We are a diverse, and hopefully “interesting” group of five people living in China. Two of us are a married couple from Argentina (Ignacio from Buenos Aires Natalia from Mendoza) that have been living in Nanjing for nearly a year (since 2009) studying economics and food production systems. The other three of us are another Husband and Wife team and a two and a half year old Daughter. The Wife Sandy is from China and the Husband Eric, who has been living in Asia (Shanghai) for nearly six years is from New York. Not only has he been living here, but he’s spent a lot of time traveling/backpacking around and studying the region in general (especially almost all of S.E. Asia).

In a relatively short time and with the initiatives we’ve started, we have established a cohesive, highly dynamic and amazingly focused global “network” of individuals and group initiatives/projects that are dedicated to creating and building what we call NPCs (New Paradigm Communities).

Through the World Food Sovereignty Project we’ve traveled to Cambodia to consult with government agencies on the concepts of “Food Sovereignty” and how they differ and contrast the out-dated ideas and goals of “Food Security”. Although it’s really difficult to gauge, hopefully we’ve made some impact on many minds here in China. However, Argentina has now emerged as a place where we have committed to join and work with others towards creating a community that is far different from what we see in the more traditional communities of today.

This project has really come together there thanks in large to our friend and partner Diego Adamson. Alongside his non-profit Protagonos, we are planning a major event/festival that will be held in Buenos Aires in September of 2012. As well, we will be establishing a number of more traditionally structured businesses and projects that will serve two functions. ONE, being to assist traditional communities and institutions develop in a more sustainable and balanced manner and TWO… being to “feed” the NPC(s) with the resources (including funding) it will need to propel it towards self-sustainability and closed loop production consumption systems and cycles.