scholarly journals Market Dependency as Prohibitive of Agroecology and Food Sovereignty—A Case Study of the Agrarian Transition in the Scottish Highlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1927
Author(s):  
Elise Wach
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scottish Highlands ◽  
Agrarian Transition

While there have been calls amongst the more ‘political’ or ‘radical’ agroecology and food sovereignty advocates for a break from capitalist food systems, conceptualisations of capitalism, and thus counter-capitalism, vary widely. The movements have largely presented small-scale producers and peasants as alternatives to industrial food systems, and have focused on reducing input dependency as a path towards autonomy of producers and the realisation of agroecological food systems. An alternative to this approach is presented here through applying Ellen M. Wood’s conceptualisation of capitalism as characterised by ‘market dependency’ to the case of the agrarian transition in the Scottish Highlands. This article demonstrates the specific ways in which market dependency, including for agricultural outputs, not just inputs, leads to a divergence from agroecological food systems. It argues that identifying ‘market dependency’ as a defining characteristic of capitalism could strengthen and refine the focus of agroecology and food sovereignty movements.

scholarly journals Peasants’ Transnational Mobilization for Food Sovereignty in La Vía Campesina

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delphine Thivet
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
National Level ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Rural Workers ◽  
Global Institutions ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Food Activism ◽  
La Via Campesina

This paper examines how small farmers and landless rural workers have developed new modes of food activism at the transnational level. It explores in particular how the international peasant movement La Vía Campesina advocates and seeks to build – through the concept of the “food sovereignty” – an alternative frame for food production and distribution enabling communities and people to determine at the local/national level their own food systems. Based on a multi-sited fieldwork including participant observations and interviews with organizations’ members from three different countries involved in La Vía Campesina (France, Brazil and India), my study analyses the various and unstable definitions of the concept of “food sovereignty” in the movement. It examines the process of adding new meanings to its definition according to its circulation across different scales and specific cultural and geographical contexts, its attempted legal translations, and its local reconfigurations in sometimes nationalistic and protectionist ways. The aim is first to show how the demand for “food sovereignty” has emerged at the international level so as to reframe politically global food relations and compete with a more technical response to world hunger promoted by global institutions - the notion of “food security”. The paper then traces the various strategies used by La Vía Campesina’s activists to legitimize and promote their cause, trying to make small-scale farmers “visible” – both in international and national public arenas – and recognized as those assuming a leading role in food production throughout the world. Finally, it addresses the way the food sovereignty framework catalyzes social mobilization across borders by constituting transnational interests and provides to marginalized social agents in the countryside a conceptual frame for making sense of the process of dispossession from the means of production they have been undergoing since the early 1980s.

Gender, biodiversity and food sovereignty in the ecosystems of Alto Mayo, Poster, Rioja, San Martín -The case of the peasant Carolina Ocampo Soplac

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-17
Author(s):  
Rider PANDURO-MELENDEZ ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Peasant Family ◽  
San Martín

This document is based on a case study of small-scale peasant agriculture and in this case linked to a peasant woman who is a conservator of biodiversity; It was carried out in the district of Cartel, province of Rioja, department of San Martín, Upper Amazon of Peru. Open and semi-structured interviews were conducted and direct observations were made of the various activities that this peasant family, which exists on its family farms, with tours of each of its plots that it has on its plots, with the aim of recording on -site information regarding to the diversity that they collect, conserve, the uses and destinations that this diversity has, concentrating on the value of diversity that is oriented to the market and food security; Data from diversified production, production volumes, values to each of them and the destinations of production for food security were analyzed; confirming their resilience, adaptation and mitigation to the disorders of the contexts that currently appear. Keywords. Accompaniment, Peasant Woman, In situ, Food Security, Diversity and Local Markets

scholarly journals Uncovering hidden urban bounty: A case study of Hidden Harvest

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-32
Author(s):  
Chloé Poitevin DesRivières
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Private Lands ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Social Environmental

Urban food systems primarily rely on foods grown in rural spaces, and often face challenges in creating spaces to grow fresh, healthful and affordable food in cities. Urban food harvest organizations aim to overcome these challenges by locating and harvesting food that already exists in cities on the numerous fruit- and nut-bearing trees located on public and private lands. Hidden Harvest is a leading initiative for urban fruit and nut harvesting in Canada, and unique in its for-profit social enterprise model. The organization aims to legitimize and support the practice of harvesting fruits and nuts in urban areas, and provides a means to increase access to—and availability of—fresh, healthful foods hyper-locally in Ottawa, as people harvest from their own (or nearby) neighborhoods. This field report examines the challenges and opportunities faced by Hidden Harvest in attempting to link multiple social, environmental and economic goals relating to food sovereignty, social justice and ecological sustainability. In particular, the organization seeks to establish a self-sustaining business model through innovative solutions and the development of networks with local food processes, food organizations and businesses, which enables Hidden Harvest to grow and develop distinct ties and relationships in Ottawa. This case study reveals how organizations such as Hidden Harvest use food to enhance and tie together local economies, knowledge, food security and community well-being.

scholarly journals Community Orchards for Food Sovereignty, Human Health, and Climate Resilience: Indigenous Roots and Contemporary Applications

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1533
Author(s):  
Sarah Taylor Lovell ◽  
Jann Hayman ◽  
Hannah Hemmelgarn ◽  
Andrea A. Hunter ◽  
John R. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
The Us ◽  
Valuable Role

