scholarly journals Crossing Sociological, Ecological, and Nutritional Perspectives on Agrifood Systems Transitions: Towards a Transdisciplinary Territorial Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Lamine ◽  
Danièle Magda ◽  
Marie-Josèphe Amiot
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Alternative Food Systems ◽  
Environment And Health ◽  
Agrifood System ◽  
The Social ◽  
Territorial Approach ◽  
Reflexive Analysis ◽  
Analytical Frameworks ◽  
System Approaches

The need to reconnect agriculture, environment, food, and health when addressing agrifood system transitions is widely acknowledged. However, most analytical frameworks, especially in the expanding literature about “system approaches”, rely on impact-based approaches and, thus, tend to overlook ecological processes as well as social ones. This article aims at demonstrating that a territorial approach to agrifood system transitions is more appropriate to tackle the reconnection between agriculture, food, environment, and health than the larger scales (global or national food systems) or the smaller ones (such as those of alternative food systems) usually addressed in the literature. Co-elaborated by a sociologist, an ecologist, and a nutritionist, this article is based on a focused analysis of the literature that has addressed agrifood system transitions in the food and health sciences and in the social sciences and on the reflexive analysis of two past projects dealing with such transitions. It shows that a territorial approach allows including in the analysis the diverse agrifood systems’ components as well the ecological and social processes that may create functionalities for improving agrifood systems’ sustainability. This territorial approach is based on systemic and processual thinking and on a transdisciplinary perspective combining an objectification stance and a pragmatist constructivist one. It should allow actors and researchers to build a shared understanding of the transition processes within their shared territorial agrifood system, despite possibly different and diverging views.

“Workarounds and Roadblocks”: Risk and Resistance among Food Movement Activists

2020 ◽  
pp. 232949652096562
Author(s):  
Andrew Raridon ◽  
Tamara L. Mix ◽  
Rachel L. Einwohner
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Southern Plains ◽  
Alternative Food Systems ◽  
Regional Food ◽  
The Social ◽  
Regional Food Systems ◽  
Food Movement

This article examines how activists involved in the food movement use different tactics intended to challenge and subvert the agrifood structures they encounter. We use data from interviews and participant observations with 57 food movement activists operating in less robust alternative food systems throughout the Southern Plains states of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Our respondents describe how they interpret their regional food systems as deliberately restrictive to the food movement and explain some of the tactical choices they make to maneuver around various constraints they claim hinder their food movement activism. In actively resisting the agricultural status quo, we find that some activists knowingly engage in forms of high-risk activism. We then examine the different framing devices food movement activists use to explain the risks generated by their tactical workarounds. Our findings contribute to the social movements and food system literature by showing how activists interpret and justify the risks generated by their resistance and by emphasizing the contextual nature of tactical choices and risk in social movement activism.

scholarly journals Alternative Agri-Food Systems Under a Market Agencements Approach: The Case of Multifunctional Farming Activity in a Peri-Urban Area

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Maria Cecilia Mancini ◽  
Filippo Arfini ◽  
Federico Antonioli ◽  
Marianna Guareschi
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Alternative Food ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Alternative Food Networks ◽  
Alternative Food Systems ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Trade Offs

(1) Background: A large body of literature is available on the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of alternative food systems, but not much of it is devoted to the dynamics underlying their design and implementation, more specifically the processes that make an alternative food system successful or not in terms of its sustainability aims. This gap seems to be particularly critical in studies concerning alternative food systems in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). This paper explores how the design and implementation of multifunctional farming activity in a peri-urban area surrounding the city of Reggio Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy impact the achievement of its sustainability aims. (2) Methods: The environmental, social, and economic components of this project are explored in light of the sociology of market agencements. This method brings up the motivations of the human entities involved in the project, the role played by nonhuman entities, and the technical devices used for the fulfillment of the project’s aims. (3) Results: The alternative food system under study lacked a robust design phase and a shared definition of the project aims among all the stakeholders involved. This ended in a substantial mismatch between project aims and consumer expectations. (4) Conclusions: When a comprehensive design stage is neglected, the threefold aim concerning sustainability might not be achievable. In particular, the design of alternative food systems must take into account the social environment where it is intended to be put in place, especially in UPA, where consumers often live in suburban neighborhoods wherein the sense of community is not strong, thus preventing them from getting involved in a community-based project. In such cases, hybridization can play a role in the sustainability of alternative food networks, provided that some trade-offs occur among the different components of sustainability—some components of sustainability will be fully achieved, while others will not.

