Books for Cooks

rming Democracy: racically transforming the food system from the ground up

Today, more than ever, a true understanding of the ethics and obligations of food production and their consequences on the people that make and grow our food is crucial to how we live our lives

There are a growing number of voices seeking to reexamine our food systems; whether it be because of drought, animal welfare, land care, preservation and biodiversity, commercial and industrial pressures, personal health and even importantly - good taste.

A significant voice in the debate is the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance - a farmer led organisation that is working at grass roots levels with farmers, organisations and consumers to determine a better food system where people can create, manage and choose their own food systems.

Farming Democracy is the story of 8 diverse and fascinating small-scale regenerative farmers from around Australia. In telling their stories each farm identifies and illustrates many of the issues they have faced in their quest to establish a fair, democratic, sustainable and resilient food system on their farm.

The farms in this book are as diverse as the food they produce, some with full or partial control of their supply chains, with varying levels of diversity and integration in their models, and at different places in their thinking about the role of growth in their businesses, all thoughtful in their approaches. Two of the families are even transitioning out of a successful life of regenerative farming while maintaining a focus on contributing to a better world in which everyone enjoys an equal right to good food.

There are young farmers just starting out and those who've been at it for up to a decade, and while most are first-generation farmers, some are from multi-generational farms carving out a space for the next generation.

What they all have in common is a commitment to transparency and building a fair food system. They value labour and keeping more farmers on the land, and they have a shared vision that animals should be raised outdoors on grass, not cramped together in huge, stinking sheds or grown in petri dishes in sterile labs.

These are farmers who know the people they feed – they primarily sell directly and are fully accountable to their customers. Some have encountered the barriers that regulation and planning schemes designed for industrialised agriculture create for small-scale farms, and are working together for reform to enable the regenerative farming movement to flourish. They work daily for food sovereignty, supporting peoples’ right to culturally appropriate, nutritious and delicious foods grown in ethical and ecologically-sound ways, and many actively advocate for everyone’s right to determine their own food and agriculture systems.

About our Event

On March 14 2019, we'll be chatting to Tammi Jonas, one of the farmers featured in the book, and the current President of AFSA, about the issues our food system faces and what role consumers can have in this debate.

If you have even a passing interest in Slow Food, Farmers Markets, ethical food production, community supported agriculture, paddock to plate production or even just knowing more about where your food comes from this is guaranteed to be fascinating evening.

As always we'll be providing some 'matched' tastes and a glass of wine to sustain you through what will be a very engaging discussion.

Please join us on Tuesday 27th August!