The United Nations Development Programme is currently forming a ‘Conscious Food Systems Alliance” with organizations in the fields of mindfulness, regenerative agriculture, ethical food trade, and Indigenous Peoples rights & knowledge. One Resilient Earth was invited to take part, co-design and help facilitate this participatory process.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) sees the Conscious Food Systems Alliance as ‘an exploration of the role of consciousness and the potential of proven approaches such as mindfulness, somatic transformation, systems leadership, Indigenous and feminine wisdoms to advance sustainability. Fundamentally, it investigates how helping us reconnect with ourselves, each other and nature can build the inner foundations – mindsets, values and skills – for the actions and outcomes our society and planet needs’. The project focuses on the food and agricultural commodities system.
One Resilient Earth has been participating in dialogues with other contributors and allies, and co-facilitated a workshop on the role and possible contribution of a wide community of purpose and practice to actualize and/or expand ‘conscious food systems.’ Many fascinating and critical questions remain open today, including: how can we define ‘conscious’ by learning from a variety of cultural traditions? who needs to become conscious in the food system? how and by whom should consciousness be taught? how can we measure the impacts on individuals, communities and ecosystems of a more conscious relationship to the world, starting with our food systems?
We’ll keep you posted about the progress of the alliance.