"Sin maíz, no hay país!" ... "Without corn, we have no country!" is a popular battle cry in Oaxaca, Mexico. As the cornerstone of Mesoamerican agriculture and diet, corn or "maize" is at the heart of the ongoing struggle for food sovereignty in Mexico. This December, Food Sovereignty Tours offers the public an opportunity to explore current food issues in this diverse region of Mexico first-hand as part of a guided delegation.
Participants will learn directly from local farmers, scholars and activists about the threats to rural livelihoods such as environmental degradation, mining, out-migration and contamination of native seeds by imported genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The tour will look into how peasant organizations are working to strengthen local food systems while playing an important role in the global food sovereignty movement. Along the way, participants will sample native fare, including renowned moles, countless corn-based dishes, and hot chocolate made from local cacao beans. In addition, delegates will celebrate the holidays with traditional Oaxacan dishes and enjoy "Night of the Radishes"—a unique festival celebrating food, farming and creativity. The delegation will also visit a maguey (cactus) farm that produces artisanal mezcal, a once criminalized tequila-like spirit.
The Food Sovereignty Oaxaca Tour will take place December 22 – 30, 2012. Partial scholarships are available for qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants who register (including deposit) by September 22, 2012, will receive a complementary copy of Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice by Eric Holt-Gimenez and Raj Patel.
The mission of Food Sovereignty Tours is to build the global movement for food sovereignty through solidarity travel and immersion learning. Food Sovereignty Tours is a program of Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, which has been called one of the "most established food think tanks" by the New York Times. The program also leads international delegations to Bolivia, Mexico, Italy, the Basque Country and more.
Tour registration is open to the public. To learn more, visit the Food Sovereignty Tours website: http://www.foodsovereigntytours.org/international-tours/oaxaca.
