ENGAGE Food Justice Tour 2008

P Nok headed down to Bangkok this morning to catch her flight to the U.S.A

Here is the press release for her tour:

From October 23rd to November 11th, Thanya Sangubon will be touring throughout the United States on the ENGAGE Food Justice Tour 2008. Ms. Sangubon - who goes by P' Nok - will be speaking on topics ranging from sustainable local agriculture to international free and fair trade at a number of campus and community events. She will also be exchanging with bio-fuel cooperatives and local farming initiatives around the country. The Food Justice Tour will take P' Nok through Spartanburg South Carolina, San Francisco, Portland Oregon, and finally Seattle Washington for the United Students for Fair Trade Conference. Please see below for the current
schedule of destinations.

P' Nok is the coordinator of Surin Farmers Support (SFS). SFS is an NGO based in Surin province in the Isaan (Northeast) region of Thailand. Since 1985, SFS has supported local farmers' groups in creating sustainable agriculture and alternative trade relationships. These farmers' groups make up the members of Rice Fund Surin, a Fair Trade certified rice cooperative
that mills, packages and exports organic Jasmine rice. For SFS and Rice Fund, Fair Trade happens both globally and locally, by developing relationships with Fair Trade importers in Europe and the U.S, and organizing the Surin Green Market for the past 5 years.

Working alongside the Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN), SFS also campaigns about the social and environmental impacts of Thailand's trade and agricultural policies, including the potential U.S-Thai Free Trade Agreement and the Thai government's promotion of "green" biofuel crop production. P' Nok is currently involved with a research project on ways to reduce rural community energy consumption and generate sustainable energy alternatives.

P' Nok has focused more recently on expanding Thailand's local food movement, which promotes native plant and vegetable varieties, and builds strong relationships between farmers and consumers. The success of projects like the Surin Green Market and SFS' "Smiley Garbage" urban-rural composting service are important examples of growing support for a local, organic food system.

This tour is coordinated by ENGAGE, the Educational Network for Global and Grassroots Exchage. ENGAGE is a coalition of returned study abroad students that transforms the study abroad experience into lifelong connections and cooperative action between peoples and social movements working toward a just and sustainable world. For more information about ENGAGE, please visit *http://www.engagetheworld.org*

The tour is being sponsored in part by United Students for Fair Trade (USFT) and TransFair USA. For more information about these organizations, please go to *http://usft.org* and *http://transfairusa.org/*

Sincerely,

Amanda Altman
ENGAGE

Food Justice Tour 2008 Coordinator

amanda.altman@gmail.com

*Schedule of destinations*

October 23 – 28: In and around Spartanburg, SC

October 29 – 31: San Francisco, CA

November 1 – 3: Portland, OR

November 4 – 11: Seattle, WA


Follow the tour on the ENGAGE Tour Blog