Nyéléni is a vital resource for the international food sovereignty movement, which champions the right of people to healthy, culturally appropriate food produced through sustainable, ecologically sound methods.
Rooted in the principle of food sovereignty as a human right, it empowers small-scale producers, indigenous peoples, and local communities to reclaim control over their food systems, challenging the dominance of global markets and neoliberal policies.
Launched at the 1996 World Food Summit and globally recognized at the 2007 Nyéléni Forum in Mali, this people-centered approach prioritizes locally produced, affordable, and stable food. The movement was further strengthened in 2015 by emphasizing peasant, indigenous, and family agroecology as essential to tackling climate and biodiversity crises. The next major Nyéléni Global Forum is scheduled for 2025 in India.
For nutritionists and dietitians, Nyéléni highlights the critical link between nutrition and food sovereignty, underscoring that adequate nutrition relies on diversified, safe, and culturally relevant diets rooted in local agroecological production. The platform critiques the harmful effects of industrial food systems and neoliberal policies, such as the erosion of traditional diets and the rise of malnutrition and obesity.
Beyond nutrition, Nyéléni promotes food justice, equity, and human rights across food systems, advocating for transparent trade practices that support fair incomes and vibrant local economies. Serving as an educational hub, it shares grassroots experiences and strategies to build sustainable, just food systems worldwide.
The Nyéléni Global Forum fosters collaboration among thousands of grassroots organizations and allied movements—including climate justice, antiracism, health, labor, feminist, and social economy groups—to drive systemic change. Nutrition professionals are encouraged to engage through Food Councils and local partnerships, contributing to a holistic transformation of food systems that integrates ecological sustainability, cultural diversity, social justice, and community empowerment.
updated 2025 June
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