scholarly journals Participatory Food Cities: Scholar Activism and the Co-Production of Food Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3548
Author(s):  
Rebecca Sandover

UK food policy assemblages link a broad range of actors in place-based contexts, working to address increasingly distanciated food supply chains, issues of food justice and more. Academic interest in social movements, such as Sustainable Food Cities, has in recent years taken a participatory turn, with academics seeking to foreground the voices of community-based actors and to work alongside them as part of the movement. Bringing together literatures on multiscalar food governance and participatory methods, this paper investigates the intersection of food policy networks via a place-based case study focused on the co-convening of a community acting to co-produce knowledge of household food insecurity in a UK city. By taking a scholar activist approach, this paper sets out how a place-based cross-sectoral food community mobilised collective knowledge and brought together a community of practice to tackle urgent issues of food justice. Drawing from Borras 2016, it will explore how scholar activism requires the blurring of boundaries between thinking and doing in order to both act with, and reflect on, the food movement. The issues of actively driving forward a food network, along with the tensions and challenges that arise, are investigated, whilst also foregrounding the role academics have in linking food policy and praxis via place-based food communities.

Author(s):  
Amanda Rooney ◽  
Helen Vallianatos

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.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan Weissman

AbstractThroughout the USA, urban agriculture is expanding as a manifestation of an emerging American food politics. Through a case study of Brooklyn, New York, I used mixed qualitative research methods to investigate the political possibilities of urban agriculture for fostering food justice. My findings build on the existing alternative food network (AFN) literature by indicating that problematic contradictions rooted in the neoliberalization of urban agriculture limit the transformative possibilities of farming the city as currently practiced in Brooklyn. I suggest that longstanding agrarian questions—concerns over the relationship between agriculture and capitalism and the politics of small-scale producers—are informative for critical interrogation of urban agriculture as a politicization of food.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Goulding ◽  
Rebecca Lindberg ◽  
Catherine Georgina Russell

Abstract BACKGROUND/AIMS: EAT–Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet proposed a diet that integrates nutrition and sustainability considerations, however its affordability is unknown in many country-specific contexts, including Australia. The aim of this study is to develop a healthy and sustainable food basket modelled on the Planetary Health Diet to determine the affordability of the Planetary Health Diet basket across various socio-economic groups, and compare this affordability with a food basket modelled on the typical current diet, in an Australian setting.METHODS: An Australian-specific Planetary Health Diet basket was developed for a reference household (2 adults and 2 children) modelled on the Planetary Health Diet reference diet, and compared to a previously-developed Typical Australian Diet basket. The cost of each food basket was determined by online supermarket shopping surveys in low, medium and high socio-economic areas in each Australian state. Basket affordability was determined for the reference household by comparing the basket cost to disposable income in each socio-economic group in each state. Mann-Whitney U tests then determined if there were significant differences between the median costs and the median affordability of both baskets.RESULTS: The Planetary Health Diet basket was shown to be less expensive and more affordable than the Typical Australian Diet basket nationally, in all metropolitan areas, in all socio-economic groups across Australia (median cost: Planetary Health Diet=AUD$188.21, Typical Australian Diet=AUD$224.36; median affordability: Planetary Health Diet=13%, Typical Australian Diet=16%; p=<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the Planetary Health Diet to be more affordable than the Typical Australian Diet for metropolitan-dwelling Australians.IMPLICATIONS: These results can help to inform public health and food policy aimed at achieving a healthy and sustainable future for all Australians, including reductions in overweight/obesity rates and increased food security.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2156
Author(s):  
Mat Jones ◽  
Sarah Hills

There has been an increasing focus on the potential of city-based initiatives to address the negative impacts of the global food system. Adopting a meso-level policy perspective, this study aimed to explore whether, how, and why the UK non-government organisation led Sustainable Food Cities (SFC) programme has influenced this food agenda at the level of city governance. The research fills a gap in our understanding of the detailed processes through which trans-local food networks influence the capacity of local food partnerships to effect change, sustain themselves, and through a collective effort, to shape the attention of national and international decision-makers. Based on documentary evidence from 29 of the most active member cities and interviews with a purposive selection of stakeholders, the analysis suggests that SFC provided a point of origin for solutions and inspiration on a major and complex issue. However, the absence of a national sustainable food policy framework and little formal national-government recognition of local food governance together with the paucity of funding opportunities threatens the long-term viability of local food partnerships and ultimately places significant constraints on the ability of the programme to effect long-lasting, systemic change.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Bancerz

Globally, we are facing a food system in crisis. Now more than ever, food policies are crucial to the future of food. In Canada, there has never been a national food policy that looked at the food sector holistically. It has traditionally centred on food safety and agriculture, sidestepping many other vital issues. However, between 2010 and 2014, four non-state actors developed national food policy documents. In response to these developments, this study asks: What are some unique characteristics of multistakeholder networks in the policymaking process? To answer this question, the Canadian Food Strategy (CFS) created in 2014 by the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) was used as a case study. This strategy was unique because it involved a range of food policy issues, food policy actors, and had financial support from several key food industry players. Participants in this policy development experiment did not deem this strategy a success regardless of its abundant financial resources, its topic comprehensiveness, and widespread buy-in from food industry, government, and other non-governmental organizations. Semi-structured and elite interviews were used to shed light on why this case was not successful, to extract lessons from this initiative for future food policymaking efforts in Canada. This dissertation integrated wicked policy, governance, policy network, and multistakeholder literature to understand how food policy may be developed and governed in Canada. The study resulted in three key findings. First, food policy in Canada is very complex, exhibiting both tame and wicked qualities. Second, the state must have a significant position in a multistakeholder food governance network (MFGN). Lastly, while the structure of the MFGN and the actors involved in it are important to a network’s successful policy outcome, the CFS initiative revealed that process was fundamental to the outcome.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Bancerz

