Help emerging young leaders and change-makers attend the Latin American School for Food Systems Resilience, organized by Global Diversity Foundation (GDF), via its Global Environments Network (GEN). Alumni of previous Network events have come together to create a space and network for Latin Americans to promote innovation for resilience in our indigenous and local food systems, via trans-disciplinary and peer-to-peer learning approaches.
We are a group of young environmentalists, troubled by the rapid pace of ecosystem change in Latin America, as well as the critical associated loss of biocultural diversity, agrobiodiversity, seeds and soil health. We have crossed the limits of global sustainability, affecting the present production and supply of food, compromising our future. Of 30,000 edible plant species around the world, only 150 are now now widely cultivated and 90% of food energy and protein come from just 15 crops.
As a response to this need, we are creating a Latin American Regional Academy on Food Systems Resilience (ALLSA 2019), which will create a space and an on-going network for young leaders in Latin America who wish to address the challenges, and find solutions, for the sustainability and resilience of indigenous and local food systems. The school will promote innovative processes of collaborative problem-solving based on participatory and horizontal learning approaches for socio-ecological systems
With the help of experts, peer-to-peer learning and mentoring, our goal is to contribute solutions for strengthening and developing truly resilient food systems, where food sovereignty and agro-biodiversity is at the heart of all that we do. By bringing together these inspiring change-makers, we will help reduce the sense of isolation many young environmental leaders often feel, whilst also developing a sense of shared regional and local identities for addressing global food security challenges
