Food Democracy in Food Systems

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludivine Petetin
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Democracy

Introduction

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aya Hirata Kimura ◽  
Krisnawati Suryanata
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Short History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Food Democracy

This chapter introduces the concept of food democracy through which we can analyze a few initiatives that emerge from discussions on food systems in Hawaii. It also presents a short history of Hawaii’s agro-food systems to contextualize the diverse initiatives discussed in the book. We then provide short synopsis of the subsequent chapters and highlight how they open a space for discussion in multiple venues, such as in the legislative arena and in the market place, while being attentive to the broader challenge posed by neoliberal economic policies.

scholarly journals Finding Our Way to Food Democracy: Lessons from US Food Policy Council Governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 32-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Bassarab ◽  
Jill K. Clark ◽  
Raychel Santo ◽  
Anne Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Collaborative Governance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Food Policy Council ◽  
Structure Relationship ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Food Democracy

Food policy councils (FPCs) are an embodiment of food democracy, providing a space for community members, professionals, and government to learn together, deliberate, and collectively devise place-based strategies to address complex food systems issues. These collaborative governance networks can be considered a transitional stage in the democratic process, an intermediary institution that coordinates interests not typically present in food policymaking. In practice, FPCs are complex and varied. Due to this variety, it is not entirely clear how the structure, membership, and relationship to government of an FPC influence its policy priorities. This article will examine the relationship between an FPC’s organizational structure, relationship to government, and membership and its policy priorities. Using data from a 2018 survey of FPCs in the United States by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future paired with illustrative cases, we find that an FPC’s relationship to government and membership have more bearing on its policy priorities than the organizational structure. Further, the cases illustrate how membership is determined and deliberation occurs, highlighting the difficulty of including underrepresented voices in the process.

scholarly journals Conflicts over GMOs and their Contribution to Food Democracy

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beate Friedrich ◽  
Sarah Hackfort ◽  
Miriam Boyer ◽  
Daniela Gottschlich
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Food System ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Agricultural Futures ◽  
New Breeding Techniques ◽  
Breeding Techniques ◽  
Food Democracy

The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) embodies a specific vision of agricultural systems that is highly controversial. The article focuses on how conflicts over GMOs contribute towards food democracy. Food democracy is defined as the possibility for all social groups to participate in, negotiate and struggle over how societies organize agricultural production, thereby ensuring that food systems fulfil the needs of people and sustain (re)productive nature into the future. EU agricultural policy envisages the coexistence of agricultural and food systems with and without GMOs. This policy, which on the surface appears to be a means of avoiding conflict, has in fact exacerbated conflict, while creating obstacles to the development of food democracy. By contrast, empirical analysis of movements against GMOs in Germany and Poland shows how they create pathways towards participation in the food system and the creation of alternative agricultural futures, thereby contributing to a democratization of food systems and thus of society–nature relations. Today, as products of new breeding techniques such as genome editing are being released, these movements are gaining new relevance.

Food Democracy in Food Systems

2019 ◽  
pp. 1121-1127
Author(s):  
Ludivine Petetin
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Democracy

scholarly journals The COVID-19 Crisis: An Opportunity to Integrate Food Democracy into Post-Pandemic Food Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 326-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludivine PETETIN
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Retail Industry ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
The World ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Food Democracy

The world economy is sliding yet into another recession (having arguably barely recovered from the previous economic downturn) due to the worldwide pressures and tensions created by the COVID-19 pandemic.1 With most countries in the world under lockdown (or in similar situations), almost all food is now consumed in the household. Arguably, agricultural producers and the retail industry appear to be the best placed to weather the storm in order to respond to such a change in demand. However, this is overly simplistic. Recent news of empty shelves in supermarkets whilst dairy farmers have been forced to pour milk down the drain have gone viral.

