For the capitalist way of organizing people and nature, food is nothing but a commodity. Any mean... more For the capitalist way of organizing people and nature, food is nothing but a commodity. Any meaningful transformation of the dominant food system must thus be based on the decommodification and liberation of food and all the elements that make food systems possible (labour, land, seeds, etc.). The notions of commons and commoning can be allies in this journey, helping different anti-capitalist fights to converge and avoid corporate cooptation.
Federal food assistance in the USA is an agglomeration of programs, the legacy of charitable and ... more Federal food assistance in the USA is an agglomeration of programs, the legacy of charitable and needs-based approaches that have been in place since the 1930s. Moving toward a rights-based approach would overcome many of the problems of these programs, such as the stigma attached to receiving assistance, the fragmentation of different programs with different eligibilities and the disconnect between monitoring and strategies to reduce food insecurity. Although the USA has not accepted its obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the right to adequate food and nutrition, steps can be taken regardless toward a rights-based approach at the federal, state and municipal levels. With federal recognition of the right to adequate food and nutrition and incorporation within the Nutrition Title, however, a complete reshaping of federal food policy would be possible.
We propose that agroecology provides a framework for understanding ‘levels’ for the transition to... more We propose that agroecology provides a framework for understanding ‘levels’ for the transition to sustainable food systems. If we agree that agroecology includes social and political dimensions of governing territorial food systems, then it must be linked to movements for food sovereignty. However, the concentration of power in food and farming systems locks in industrial logic, posing immense barriers to agroecological and social transition. This creates a tension between efforts at convergence of food system innovations from below, versus co-optation of grass-roots language and practices by private and public actors who are committed not to changing the logic of industrial agriculture, but instead to reducing its harm. We suggest agroecological and food sovereignty movements consciously embrace this tension as a dance of creativity and appropriation. If this dance can be made generative rather than deadly, it can open pathways for transition to new ways of seeing, experiencing, an...
The Charting Growth Project began at the Wallace Center in late 2006, with funding from the Food ... more The Charting Growth Project began at the Wallace Center in late 2006, with funding from the Food and Society Initiative (FAS) of the W.K. Kellogg Founda-tion (WKKF). FAS was launched in 2000 as part of the Food Systems and Rural Development program of WKKF, with the vision of "a future food system that provides all segments of society a safe and nutritious food supply grown in a manner that protects health and the environment and adds economic and social value to rural and urban communities". The purpose of FAS is "to support the creation and expansion of community-based food systems that are lo-cally owned and controlled, environmentally sound, and health promoting". FAS projects focus on three primary areas: market-based change, institutional support, and public policy.The goal of the Charting Growth Project was to develop indicators of good food, for use by WKKF's FAS Initiative. Its objectives are to:Define healthy, green, fair and affordable as attribute...
In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the bou... more In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the boundaries imposed by our training, institutional reward systems, political system and comfort zones in order to solve global challenges. She lists five challenges facing those who are trying to build more sustainable food systems: overcoming the technocratic and productivist approach of industrial agriculture, avoiding future pandemics, restoring degraded and depleted systems and resources, remaining united as a movement while creating collaborations with other movements, and redistributing power across food system actors so that everyone can realize their human rights, including the right to food. She describes three ways that she has found to be effective in pushing beyond boundaries: international collaborations, interactions with global social movements, and anti-racist work. She links these "moments" of opportunity back to the five challenges, and concludes with advice to young scholars.
Resources to inspire a transformative agroecology: a curated guide Introduction Since publication... more Resources to inspire a transformative agroecology: a curated guide Introduction Since publication of the IAASTD reports in 2009, agroecology has come into its own. Debates continue about the definition, the impact, the potential and the future of agroecology (De Schutter 2011; Anderson et al. 2019a); however, it is generally agreed that the development of agroecology is critical to address the deepening food systems related crises (IPES-Food 2016; Nyeleni 2015). There is growing evidence of the potential of agroecology as a paradigm for a more just and sustainable food system (HLPE 2019) and, with this, a great deal of effort in social movements, academia, institutions and governments to advance agroecol-ogy. Indeed, since the IAASTD, there is a wide range of materials that have been published to inspire, evidence and promote agroecology. This chapter curates a selection of publications and resources that showcase different aspects of agroe-cology as a transformative vision and practice. These resources are fur ther elaborated in a companion website introduced below at the end of the chapter.
ABSTRACT Hotspots of bio and cultural diversity have been and continue to be the focus of conserv... more ABSTRACT Hotspots of bio and cultural diversity have been and continue to be the focus of conservation efforts and ethnobotany explorations worldwide (Hoffman and Gallaher 2007) as they har- bor such a great number of species and ethnicities. However, the loss of native species and habitats is also taking place in “cold spots” with low bio (Kassam 2008) and cultural diver- sity such as Iceland. This study is based on surveys with a select group of Icelandic people who utilize native species of plants as well as fungi and marine algae (e.g., chefs, farmers, gardeners and herbalists). It covers the use of native and naturalized introduced species and uses the terms, materials, and methods of ethnobotany to document, describe and ex- plain these uses (Alexiades 1996). Ethnobotany’s rich and rigorous history, diverse and growing methodologies (Albuquerque and Hanazaki 2009) and potential for deepen- ing the understanding of relationships between people and biota (Martin 1995; Balée and Brown 1996) make it a partic- ularly useful tool for an exploration of the human uses of plants, as well as algae and fungi in Iceland. Icelanders live in a fragile ecosystem still disturbed by a settlement period (landnám) which took place over 1,000 years ago. Most inhabitants are still almost entirely dependent on goods transported from the mainland (Gun- narsson 1983). Throughout the natural history of Iceland which is documented in the sagas Íslendingabókar and Landnámabók (Benediktsson 1968) and in archeological records, represented at the Reykholt settlement in Borgarf- jördur (Buckland et al. 1992; Sveinbjarnardottir et al. 2007) and at a feasting hall in Hofstaðir (Lucas 2010) Icelanders have had a challenging relationship with their surrounding natural resources. Forest resources were an essential part of life at landnám: Firewood provided light, warmth, and the ability to cook and do metal work (Simpson et al. 2003). During landnám, Vikings cut many of the forests and sub- sequent regeneration was largely impossible due to the rooting and grazing of livestock (Hallsdóttir 1987; Eysteins- son and Blöndal 2003). This process of land-use change from forests to grazing lands has continued since landnám and, in many cases, has lead to serious soil degradation (Erlendsson et al. 2009). Iceland has seen a loss of over 40 % of the soil present since landnám (Arnalds et al. 1987; Dugmore and Erskine 1994), and erosion is still among the top conservation issues in the country (Arnalds and Barkarson 2003). Of particular concern is the contribution of soil loss to the spreading of black basalt deserts (Arnalds et al. 2000). However, some conservation minded Icelanders are seeking new strategies for a more sustainable relationship with their environment through the use of native plants as well as algae and fungi for things such as food and medicine.
Addressing social inequities has been recognized as foundational to transforming food systems. Ac... more Addressing social inequities has been recognized as foundational to transforming food systems. Activists and scholars have critiqued food movements as lacking an orientation towards addressing issues of social justice. To address issues of inequity, sustainable food systems education (SFSE) programs will have to increase students’ equity-related capabilities. Our first objective in this paper is to determine the extent to which SFSE programs in the USA and Canada address equity. We identified 108 programs and reviewed their public facing documents for an explicit focus on equity. We found that roughly 80% of universities with SFSE programs do not provide evidence that they explicitly include equity in their curricula. Our second objective is to propose an equity competency model based on literature from multiple fields and perspectives. This entails dimensions related to knowledge of self; knowledge of others and one’s interactions with them; knowledge of systems of oppression and i...
In this introductory article, we highlight debates that emerged in the IDS-IPES-Food workshop on ... more In this introductory article, we highlight debates that emerged in the IDS-IPES-Food workshop on the political economy of food as a way of introducing the articles that follow. In exploring how different groups view power in food systems, we conceptualise a 'mainstream' narrative emerging from embedded agricultural and economic thinkers and practitioners, and contrast this with a multiplicity of reactions to and critiques of that narrative. In aiming to understand power in the food system, we recognise that there are many different disciplinary, epistemological, and ideological entry points into the study of power, and that seeking a single approach will likely limit the insights that different disciplines and research orientations can bring to the study of food systems. We argue that we must first better understand power at its different levels, forms, and spaces, and then use this understanding in order to transform food systems via equitable processes which work towards the interests of all.
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2021
I looked forward to reading the Routledge Handbook of Sustainable and Regenerative Food Systems ... more I looked forward to reading the Routledge Handbook of Sustainable and Regenerative Food Systems because I greatly respect the work of its editors and wanted to know how they would organize such a vast topic. It hardly needs repeating that today’s dominant industrialized food system is destroying biodiversity, degrading soil and water, emitting greenhouse gases, creating products that cause diet-related diseases, erasing traditional farm livelihoods, and destroying farm communities. Despite ample documentation of the problems and wide agreement on their existence, the solutions are much more contentious. What are the alternatives to the destructive industrialized food system, and what is the best trajectory from current practices to a better future? I hoped that this book would provide solid answers. . . .
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2019
Despite growing calls for food system transformation, the need to develop a vision to guide that ... more Despite growing calls for food system transformation, the need to develop a vision to guide that transformation is sometimes overlooked. Vision is essential to inspire, mobilize, and keep a collective of people on track toward their goals. Individual visions can be exhilarating, but the visions that create change are taken up by large groups or movements of movements. A vision is a beginning for transformation, but it requires policy that enables it to be enacted, ideally through democratic processes. The vision, buttressed by policy and democratic governance, is what determines where people are able to buy food, how much they pay, whether farmers earn decent incomes, and whether the food is healthy. Without vision, policies are * Molly Anderson is the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Food Studies at Middlebury College, where she teaches about hunger and food security, fixing food systems, and sustainability. She is involved in food system planning and analysis of solutions at different scales, from local to international. She participates in
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2013
There is a growing sense of the fragility of agricultural production in the Global North and Sout... more There is a growing sense of the fragility of agricultural production in the Global North and South and of increasing risks to food security, as scientific observations confirm significant changes in the Gulf Stream, polar ice, atmospheric CO 2 , methane release, and other measures of climate change. This sense is heightened as each of us experiences extreme weather, such as the increasing frequency of droughts, floods, unseasonal temperatures, and erratic seasonality. The central research challenge before us is how global, national, regional, and local food systems may adapt to accelerating climate change stresses and uncertainties to ensure the availability, access,
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2022
What are the roles and responsibilities of U.S. academia in global fora such as the United Nation... more What are the roles and responsibilities of U.S. academia in global fora such as the United Nations Food Systems Summit? In an effort to be better global partners, the Inter-institutional Network for Food and Agricultural Sustainability (INFAS) accepted an invitation to participate in the UNFSS. INFAS then convened a debriefing for our members to hear from our colleagues about their experiences and any outcomes that may have emerged from the Food Systems Summit. The Food Systems Summit process was deeply flawed, resulting in confusion and power inequities, yet it stimulated coalition-building and reflection on how and why to participate in global food governance.
In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the bou... more In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the boundaries imposed by our training, institutional reward systems, political system and comfort zones in order to solve global challenges. She lists five challenges facing those who are trying to build more sustainable food systems: overcoming the technocratic and productivist approach of industrial agriculture, avoiding future pandemics, restoring degraded and depleted systems and resources, remaining united as a movement while creating collaborations with other movements, and redistributing power across food system actors so that everyone can realize their human rights, including the right to food. She describes three ways that she has found to be effective in pushing beyond boundaries: international collaborations, interactions with global social movements, and anti-racist work. She links these “moments” of opportunity back to the five challenges, and concludes with advice to young scholars.
For the capitalist way of organizing people and nature, food is nothing but a commodity. Any mean... more For the capitalist way of organizing people and nature, food is nothing but a commodity. Any meaningful transformation of the dominant food system must thus be based on the decommodification and liberation of food and all the elements that make food systems possible (labour, land, seeds, etc.). The notions of commons and commoning can be allies in this journey, helping different anti-capitalist fights to converge and avoid corporate cooptation.
Federal food assistance in the USA is an agglomeration of programs, the legacy of charitable and ... more Federal food assistance in the USA is an agglomeration of programs, the legacy of charitable and needs-based approaches that have been in place since the 1930s. Moving toward a rights-based approach would overcome many of the problems of these programs, such as the stigma attached to receiving assistance, the fragmentation of different programs with different eligibilities and the disconnect between monitoring and strategies to reduce food insecurity. Although the USA has not accepted its obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the right to adequate food and nutrition, steps can be taken regardless toward a rights-based approach at the federal, state and municipal levels. With federal recognition of the right to adequate food and nutrition and incorporation within the Nutrition Title, however, a complete reshaping of federal food policy would be possible.
We propose that agroecology provides a framework for understanding ‘levels’ for the transition to... more We propose that agroecology provides a framework for understanding ‘levels’ for the transition to sustainable food systems. If we agree that agroecology includes social and political dimensions of governing territorial food systems, then it must be linked to movements for food sovereignty. However, the concentration of power in food and farming systems locks in industrial logic, posing immense barriers to agroecological and social transition. This creates a tension between efforts at convergence of food system innovations from below, versus co-optation of grass-roots language and practices by private and public actors who are committed not to changing the logic of industrial agriculture, but instead to reducing its harm. We suggest agroecological and food sovereignty movements consciously embrace this tension as a dance of creativity and appropriation. If this dance can be made generative rather than deadly, it can open pathways for transition to new ways of seeing, experiencing, an...
The Charting Growth Project began at the Wallace Center in late 2006, with funding from the Food ... more The Charting Growth Project began at the Wallace Center in late 2006, with funding from the Food and Society Initiative (FAS) of the W.K. Kellogg Founda-tion (WKKF). FAS was launched in 2000 as part of the Food Systems and Rural Development program of WKKF, with the vision of "a future food system that provides all segments of society a safe and nutritious food supply grown in a manner that protects health and the environment and adds economic and social value to rural and urban communities". The purpose of FAS is "to support the creation and expansion of community-based food systems that are lo-cally owned and controlled, environmentally sound, and health promoting". FAS projects focus on three primary areas: market-based change, institutional support, and public policy.The goal of the Charting Growth Project was to develop indicators of good food, for use by WKKF's FAS Initiative. Its objectives are to:Define healthy, green, fair and affordable as attribute...
In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the bou... more In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the boundaries imposed by our training, institutional reward systems, political system and comfort zones in order to solve global challenges. She lists five challenges facing those who are trying to build more sustainable food systems: overcoming the technocratic and productivist approach of industrial agriculture, avoiding future pandemics, restoring degraded and depleted systems and resources, remaining united as a movement while creating collaborations with other movements, and redistributing power across food system actors so that everyone can realize their human rights, including the right to food. She describes three ways that she has found to be effective in pushing beyond boundaries: international collaborations, interactions with global social movements, and anti-racist work. She links these "moments" of opportunity back to the five challenges, and concludes with advice to young scholars.
Resources to inspire a transformative agroecology: a curated guide Introduction Since publication... more Resources to inspire a transformative agroecology: a curated guide Introduction Since publication of the IAASTD reports in 2009, agroecology has come into its own. Debates continue about the definition, the impact, the potential and the future of agroecology (De Schutter 2011; Anderson et al. 2019a); however, it is generally agreed that the development of agroecology is critical to address the deepening food systems related crises (IPES-Food 2016; Nyeleni 2015). There is growing evidence of the potential of agroecology as a paradigm for a more just and sustainable food system (HLPE 2019) and, with this, a great deal of effort in social movements, academia, institutions and governments to advance agroecol-ogy. Indeed, since the IAASTD, there is a wide range of materials that have been published to inspire, evidence and promote agroecology. This chapter curates a selection of publications and resources that showcase different aspects of agroe-cology as a transformative vision and practice. These resources are fur ther elaborated in a companion website introduced below at the end of the chapter.