scholarly journals Toward Sociocultural Indicators of Sustainable Healthy Diets

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7226
Author(s):  
Jill Nicholls ◽  
Adam Drewnowski
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Sustainable Diets ◽  
The Social ◽  
Healthy Diets ◽  
Development Goals

Balancing the social, economic and environmental priorities for public health is at the core of the United Nations (UN) approaches to sustainable development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The four dimensions of sustainable diets are often presented as health, society, economics, and the environment. Although sustainable diet research has focused on health and the environment, the social and economic dimensions of sustainable diets and food systems should not be forgotten. Some research priorities and sociocultural indicators for sustainable healthy diets and food systems are outlined in this report. The present goal is to improve integration of the social dimension into research on food and nutrition security.

Paul and Sacred Space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorunn Økland
Keyword(s):  
Sacred Space ◽  
New Materialism ◽  
Sacred Spaces ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
House Churches ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Structural ◽  
Central Argument ◽  
Paul's Letters ◽  
Analytical Frameworks

This chapter analyses the terms with which Paul of Tarsus designates various sacred spaces—hieron, naos, eidoleion, ekklesia—in conversation with the archaeology of sacred spaces, research on the Pauline house churches, and with the help of theories of space, new materialism, and the sacred. The chapter starts with an introduction of the analytical frameworks and ends with ideas about ‘monumentalization’: that the social-structural relations between people in a sacred space tended to materialize over time into purpose-built buildings—hence the double meanings of synagogue, ekklesia, and hieron as designations both of assemblies and later of the buildings accommodating the respective assemblies. A central argument is that Paul’s letters constitute a special case in the development of the early Christian ekklesia and the parallel development of the synagogue, because in Paul’s time the temple in Jerusalem was still standing and was a self-evident part of his religious universe.

Theories of the food insecurity ‘problem’ and the right to food ‘solution’

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Lambie-Mumford
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Acceptability ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Right To Food ◽  
The Social ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right ◽  
Sufficient Food

Chapter 3 sets out the key theories with which the book engages: food insecurity and the human right to food. Following on from a conceptualisation and definition of food insecurity, the right to food is introduced. Emphasis is placed on normative element of ‘adequacy and sustainability of food availability and access’ and on the state’s obligation to ‘respect, protect and fulfil the right to food’. Theories of ‘othering’ and ‘agency’ are employed to assess the social acceptability of emergency food systems as a means of acquiring food, and the power of providers to make sufficient food available through these systems and of potential recipients to access it. Theories of ‘care’ and ‘social protection’ are employed to explore the ways in which charitable providers are in practice taking responsibility for the duty to respect, protect and fulfil the right to food and how shifts in welfare policy are affecting need for this provision.

scholarly journals Nonhuman Animal Rights, Alternative Food Systems, and the Non-Profit Industrial Complex

PhaenEx ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Lee Wrenn
Keyword(s):  
Animal Rights ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Nonhuman Animal ◽  
Alternative Food ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Alternative Food Systems ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Nonhuman Animals

Alternative food systems (namely the humane product movement) have arisen to address societal concerns with the treatment of Nonhuman Animals in food production. This paper presents an abolitionist Nonhuman Animal rights approach (Francione, 1996) and critiques these alternative systems as problematic in regards to goals of considering the rights or welfare of Nonhuman Animals. It is proposed that the trend in social movement professionalization within the structure of a non-profit industrial complex will ultimately favor compromises like “humane” products over more radical abolitionist solutions to the detriment of Nonhuman Animals. This paper also discusses potential compromises for alternative food systems that acknowledge equal consideration for Nonhuman Animals, focusing on grassroots veganism as a necessary component for consistency and effectiveness.

scholarly journals Educação ambiental e em saúde com escolares: outros rumos para a enfermagem [Environmental and health education for schoolchildren: other directions for nursing] [Educación ambiental y en salud con estudiantes: otros rumbos para la enfermería]

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. e26182
Author(s):  
Crystiane Ribas Batista Ribeiro ◽  
Vera Maria Saboia ◽  
Donizete Vago Daher ◽  
Fabiana Ferreira Koopmans
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Knowledge Construction ◽  
Scientific Production ◽  
Health Educators ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Environment And Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
Systematic Knowledge

