Food Sovereignty & Justice

Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.

– Declaration of Nyéléni, the first global forum on food sovereignty, Mali, 2007

The Community Food Systems Program works to highlight the importance of culturally appropriate food and put the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies by:

  • supporting and increasing the visibility of food sovereignty initiatives on topics such as the reclamation of Indigenous and traditional foodways, rematriation of land and seed, and reparation of resources
  • supporting initiatives that localize and distribute ownership of one or more phases of the food supply chain
  • promoting governance structures and bargaining processes that distribute power across the food supply chain
  • building capacity of small- to mid-sized producers and BIPOC farm and food entrepreneurs to successfully start and grow businesses
  • expanding markets and marketing channels for small to mid-sized producers and BIPOC farm and food entrepreneurs

We are exploring the development of a statement that acknowledges this land’s First Nations people. This statement would be used to open discussions and educate the public we work with about First Nations peoples’ rights and the contributions First Nations have made and continue to make throughout this land now known as Wisconsin.

Explore related projects

A canoe in the middle of a wild rice field

Indigenous Food Systems Resilience: Connecting Cultural Values and Indigenous Research

Wisconsin Tribes are developing and implementing innovative food system transformation efforts to enhance community food security, access to culturally appropriate foods and a return to traditional food economies. The Indigenous Food Systems Resilience project aims to engage Tribal nations and a broad network of partners to co-create an understanding of high-priority, Indigenous-led research, education and outreach projects to help Wisconsin Tribes sustain and expand food sovereignty in the face of the state’s environmental challenges.


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