October 17 is World Food Day. The Gaia Foundation is celebrating with an initiative to highlight the role small farmers play in feeding the world
Sustain member the Gaia Foundation works all over the world to champion a 'respectful relationship with the Earth'. A large part of their work focuses on finding and protecting small-scale farmers who use traditional methods of food production which regenerate, rather than deplete, nature.
Gaia points out that although more than half of all our greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the global industrial food system, this system only feeds a fraction of the world’s population. Whereas in 2014 the UN estimated that 70% of the world’s population was fed by small farmers.
To help debunk the myth and celebrate the communities who really feed us, Gaia is hosting a new photographic initiative called We Feed the World. This brings together more than 40 award-winning photographers to shoot a series of images of small family farmers across six continents.
Renowned photographers from Martin Parr to Rankin to Sebastaio Salgado have donated their time to the project. Their work will come together in an exhibition to open in London this time next year, before traveling to cities around the world. In the meantime, you can follow the initiative on Facebook.
Find out more about the Gaia Foundation here, and read about Sustain's policies for a greener, fairer food system here.
Published Friday 7 October 2016
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