Counter crimes and food democracy: Suspects and citizens remaking the food system

2018 ◽  
pp. 367-384
Author(s):  
Sue Booth ◽  
John Coveney ◽  
Dominique Paturel
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
System P ◽  
Democratic Principles ◽  
Food Democracy

This chapter acknowledges the concept of food crime within the current global industrialised food system and explores three examples of crimes of consumption. A variety of acts of citizen resistance or ‘counter crimes’ in response to food crime are discussed. Counter crimes can be seen as a spectrum of acts of crime or disobedience, which have used food to make public statements. Both opposition and constructivist politics are employed in counter crime. Constructivist activities are incubators for the emergence of new food systems, while oppositional activities focus on the current food system. Constructivist efforts involve fostering and building different food systems for consumers, underpinned by democratic processes, for example farmer’s markets and community gardens. Actions underpinned by democratic principles, constitute a participatory movement whereby citizens exert some modicum of control over their food system. Collectively known as food democracy, it offers some hope in ‘re-making’ an honest food system.

scholarly journals Advancing food democracy: The potential and limits of food policy positions in local government

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Erika Berglund ◽  
Neva Hassanein ◽  
Paul Lachapelle ◽  
Caroline Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Local Food ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
System Reform ◽  
Policy Positions ◽  
Food Democracy

For several decades, food policy councils (FPCs) have led the effort to place food on local govern­ment policy agendas. While FPCs are making pro­gress in supporting local food systems, they also face institutional and organizational challenges. In recent years, a handful of cities and counties have endeavored to further food system reform with the establishment of full-time government staff posi­tions focused on food policy. As of spring 2020, there were 19 confirmed food policy positions housed in local governments across the United States. While there is considerable literature on FPCs, little research has been published regarding food policy staffing in local governments. Accordingly, this study uses original in-depth inter­views with 11 individuals in municipal or county food policy positions to understand the purpose and function of governmental food policy staff positions and their impact on local food systems. Our findings suggest that these positions help to coordinate and nurture local food programs and policies and have the potential to facilitate mean­ingful participation of individuals and groups in the community in food system reform. We discuss the potential benefits and challenges for governmental food policy positions to support food democracy, and provide the following recom­mendations for communities interested in estab­lishing or strengthening similar positions: (1) iden­tify and coordinate existing opportunities and assets, (2) foster and maintain leadership support, (3) root the work in community, (4) connect with other food policy professionals, and (5) develop a food system vision.

scholarly journals From Short Food Supply Chains to Sustainable Agriculture in Urban Food Systems: Food Democracy as a Vector of Transition

Agriculture ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuna Chiffoleau ◽  
Sarah Millet-Amrani ◽  
Arielle Canard
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Urban Food Systems ◽  
Short Food Supply Chains ◽  
Food Democracy

scholarly journals Editorial: New Perspectives on Food Democracy

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basil Bornemann ◽  
Sabine Weiland
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
The State ◽  
Thematic Issue ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Political Idea ◽  
Food Democracy ◽  
Empirical Analyses

<div>With the overall intention of stimulating the debate on food democracy, this thematic issue aims to shed fresh light on the complex relationship between food and democracy in different contexts. New theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses are presented that explore, sharpen, question, and expand the potential of food democracy as both, an analytical lens onto the state and development of contemporary food systems, and as a political idea for transforming the dominant agri-industrial food system. In this editorial to the thematic issue “New Perspectives on Food Democracy,” we briefly recapitulate the existing debate on food democracy, explain the goals and overarching questions of the thematic issue and provide an overview of the assembled articles.</div>

scholarly journals Food Policy Councils as Loci for Practising Food Democracy? Insights from the Case of Oldenburg, Germany

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 48-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelie Sieveking
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Deliberative Process ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Food Policy Councils ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Food Democracy

In the highly concentrated and consolidated 21st century food systems, a broad range of stakeholders are rarely involved in food-related decision-making processes. One innovative institutional response is the establishment of food policy councils (FPCs). These institutions are often initiated by civil society actors and seek to transform prevailing agro-industrial food systems. They aim to raise awareness for alternative practises of food consumption and production, and they try to shape food policies at different governance levels. FPCs have been acclaimed for their democratic potential in the past. This study uses the five key dimensions of food democracy identified by Hassanein (2008) to assess the ways in which FPCs might represent loci for practising food democracy. This is achieved by taking one of the first FPCs in Germany as an example. During a two-year study period (2016–2018), the emergence of the FPC Oldenburg was studied through participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Data analysis reveals examples of, as well as challenges related to, all five dimensions of food democracy. In addition, the in-depth analysis of the case also illustrates the importance of taking additional aspects into account, i.e., openness and transparency. Looking at an additional dimension of food democracy, which covers the “How?” of the deliberative process, might allow for a more nuanced analysis of the democratic potential of food initiatives in the future.

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