Present approaches to alleviating poverty, which emphasise publically administered welfare programs, have proven unable to confront the challenges posed by globalization, a system where 'progress' itself generates poverty. This book instead emphasises autonomy and the role of direct action by local communities in developing countries. Given the success of global movements such as Via Campesina, which show the ability of local groups to effectively satisfy their own food needs, Barkin convincingly demonstrates that these strategies could be equally effective in both rural and urban contexts.

This book overturns much of the prevailing thought on development fixes and offers a forward looking means of reducing poverty while addressing the equally important issue of environmental sustainability. Through chapters exploring the history, theory and practice of food sovereignty, as well as outlining the practical steps for its implementation, Barkin demonstrates how it can serve as an excellent vehicle for mobilizing communities against poverty, hunger and environmental destruction.

Vital reading for those interested in poverty, development and contemporary rural and urban environmentalism, Food Sovereignty is will appeal to post-graduates and researchers in sociology, social theory, environmental economics and politics.