Do you want to know the history of industrial agriculture and consumer groups?
Basherri Sarea brings together consumer groups and agro-ecological cooperatives in Gipuzkoa. “The group was born wanting consumer groups and cooperatives to connect and help us with each other,” explains Ioana Iñigez Susperregi, a member of the association. The activity of the network groups is based on the distribution of seasonal and local vegetable baskets, valuing the work of the farmer and guaranteeing his rights while offering quality products to the consumer. The travelling exhibition has now been set up to inform the public about existing consumer groups.
Ball that has been growing since World War II
“Consumer groups, agroecology, food sovereignty and similar concepts are widely used today, but what has led us to talk so much about all this lately?” asks Iñigo. The exhibition shows the changes that have taken place in agriculture following the Second World War. “In Europe there were major famines after the war and then the strategy of monocultures and pesticides was launched.” An industrial model was launched on the pretext of feeding as many people as possible. However, it was later seen that people continued to experience hunger and that this strategy in agriculture had other objectives. “That’s where the change took place, the industrialization of agriculture started and that ball was created that has been unstoppable to this day.”
Alternatives to consumer groups
The first consumer groups began to be an opportunity to escape this predominant agricultural industrial model. “The goal of the exhibition is to show street people that consumer groups are more than a fashion, that they are a way to make revolution.” It is important, in his view, to show the public that there are other ways of doing things to turn the hegemony of agro-industry around.
Visitors to the exhibition will therefore immerse themselves not only in the history of agriculture, but also in the history of consumer groups. For the time being, the sample has been exposed in Oiartzun and Hendaia, but the intention of the network is to move. Any interested person can contact them via two routes: info@basherrisarea.eus or by calling 655 70 90 43.
