Baha’i Engagement in Food Sovereignty Action and Discourse: 1844 to 2024

Bahá'í engagement in social action and public discourse related to agriculture and food systems was initiated by the Central Figures of the Faith during their lifetimes. The principles and activities They promoted were put into practice in several Bahá'í villages, including 'Adasiyyih, which became a model community in Jordan under the guidance of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. This presentation will highlight historic and current learning from Bahá'í individuals, organizations, and communities who have made significant contributions to agriculture, through practical development activities and discourse.

  • Paul John Hanley

    Paul Hanley has authored seven books and 1600 articles on agriculture and environmental themes, including the award-winning book Eleven (2014). His biography of Richard St. Barbe Baker, Man of the Trees (2018), featured a foreword by HRH Prince Charles (King Charles III) and an introduction by Jane Goodall. Paul is a recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Food System Vision 2050 Prize and the ABS Award for Distinguished Scholarship.

  • Karen Mapusua

    Karen Mapusua is President of IFOAM-Organics International, the global umbrella body for the organic agriculture movement. She also serves as Director of the Land Resources Division of the Pacific Community which provides technical and scientific support the Pacific Island countries & territories on all aspects of agriculture and forestry. She has experience in NGO capacity building and management and has worked in rural development in the Pacific Region for close to 26 years.

  • Dawn Egerton

    Dawn Egerton is a retired community college art and design instructor. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania she found nature as an inspiration for pursuing her interests in both art and agriculture. In addition to serving on a number of Bahá'í committees and institutions, she has been a member of the NAACP for over forty years. Since 2019 Dawn has served as point person for the Agriculture Working Group of ABS.

-

48th Annual Conference

The views expressed in this recording are those of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the views of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, nor the authoritative explications of Bahá’í writings.