Towards a transformative food politics

Abstract

Alternative food initiatives (AFIs) aim to challenge the corporate-led, industrial food system by attempting to develop viable localised solutions. However, critics have highlighted the way unreflexive and uncritical actions by AFIs have resulted in their cooptation and the reproduction of economic exploitation and political oppression. In this paper, I argue that changing the current food system demands a transformative orientation, which in turn requires understanding and addressing the root of current challenges through the interrelated perspectives of social justice, ecological sustainability, community health and democratic governance. I outline a framework for a transformative food politics by elaborating on critiques from within activist and academic literatures and suggest a path forward for the evolving food movement. This framework is described by three interrelated elements: (1) the transition to collective subjectivities; (2) a whole food system approach and (3) a politics of reflexive localisation. This framework could be used by AFIs as a tool for reflection and critical engagement in food system transformation. Finally, I draw on three cases, SunRoot EcoSolidarity Association, The Stop Community Food Centre and Local Food Plus to highlight how these elements are being applied in practice.

Keywords:

• alterative food initiatives
• transformative food politics
• social justice
• ecological sustainability
• community health
• democracy

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the assistance and support of the activists and academics within the food movement who provided the substance of this paper. Thank you to Sarah Wakefield for providing feedback on multiple drafts of this paper. I would also like to express appreciation to the anonymous peer reviewers for their insightful comments. I gratefully acknowledge the financial support of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Award.

Notes

This description of The Stop's work is taken from a research report co-written by the author (Scharf et al. 2010).