92: Chinampa farming, Nyéléni forum and Nottingham Mill Co-op

This month we hear from a farmer in the Chinampa region outside Mexico City, we then get the lowdown on the recent Nyéléni forum in Sri Lanka, and finally we talk to The Missing Miller who helps run the newly-founded Nottingham Mill co-op. Plus, we want to hear from you as we gather stories from anyone who listened to the Cereal series - please send Farmerama a voice note on +447466301300 telling us who you are, where you are based, and whether the series sparked any change or action, big or small. In this final episode of our Autumn series, we start by speaking to Cassandra Gardano about life farming in the Chinampas in Mexico. The Chinampas – sometimes known as floating farms – are one of the most productive and biodiverse agroecological systems in the world, dating back over 1,500 years. Cassandra tells us about local efforts to preserve traditional farming knowledge through the Etiqueta Chinampera certification, and the vital work Chinampa farmers are doing is to preserve and reintroduce the indigenous species of the area like the axolotl. Next, we speak to Paula Gioia of La Via Campesina, who gives us the low-down on the Nyéléni Forum held earlier this year in Sri Lanka – a global gathering of food sovereignty movements. Paula explains how the forum builds on decades of organising to strengthen solidarity among peasants, fisherfolk, indigenous and pastoralist communities, and how this year’s Kandy Declaration sets out an ambitious shared political agenda for systemic transformation “now and forever.” Finally, we catch up with Emma Shires, who runs The Missing Miller and co-founded the Nottingham Mill Co-op. Emma tells us about how the Nottingham Mill Co-op grew from a shared corner of a bakery into a thriving community grain hub. She also reflects on her business name, The Missing Miller (inspired by our Cereal series) and why rebuilding local milling infrastructure is so important in the UK. We have been totally blown away at how many people have gotten in touch over the last 6 years to share a bit of your story after listening to Cereal, and now we want to hear from you again and see where things are now. Please send Farmerama a voice note on +447466301300 telling us who you are, where you are based, and whether the series sparked any change or action, big or small. The team will also be at ORFC in January. If you're planning on attending and have a Cereal related memory or story to share, let us know and we’ll track you down with a microphone. You can email us on farmeramaradio@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram.