Tanya Kerssen, Program Director

As Program Director, Tanya works closely with each of the Tour Coordinators to conceive, develop and execute our Food Sovereignty Tours. She also conducts and directs research on food sovereignty issues in our destination countries—such as land grabs in Mali and climate change adaptation in Bolivia. She is a passionate advocate of peasants’ rights and food sovereignty and believes that educational travel can build the global movement to transform our food system: “As a student and researcher, I have had several opportunities to experience meaningful travel that has transformed and politicized me. I have seen how the simple act of sharing a meal can be one of the most powerful ways to connect to other people and begin to understand their struggle.” Tanya holds a BA in Global Studies, Spanish and Women’s Studies from the University of Minnesota and is completing an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Having grown up in Montreal, Canada, she speaks French fluently, as well as English and Spanish. In addition to her role as Program Director, she also coordinates and leads trips to Bolivia, Peru, Mexico and West Africa. Contact: tkerssen@foodfirst.org

Articles by Tanya:

• The Road to Progress or the Road to Ruin? – Debating development in Bolivia
• Occupy the Food System! (with Eric Holt-Giménez)
• Selling Honduras Off to the Highest Bidder
• Don’t Touch my Land! Peasant resistance to land grabs in Mali
• Saving Africa’s Seeds
• Egypt and Beyond: Africa and the movement for global democracy
  
• Bolivia: The resurgence of native foods
• Bolivia: The battle for climate justice
• Oil-dependency and Food: Livelihoods at risk

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Zoe Brent, Creative Director/Cuba Program Coordinator

Zoe was Food Sovereignty Tours’ first program director. She began developing the program in early 2010 and led the first Food Sovereignty Tour to Cuba. She recently relocated to Argentina where she is pursuing her Masters in International Relations with an emphasis on Peace and Development at the Universidad del Salvador. She still coordinates our Cuba tour program and in her new role as Creative Director, Zoe draws on her experience owning and managing a graphic design company to help convey the global movement for food sovereignty through image and composition. An avid traveler herself, she strongly believes in the power of experiential education. In 2009, Zoe worked with UC Berkeley (her alma mater) to develop a bilingual study-abroad program focusing on Peace-Building in the Americas. Zoe’s research in recent years focuses on new forms of labor struggle in Argentina and worker and immigrant rights throughout the global food supply chain. She is currently developing a Food Sovereignty Tour of Argentina focusing on these issues.

Articles by Zoe:

• Perils of the Global Soy Trade
• Cuba’s Army of farmers
• Labor, Land and Cooperatives in Cuba
• Hunger, Jobs and Water Wars

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Eva Holt Rusmore, Basque Country Tour Coordinator

Eva is a community activist who works to build leadership and strengthen communities with immigrants, women and youth in anti-violence, public health, antiracism and food movements. She grew up in Nicaragua and has worked and traveled extensively throughout Latin America, Africa and Europe. She is currently working in a community banking program with African immigrants in Lisbon, Portugal and completing an MA in Community Development. Of Basque heritage herself, Eva is excited to be collaborating with the Basque farmers union to coordinate this Food Sovereignty tour.

Articles by Eva:

• Basque Ciderhouses: Community resource and cultural tradition

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Anders Riel Muller, South Korea Tour Coordinator

Anders was born in South Korea and adopted to a family in rural Denmark. Over the years, Anders has worked and lived in Denmark, Canada, the US and now Korea. He was a Food First intern in 2003-2004, during which time he worked with Dr. Raj Patel. Anders holds an MA from Roskilde University where he studied Environmental, Technological and Socio-Economic Planning. He has done research on agricultural trade policy, energy independence, food sovereignty, climate change and other issues related to rural sustainability. Anders’ current work focuses on peasant movements and land reform in Korea. His South Korea Tour in May 2012 will explore these issues.

Articles by Anders:

• South Korea, Part I: Food is key to national Identity…but farmers are left out
• South Korea, Part II: Modernization and global ambitions
• One Island Village’s Struggle for Land, Life and Peace
• Liberalizing the Economy May Crush the Culture of One Small Island

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Céline Porcheron, France Tour Coordinator

A native of France’s Loire Valley, Céline has been active in the sustainable food movement for over 20 years. Having lived in the United States, Brazil, Guatemala, Thailand, and throughout Europe, she is fluent in four languages and an experienced translator. She holds degrees and certificates in Food Science and Technology, Tropical Agronomy and Organic Farming. Céline began her career working for solidarity groups across Europe and subsequently worked with many grassroots organizations internationally such as Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement and Guatemalan women developing small-scale food production enterprises. Upon her return to France, she founded the NGO ANIS Étoilé to promote environmental education, organic agriculture, healthy consumer choices, and food sovereignty. Most recently, Céline studied documentary filmmaking in San Francisco, CA, and will apply these new skills to promoting food sovereignty to a broader audience.

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