Workshop: Feminist Futures Arus Femia

ARUS FEMIA [Female Rice] is a multidisciplinary project by the artist Zia Soares, inspired by enslaved women of West Africa who, during the transatlantic slave trade, strategically transported rice seeds to the Americas. The Conference aims to reflect on the importance of women’s role in food sovereignty through the preservation of genetic, food, botanical, human and cultural heritage. Rice, by far the most consumed food staple in the world, grows in coastal areas — what will happen if its production declines drastically due to rising sea levels? What will be the consequences for the food security of hundreds of millions? Which migratory movements will result from this drop in productivity? There are genetically adapted rice varieties, but who controls its production? Who can access it and at what expense?