Ecofeminism is an important part of our politics and praxis at ASEED, and this event series has given us the opportunity to fully explore what that means for us as a collective, for those in our network with whom we work closely, and for the food sovereignty movement as a whole. Below is a recap of each event thus far, as well as some resources we have come across. Keep an eye on our events page for more events in this series!
First, we made a zine: Radical Intersectional Ecofeminist Organizing: ASEED Style
As a guiding compass for the public events in this series, ASEED reflected openly about our current ecofeminist practices in this zine. The purpose of this was not to suggest that the methods, how to’s, and ways of working included at ASEED are the only methods of transformative ecofeminist organising. Instead we position ourselves within a realm of multiplicity, possibility and pluriversality; as the Zapatistas say, “a world with many worlds in it”. The purpose of this zine was to share our current framework in the hope that it will inspire and spread into wonderful and varied iterations, all grounded and rooted in ecofeminism.
The zine includes topics such as: exploring how ASEED understands ecofeminism, refusing binaries and embracing diversity, connecting to nature via farming, reclaiming care work, refusing male and capitalist domination, commons and sharing resources, refusing “professionalism” – embracing collective joy, community, and honesty, as well as recipes and examples of our own practices.
We also want this zine to be a resource for others working in this way, so reach out if you would like a copy!
Credits to our friend Lava for the amazing artwork of the zine, check out her work here!
Event #1: Anti-Oppression & Intersectional Ecofeminist Organising Skillshare
The purpose of this event was to gather activists and people involved in social, political and ecological struggles and invite them to share knowledge, learn together and from one another, and build coalitions within our movement(s). We were joined by three other collectives – EYFA, aloti-farm and Papaya Kuir – and together we explored the role of (eco)feminist theory and practice in our grassroots organising, and how an (eco)feminist perspective can help us unite different movements and struggles, something that is becoming increasingly important in our evolving political climate. Much of the discussions and contributions from participants focused on care work and the politics of care, with a strong feeling that how we do our activist work is just as important as why we do it.
Caring for one another, and the world around us, is part of our ecofeminism and food is one of the ways we do this. We ended the evening by sharing a delicious meal in the sun cooked for us by Taste Before You Waste.
Event #2: Farm to Fork: Harvesting Ecofeminist Perspectives
Through storytelling and interacting with the farm, this event was about recognising dispossession from land, accessing healing, resisting through feeding, and queering ecofeminist binaries. It was a collaboration between Mycelia van Hoop, ASEED, and two female-run collectives: Farm to Fork, and Titsout4snacks.
In the morning, we met at the community supported agriculture (CSA) farm Pluk! where storytellers guided engagement with the land, bringing into attention our (lack of) connection to it. Through stories of oppression and resistance read from the plants below, we harvest crops for our own feast along the way. We heard from the experience of farmers on the CSA and discussed the presence and importance of female and gender non-conforming bodies in agriculture. One important take-away was the interconnectedness of oppressed people in the struggle for land, and the deep need to connect to land in spite of the brutality of extractive industries.
In the afternoon at De Sering, Titsout4snacks held the space to discuss feeding your community and the commodification of care in capitalism. We split into small groups to prepare the harvest to eat. As they washed leaves, chopped, and charred, the group asked each prompted each other to question: Who was the last family member of yours to have worked the land? When and why have I lost my connection to land? How can I connect to others in the oppression of my body? What spaces am I kept out of or expected to stay within? Together we listened, pluk’ed, cooked, and ate, to find our place again in this uprooted society.