8.  A healthy food and agriculture system fosters diversity in all its relevantforms: diversity of domesticated and wild species; diversity of foods, flavorsand traditions; diversity of ownership.

9.  A healthy food and agriculture system dependsupon a national commitment to teach children the skills and knowledge essentialto food production, preparation, and nutrition.

10.A healthy food and agriculture system requires thorough national dialog andregionally adopted policies regarding technologies used for production.

11.  A healthy food and agriculture system informs citizens about how food isproduced, where it is from, and what it contains.

12.A healthy food and agriculture system requires policies and economic structuresthat support regional farm and food networks.

13.A healthy food and agriculture system affirms the dignity of all our relatives,whether they have hands, fins, wings, hooves or roots.

Ourpursuit of healthy food and agriculture unites us as people and as communities,across geographic boundaries, and social and economic systems. We pledge ourvotes, purchases, creativity, and time to this urgent cause.