Globally, we are facing a food system in crisis. Now more than ever, food policies are crucial to the future of food. In Canada, there has never been a national food policy that looked at the food sector holistically. It has traditionally centred on food safety and agriculture, sidestepping many other vital issues. However, between 2010 and 2014, four non-state actors developed national food policy documents. In response to these developments, this study asks: What are some unique characteristics of multistakeholder networks in the policymaking process? To answer this question, the Canadian Food Strategy (CFS) created in 2014 by the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) was used as a case study. This strategy was unique because it involved a range of food policy issues, food policy actors, and had financial support from several key food industry players. Participants in this policy development experiment did not deem this strategy a success regardless of its abundant financial resources, its topic comprehensiveness, and widespread buy-in from food industry, government, and other non-governmental organizations. Semi-structured and elite interviews were used to shed light on why this case was not successful, to extract lessons from this initiative for future food policymaking efforts in Canada. This dissertation integrated wicked policy, governance, policy network, and multistakeholder literature to understand how food policy may be developed and governed in Canada. The study resulted in three key findings. First, food policy in Canada is very complex, exhibiting both tame and wicked qualities. Second, the state must have a significant position in a multistakeholder food governance network (MFGN). Lastly, while the structure of the MFGN and the actors involved in it are important to a network’s successful policy outcome, the CFS initiative revealed that process was fundamental to the outcome.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Goulding ◽  
Rebecca Lindberg ◽  
Catherine Georgina Russell

Abstract Background/Aims EAT–Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet proposed a diet that integrates nutrition and sustainability considerations, however its affordability is unknown in many country-specific contexts, including Australia. The aim of this study is to develop a healthy and sustainable food basket modelled on the Planetary Health Diet to determine the affordability of the Planetary Health Diet basket across various socio-economic groups, and compare this affordability with a food basket modelled on the typical current diet, in an Australian setting. Methods An Australian-specific Planetary Health Diet basket was developed for a reference household (2 adults and 2 children) modelled on the Planetary Health Diet reference diet, and compared to a previously-developed Typical Australian Diet basket. The cost of each food basket was determined by online supermarket shopping surveys in low, medium and high socio-economic areas in each Australian state. Basket affordability was determined for the reference household by comparing the basket cost to disposable income in each socio-economic group in each state. Mann-Whitney U tests then determined if there were significant differences between the median costs and the median affordability of both baskets. Results The Planetary Health Diet basket was shown to be less expensive and more affordable than the Typical Australian Diet basket nationally, in all metropolitan areas, in all socio-economic groups across Australia (median cost: Planetary Health Diet = AUD$188.21, Typical Australian Diet = AUD$224.36; median affordability: Planetary Health Diet = 13%, Typical Australian Diet = 16%; p = < 0.05). Conclusions This study showed the Planetary Health Diet to be more affordable than the Typical Australian Diet for metropolitan-dwelling Australians. Implications These results can help to inform public health and food policy aimed at achieving a healthy and sustainable future for all Australians, including reductions in overweight/obesity rates and increased food security.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Goulding ◽  
Rebecca Lindberg ◽  
Catherine Georgina Russell

Abstract BACKGROUND/AIMS : EAT– Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet proposed a diet that integrates nutrition and sustainability considerations, however its affordability is unknown in many country-specific contexts, including Australia. The aim of this study is to develop a healthy and sustainable food basket modelled on the Planetary Health Diet to determine the affordability of the Planetary Health Diet basket across various socio-economic groups, and compare this affordability with a food basket modelled on the typical current diet, in an Australian setting.METHODS : An Australian-specific Planetary Health Diet basket was developed for a reference household (2 adults and 2 children) modelled on the Planetary Health Diet reference diet, and compared to a previously-developed Typical Australian Diet basket. The cost of each food basket was determined by online supermarket shopping surveys in low, medium and high socio-economic areas in each Australian state. Basket affordability was determined for the reference household by comparing the basket cost to disposable income in each socio-economic group in each state. Mann-Whitney U tests then determined if there were significant differences between the median costs and the median affordability of both baskets.RESULTS : The Planetary Health Diet basket was shown to be less expensive and more affordable than the Typical Australian Diet basket nationally, in all metropolitan areas, in all socio-economic groups across Australia (median cost: Planetary Health Diet=AUD$188.21, Typical Australian Diet=AUD$224.36; median affordability: Planetary Health Diet=13%, Typical Australian Diet=16%; p =<0.05).CONCLUSIONS : This study showed the Planetary Health Diet to be more affordable than the Typical Australian Diet for metropolitan-dwelling Australians.IMPLICATIONS : These results can help to inform public health and food policy aimed at achieving a healthy and sustainable future for all Australians, including reductions in overweight/obesity rates and increased food security.


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