ABSTRACT Hotspots of bio and cultural diversity have been and continue to be the focus of conserv... more ABSTRACT Hotspots of bio and cultural diversity have been and continue to be the focus of conservation efforts and ethnobotany explorations worldwide (Hoffman and Gallaher 2007) as they har- bor such a great number of species and ethnicities. However, the loss of native species and habitats is also taking place in “cold spots” with low bio (Kassam 2008) and cultural diver- sity such as Iceland. This study is based on surveys with a select group of Icelandic people who utilize native species of plants as well as fungi and marine algae (e.g., chefs, farmers, gardeners and herbalists). It covers the use of native and naturalized introduced species and uses the terms, materials, and methods of ethnobotany to document, describe and ex- plain these uses (Alexiades 1996). Ethnobotany’s rich and rigorous history, diverse and growing methodologies (Albuquerque and Hanazaki 2009) and potential for deepen- ing the understanding of relationships between people and biota (Martin 1995; Balée and Brown 1996) make it a partic- ularly useful tool for an exploration of the human uses of plants, as well as algae and fungi in Iceland. Icelanders live in a fragile ecosystem still disturbed by a settlement period (landnám) which took place over 1,000 years ago. Most inhabitants are still almost entirely dependent on goods transported from the mainland (Gun- narsson 1983). Throughout the natural history of Iceland which is documented in the sagas Íslendingabókar and Landnámabók (Benediktsson 1968) and in archeological records, represented at the Reykholt settlement in Borgarf- jördur (Buckland et al. 1992; Sveinbjarnardottir et al. 2007) and at a feasting hall in Hofstaðir (Lucas 2010) Icelanders have had a challenging relationship with their surrounding natural resources. Forest resources were an essential part of life at landnám: Firewood provided light, warmth, and the ability to cook and do metal work (Simpson et al. 2003). During landnám, Vikings cut many of the forests and sub- sequent regeneration was largely impossible due to the rooting and grazing of livestock (Hallsdóttir 1987; Eysteins- son and Blöndal 2003). This process of land-use change from forests to grazing lands has continued since landnám and, in many cases, has lead to serious soil degradation (Erlendsson et al. 2009). Iceland has seen a loss of over 40 % of the soil present since landnám (Arnalds et al. 1987; Dugmore and Erskine 1994), and erosion is still among the top conservation issues in the country (Arnalds and Barkarson 2003). Of particular concern is the contribution of soil loss to the spreading of black basalt deserts (Arnalds et al. 2000). However, some conservation minded Icelanders are seeking new strategies for a more sustainable relationship with their environment through the use of native plants as well as algae and fungi for things such as food and medicine.
Addressing social inequities has been recognized as foundational to transforming food systems. Ac... more Addressing social inequities has been recognized as foundational to transforming food systems. Activists and scholars have critiqued food movements as lacking an orientation towards addressing issues of social justice. To address issues of inequity, sustainable food systems education (SFSE) programs will have to increase students’ equity-related capabilities. Our first objective in this paper is to determine the extent to which SFSE programs in the USA and Canada address equity. We identified 108 programs and reviewed their public facing documents for an explicit focus on equity. We found that roughly 80% of universities with SFSE programs do not provide evidence that they explicitly include equity in their curricula. Our second objective is to propose an equity competency model based on literature from multiple fields and perspectives. This entails dimensions related to knowledge of self; knowledge of others and one’s interactions with them; knowledge of systems of oppression and i...
