Beyond markets: food poverty and the noncommercial food system

ABSTRACT

Food poverty, or household food insecurity, has been a growing phenomenon in high-income countries as a result of neoliberal reforms. In this paper, we advance the idea of a noncommercial food system which, we argue, differs from conventional and alternative food systems in that it does not entail a profit motive, and we examine its potential contribution to alleviating food poverty. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in 2017 with organizations and groups involved in the noncommercial food system in Auckland, New Zealand, it highlights the importance of collaborations and networks and how the sharing of resources, knowledge, and skills enables and sustains local initiatives that contribute to alleviating the effects, but not the root causes, of food poverty. Two key findings emerged from this study. First, the noncommercial food system can contribute to addressing food poverty in both direct and indirect ways, and a key factor that enables this is through collaboration and resource sharing between actors. Second, actors face challenges related to resource constraints which limit the scope, scale, reach, and sustainability of their activities. Therefore, we argue that the State needs to play a pivotal and active role in addressing both the causes and consequences of food poverty.

KEYWORDS:

• Food poverty
• urban
• noncommercial
• food systems
• New Zealand
• neoliberalism
• food banks
• urban gardening
• food rescue

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust under Grant WT208198/Z/17/Z.

Notes on contributors

Vicky M. Walters

Vicky M. Walters is a lecturer in Sociology at Massey University in Auckland. Her research interests coalesce around themes in governance, urban environments and the politics of social exclusion including homelessness, disasters and everyday hazards, food security, and water and sanitation.

Emily Garden

Emily Garden is an independent social researcher, writer, analyst and science communicator who works with civil society organizations, public sector agencies and universities on a range of social issues including food security, social inequalities and natural disaster preparedness.

Kerry Chamberlain

Kerry Chamberlain is Professor Emeritus of Social and Health Psychology at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals and has published widely on health issues and qualitative research. His current research interests are in health and illness, medicalization, food, media and the mundane, and innovative methods for qualitative research.