Abstract: “Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems”. The organic movement developed and led by farmers who wanted to change the relation between consumer/citizen and producers, with an explicit critique to the distribution model that was affirming at that time and dominant today. The complete distance between consumers and producers had strongly weakened, if not eliminated, the role of producers in food consumption. The producer is substituted by a product without any local reference, coming from the “world market”. In this sense the meeting between organic and food sovereignty movements is natural, as both movements fight for consumer and producer rights to access to high quality, cultural adequate and sustainable food. The main idea common to organic farming and food sovereignity movements is the right to choose the model of production by both farmers and consumers, that cannot be imposed by multinational companies of agrochemicals and great food retailers through initiative of “green washing”. The need of getting back peoples’ rights as the centre of the organic model, determines also the need for a new food distribution model, as food not be considered just a commodity. This paper is organised in 3 different sections: starting from analysing experiences of new distribution models in Italy led by farmers (individuals and organised), in section 1, the/ paper will propose public polices to support those experiences. Finally, an action plan for new models of distribution at European level will be proposed.

Contribution to the 3rd International Degrowth Conference for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity in Venice in 2012.