https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8305-5987
![Sample our Environment & Sustainability journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5935/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Sustainability.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Food waste is a global societal meta-challenge requiring a sustainability transition involving everyone, including publics. However, to date, much transitions research has been silent on the role of public participation and overly narrow in its geographical reach. In response, this paper examines whether the ecologies of participation (EOP) approach provides a conceptual framing for understanding the role of publics within food waste transitions in Singapore. First the specificities of Singapore's socio-political context and its food waste management system is reviewed, before discussing dominant, diverse and emergent forms of public engagement with food waste issues. This is followed by in-depth consideration of how participation is being orchestrated by two surplus food redistribution initiatives. Our analysis finds the EOP beneficial in its elevation of participation within the transitions field. It also provides a useful means to deconstruct elements that comprise participation practices and discuss culture-specific motivations, organisational realities and visceral experiences.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank participants to food sharing initiatives in Singapore for sharing their experiences and time with me. We are very thankful to the Co-Editor of this journal, for providing constructive suggestions during the preparation of the manuscript and three anonymous reviewers whose insightful comments have guided the development of this paper. Title: SHARECITY: The practice and sustainability of urban food sharing. Award No: 646883. We are extremely grateful for this support without which the research could not have taken place.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes on contributors
Monika Rut is a researcher and practitioner interested in sustainable food systems, transitions and cultural and social change. Her research explores grassroots innovations and sustainable food transitions in Singapore. She is a PhD student at Trinity College Dublin and co-founder of Virtuale Switzerland, an augmented reality art festival.
Anna Davies is Professor of Geography, Environment and Society at Trinity College Dublin and the Principal Investigator of SHARECITY. A specialist in environmental governance and sustainable consumption, Anna advises the Irish Government as a member of the National Climate Change Council and is also a member on the board of The Rediscovery Centre, a social enterprise that is the national centre of excellence for the circular economy and the International Science Council, which seeks to advance science as a global public good.
Huiying Ng is a researcher-practitioner exploring links between urban agriculture, open/welcoming spaces for new imaginations of urban life, and community resilience. Her research focuses on sustainable modes of agricultural production and agroecological learning networks, particularly in Southeast Asia. She has a Master in Social Sciences (Research) from the Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, and is a founding member of the Foodscape Collective, and TANAH, a nature-food duo, and a member of soft/WALL/studs.
Notes
1 The Shared Values refers to five statements with the goal of forging national identity: nation before community and society before self; family as the basic unit of society; regard and community support for the individual; consensus instead of contention; racial and religious harmony (Tan, Citation2012).
3 The concept of self-reliance focuses on the individual as primarily responsible for its own social and economic welfare and family as the first line of support before requesting the Government for social or economic assistance.
4 Spontaneous acts of saving food that was thrown by vendors in to the bins.
5 Little India is an ethnic district in Singapore.
6 Selfish, self- centred behaviour.
7 Food redistribution points usually arranged spontaneously in the common public areas such as streets, void-desks etc.
8 Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) are exempt or registered charities which are able to issue tax deductible receipts for qualifying donations to donors.