Student Session Abstract 1

“Sow What? Shifting narratives and the power of agricultural education initiatives across continents”

Conventional, dominant narratives tell us that food insecurity is an individual, inevitable, and apolitical problem. These narratives return to the argument that increased industrial food production is the solution to adapt to the growing population. Yet, this portrayal simplifies our complex systems and ignores the pasts on which they were built. While multinational corporations promote highly mechanized, intensive, and chemical-heavy agricultural solutions to food insecurity, local communities have embraced a different narrative. 

In Northwestern Tanzania, the community of Nyamuswa is rewriting the methods of production, distribution, and consumption of food through the integration of farming hubs within public schools. These farms not only provide students with lunch, but they also teach lessons of alternative, sustainable methods of farming and equip youth with the knowledge to regain autonomy and agency of their food systems. In the Twin Cities, related youth development and community education programs have emerged over the last few decades, to address these interconnected challenges. Agricultural education is a power tool to equip communities with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to sustainably cultivate nutritious and culturally appropriate foods and take ownership of local food systems.  This roundtable will include a presentation of our experience working with school farm programs in Tanzania, allow us to bring these lessons back to our Twin Cities community through a panel of local agricultural educators, and provide us the space to dream about our food systems together.