Olivier De Schutter says “I was for six years UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food. I have been working on food issues for about ten years and I came to impose myself, finally, three rules.
The first is to consume local as much as possible and I am a member of a CSA (GASAP) in Brussels in support of peasant agriculture.
The second rule is, for tropical products, to focus on fair trade, which pays fairly the producers and enable the communities around them to develop social projects.
Finally, the third rule is to favor fresh products that are cooked at home rather than processed, ultra-processed products. It’s the best way to eat while staying healthy.”
Why choose to be an Open Food Network Ambassador?
“I am very proud to be an Open Food Network Ambassador. For me, the Open Food Network is an essential tool because it enables the different eaters of a given territory or community, to connect and build initiatives together.
It helps connect these eaters directly with local producers, enabling them to support the emergence of local agrifood systems.
This virtual highway is a common resource, using the potential of digital media to connect these communities of eaters and farmers – working together for food sovereignty. It’s absolutely essential for these alternative systems to develop. This tool enables everyone to contribute to fill in information, that can be used to grow this virtual community, gathering connections and strength until finally it is the new mainstream agri-food system.”