Objetivo: sintetizar a produção científica sobre educação ambiental com escolares estabelecendo uma interface com a saúde humana. Método: estudo de revisão integrativa da literatura, realizado em 2016, que contemplou as bases de dados: LILACS, SciELO, MEDLINE, BDENF e PubMed, Resultados: foram examinados 11 artigos científicos publicados no período de 2012-2016. Evidenciou-se a educação ambiental atrelada à possibilidade de transformação e mudança de comportamento, ressaltando-se a perspectiva social/cívica. Identificou-se ainda que os escolares possuem conhecimento sistematizado sobre meio ambiente no tocante a sua preservação, porém sem associação com a saúde. Além disso, não foi observada preocupação dos estudantes em relacionar questões de saúde ao contexto em que estão inseridos. Conclusão: tendo em vista a responsabilidade do enfermeiro como agente educador em saúde em nível planetário, salienta-se a necessidade de projetos socioambientais que articulem a relação homem/ambiente/saúde de modo que a construção do saber seja colaborativa, extensiva à escola, família e comunidade local. ABSTRACTObjective: to summarize the scientific production on environmental education for schoolchildren establishing an interface with human health. Method: this integrative literature review was conducted in 2016 in the LILACS, SciELO, MEDLINE, BDENF and PubMed databases. Results: review of 11 articles published between 2012 and 2016 revealed environmental education linked to the possibility of transformation and behavioral change, and highlighting the social/civic perspective. Schoolchildren were also found to have systematic knowledge about the environment as to preservation, but unassociated with health. In addition, the schoolchildren were unconcerned to relate health issues to the context in which they occur. Conclusion: in view of nurses’ responsibility as health educators planet-wide, there is a clear need for socio-environmental projects that interrelate humankind, environment and health in such a manner that the knowledge construction is collaborative, and involves school, family and local community.RESUMENObjetivo: sintetizar la producción científica sobre educación ambiental con estudiantes estableciendo una interfaz con la salud humana. Método: estudio de revisión integrativa de literatura, realizado en 2016, que contempló las bases de datos LILACS, SciELO, MEDLINE, BDENF y PubMed. Resultados: se examinaron 11 artículos científicos publicados en el período 2012-2016. Se evidenció la educación ambiental vinculada a la posibilidad de transformación y cambio de comportamiento, resaltando la perspectiva social/cívica. Se identificó además que los estudiantes poseen conocimiento sistematizado sobre medio ambiente en cuanto a su preservación, pero sin asociación con la salud. Además, no se observó una preocupación por parte de los estudiantes en relacionar cuestiones de salud con el contexto en que están insertados. Conclusión: teniendo en cuenta la responsabilidad del enfermero como agente educador en salud a nivel planetario, se resalta la necesidad de proyectos socioambientales que articulen la relación hombre/ambiente/salud de modo que la construcción del saber sea colaborativa, extensiva a la escuela, la familia y la comunidad local. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2017.26182

Environment and Health Research in China: The State of the Field

2013 ◽  
Vol 214 ◽  
pp. 255-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Holdaway
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Science ◽  
International Collaboration ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Environment And Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
Recent Developments

AbstractIn the context of this symposium, this article reviews social science research in the emerging field of environment and health in China, with a particular focus on the impacts of pollution. It begins with a discussion of the particular nature of China's environment-related health problems, distinguishing the different challenges presented by diseases of poverty, affluence and transition. It then reviews recent developments in policy and civil society with regard to environment and health, and the extent to which work in the social sciences has advanced our knowledge of these and of state–society interactions. The article concludes with some reflections on the need for and challenges of interdisciplinary and international collaboration in this area.

Introduction

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Hope Alkon ◽  
Julie Guthman
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Alternative Food ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Political Transformation ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Alternative Food Systems ◽  
Race And Class ◽  
To Come ◽  
Economic Inequalities

This chapter argues that food activists need to look beyond the politics of their plates to engage with broader questions of racial and economic inequalities, strategy and political transformation. It grounds the examples that follow in two ongoing scholarly debates. The first regards the role of inequalities, particularly of race and class, in shaping past and present industrial and alternative food systems. The second looks to strategies and tactics. While some have argued that the provision of relatively apolitical alternatives to industrial food systems lays the groundwork for transformative change, the editors of this volume urge activists to follow those profiled in this book towards more cooperative, oppositional and collective strategic choices. The introduction ends with an overview of the chapters to come.

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