In this introductory article, we highlight debates that emerged in the IDS-IPES-Food workshop on ... more In this introductory article, we highlight debates that emerged in the IDS-IPES-Food workshop on the political economy of food as a way of introducing the articles that follow. In exploring how different groups view power in food systems, we conceptualise a 'mainstream' narrative emerging from embedded agricultural and economic thinkers and practitioners, and contrast this with a multiplicity of reactions to and critiques of that narrative. In aiming to understand power in the food system, we recognise that there are many different disciplinary, epistemological, and ideological entry points into the study of power, and that seeking a single approach will likely limit the insights that different disciplines and research orientations can bring to the study of food systems. We argue that we must first better understand power at its different levels, forms, and spaces, and then use this understanding in order to transform food systems via equitable processes which work towards the interests of all.
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2021
I looked forward to reading the Routledge Handbook of Sustainable and Regenerative Food Systems ... more I looked forward to reading the Routledge Handbook of Sustainable and Regenerative Food Systems because I greatly respect the work of its editors and wanted to know how they would organize such a vast topic. It hardly needs repeating that today’s dominant industrialized food system is destroying biodiversity, degrading soil and water, emitting greenhouse gases, creating products that cause diet-related diseases, erasing traditional farm livelihoods, and destroying farm communities. Despite ample documentation of the problems and wide agreement on their existence, the solutions are much more contentious. What are the alternatives to the destructive industrialized food system, and what is the best trajectory from current practices to a better future? I hoped that this book would provide solid answers. . . .
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2019
Despite growing calls for food system transformation, the need to develop a vision to guide that ... more Despite growing calls for food system transformation, the need to develop a vision to guide that transformation is sometimes overlooked. Vision is essential to inspire, mobilize, and keep a collective of people on track toward their goals. Individual visions can be exhilarating, but the visions that create change are taken up by large groups or movements of movements. A vision is a beginning for transformation, but it requires policy that enables it to be enacted, ideally through democratic processes. The vision, buttressed by policy and democratic governance, is what determines where people are able to buy food, how much they pay, whether farmers earn decent incomes, and whether the food is healthy. Without vision, policies are * Molly Anderson is the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Food Studies at Middlebury College, where she teaches about hunger and food security, fixing food systems, and sustainability. She is involved in food system planning and analysis of solutions at different scales, from local to international. She participates in
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2013
There is a growing sense of the fragility of agricultural production in the Global North and Sout... more There is a growing sense of the fragility of agricultural production in the Global North and South and of increasing risks to food security, as scientific observations confirm significant changes in the Gulf Stream, polar ice, atmospheric CO 2 , methane release, and other measures of climate change. This sense is heightened as each of us experiences extreme weather, such as the increasing frequency of droughts, floods, unseasonal temperatures, and erratic seasonality. The central research challenge before us is how global, national, regional, and local food systems may adapt to accelerating climate change stresses and uncertainties to ensure the availability, access,
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2022
What are the roles and responsibilities of U.S. academia in global fora such as the United Nation... more What are the roles and responsibilities of U.S. academia in global fora such as the United Nations Food Systems Summit? In an effort to be better global partners, the Inter-institutional Network for Food and Agricultural Sustainability (INFAS) accepted an invitation to participate in the UNFSS. INFAS then convened a debriefing for our members to hear from our colleagues about their experiences and any outcomes that may have emerged from the Food Systems Summit. The Food Systems Summit process was deeply flawed, resulting in confusion and power inequities, yet it stimulated coalition-building and reflection on how and why to participate in global food governance.
In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the bou... more In this 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address, Molly Anderson suggests that we must push beyond the boundaries imposed by our training, institutional reward systems, political system and comfort zones in order to solve global challenges. She lists five challenges facing those who are trying to build more sustainable food systems: overcoming the technocratic and productivist approach of industrial agriculture, avoiding future pandemics, restoring degraded and depleted systems and resources, remaining united as a movement while creating collaborations with other movements, and redistributing power across food system actors so that everyone can realize their human rights, including the right to food. She describes three ways that she has found to be effective in pushing beyond boundaries: international collaborations, interactions with global social movements, and anti-racist work. She links these “moments” of opportunity back to the five challenges, and concludes with advice to young scholars.
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