Community orchards could play a valuable role as nature-based solutions to complex challenges we face today. In these unique plantings, a variety of nut- and fruit-producing trees and berry shrubs are often established together on public spaces to provide the community with healthy, fresh food. Interest in these plantings has been increasing in the United States, even more so since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted vulnerabilities in our food systems. However, the roots of community orchards can be traced back to Indigenous foodways which have persisted for millennia. Then and now, community orchards support an array of functions, positioning them to contribute to solutions to major challenges related to food security, human health, and climate resilience. In this paper, contemporary applications are considered for Indigenous communities in the US that seek to care for their communities and the environment. A case study of the Osage Orchard project in Pawhuska, OK, USA, highlights the value of reconnecting with cultural foods and practices of Osage ancestors, to meet the needs and preferences of a contemporary Indigenous community.

scholarly journals Where do "localphiles" shop?: A mixed-methods case study of food-buying habits

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Emily McKee
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Regional Food ◽  
Mixed Methods Case Study ◽  
Regional Food Systems ◽  
Attitude Behavior ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Why, with local food’s rising popularity, do small-scale farmers report declining sales? This study used a mix of survey and interview methods to examine the priorities and buying habits of food shoppers in one midsized, lower-income metro­politan area of the U.S. Midwest. The study focuses on individual consumers’ decision-making because it aims to be useful, in particular, to small-scale farmers and advocates of their participation in local and regional food systems. Among shoppers’ stated priorities, the survey found broad support for local food and relatively low competition be­tween price and local origin as purchasing priori­ties. However, findings also show an attitude-behavior gap, with only a limited increase in ten­dency among self-defined “local” shoppers to purchase from locally oriented venues. As explana­tion for this attitude-behavior gap, survey and interview data point to differential definitions of “local food” and situational barriers (primarily inconvenience and lack of variety) preventing shoppers from buying local food. One factor off­setting these barriers was past experience growing one’s own food. Study findings are used to identify particular avenues for intervention by farmers, eaters, and other food systems builders to broaden access to local food through adjustments to mar­keting strategies, better alignment of wholesale outlets’ practices with the priorities of farmers and eaters, and improved public education about the food system.

scholarly journals Towards Territorially Embedded, Equitable and Resilient Food Systems? Insights from Grassroots Responses to COVID-19 in Italy and the City Region of Rome

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2425
Author(s):  
Simona Zollet ◽  
Luca Colombo ◽  
Paola De De Meo ◽  
Davide Marino ◽  
Steven R. McGreevy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Alternative Food Networks ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
System Transformation ◽  
City Region ◽  
The Face ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The City

The negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have further exposed and exacerbated the structural weaknesses and inequalities embedded in the global industrial agri-food system. While the mainstream narrative continues to emphasise the importance of ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of global supply chains to counter COVID-related disruptions, the pandemic has also highlighted the resilience of small-scale, sustainable family farming and of spatially and socially embedded food systems. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of three surveys, this study examines organic and agroecological farmers’ responses to the first COVID-related lockdown (March–May 2020) in Italy, as well as the responses of grassroots alternative food networks (AFN) in the city region of Rome. The results show how local grassroots action played a significant role in ensuring food access, provisioning, and distribution, often in the face of delayed or insufficient action of mainstream food system actors and institutions. These grassroots responses identify opportunities and barriers for agri-food system transformation away from neoliberal, market-based interventions and towards policies that support food sovereignty and democracy in the context of localised, agroecology-based and more resilient agri-food systems.

Evidence of Degrowth Values in Food Justice in a Northern Canadian Municipality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Rooney ◽  
Helen Vallianatos
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Food Justice ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Holistic Model ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Knowledge ◽  
Holistic Understanding

Our case study draws on emerging ideas of degrowth, showing how degrowth values and strategies may emerge where cities rely heavily on global food systems, and contributes to literature on food for degrowth in local contexts. Degrowth rejects the imperative of economic growth as a primary indicator of social wellness. A holistic understanding of wellness prescribes radical societal transformation, downscaling and decreasing consumption, strengthening community relationships and promoting resilience. Building on Bloemmen et al. (2015), we apply a holistic model of degrowth in a small-scale context, embedded within larger capitalist economies, to examine degrowth opportunities and constraints in Edmonton, Canada. Emergent themes in interviews reveal opportunities and challenges for local food for degrowth, by altering local food supplies, reducing food waste and decreasing consumption. We explore the role of social relationships in food justice work, increasing food knowledge, and building capacity for local, sustainable food production.

scholarly journals Envisioning the Future of European Food Systems: Approaches and Research Priorities After COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Vittuari ◽  
Giovanni Bazzocchi ◽  
Sonia Blasioli ◽  
Francesco Cirone ◽  
Albino Maggio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
City Region ◽  
Research And Innovation

The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the fragility of food sovereignty in cities and confirmed the close connection urban dwellers have with food. Although the pandemic was not responsible for a systemic failure, it suggested how citizens would accept and indeed support a transition toward more localized food production systems. As this attitudinal shift is aligned with the sustainability literature, this work aims to explore the tools and actions needed for a policy framework transformation that recognizes the multiple benefits of food systems, while considering local needs and circumstances. This perspective paper reviews the trends in production and consumption, and systematizes several impacts emerged across European food systems in response to the first wave of pandemic emergency, with the final aim of identifying challenges and future strategies for research and innovation toward the creation of resilient and sustainable city/region food systems. The proposal does not support a return to traditional small-scale economies that might not cope with the growing global population. It instead stands to reconstruct and upscale such connections using a “think globally act locally” mind-set, engaging local communities, and making existing and future citizen-led food system initiatives more sustainable. The work outlines a set of recommended actions for policy-makers: support innovative and localized food production, training and use of information and communication technology for food production and distribution; promote cross-pollination among city/region food systems; empower schools as agents of change in food provision and education about food systems; and support the development of assessment methodologies and the application of policy tools to ensure that the different sustainability dimensions of the food chain are considered.

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