ABSTRACT
Deepening democracy in the construction of knowledge for food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity depends on further strengthening grassroots research and innovation networks. In sharp contrast, networks of peasant farmers, pastoralists, indigenous peoples, fishers, food workers, forest dwellers and other citizens create knowledge and innovations through self-organizing processes under their control. Constructing knowledge for food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity entails reversing top-down research and the hegemony of scientism, as well as the current privatization of research and commodification of knowledge. Self-organizing grassroots research and innovation networks play an increasingly important role in the practice of the larger social movements working for food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity. Within the larger movements for food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity, pedagogies of hope believe in peoples' ability to make history and transform society. People are involved in a deeply sense-making activity through the co-construction of collective knowledge for food sovereignty, agroecology and biocultural diversity.
