AbstractsPhilosophy & Theology

An Alternative: Community-Based Sustainable Food Systems

by Bridgett Toner




Institution: Roskilde University
Department:
Year: 2015
Keywords: Community-based food systems; global food system; Food security; Food sovereignty; Neo-liberalism; Agroecology
Record ID: 1122390
Full text PDF: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/17679


Abstract

Although mechanisms of the global food system were once envisaged as a solution to eradicate world hunger, it is now evident that these aspirations of international food security have, in fact, been unable to achieve what they were set out to do. Therefore, in realisation that the global food system has failed on many levels; to meet culturally appropriate global food needs, foster ecological stewardship and operate in a socially accountable and just framework; this project looks to the growing efforts of community food system advocates who are promoting, establishing and participating in alternate food system models; in recognition that perhaps alternate food system models, commonly referred to as Community-Based Sustainable Food Systems, can better alleviate food insecurity around the world, whilst also managing the diverse social, environmental and economic complexities that 21st Century society faces. The ultimate aim of alternate food system advocates is to reorient the direction of the ‘global food regime’ to food systems based on the ethics of food sovereignty, within and across local and global scales. This project critiques the barriers food advocates face in their efforts for change, and consequently looks to tools, mechanisms, and pathways; including understanding and navigating scales, methods of the Utopia perspective, multi-level governance; which have been identified in this project to offer possibilities in advancing the efforts of alternate food advocates; ultimately transitioning food systems so they greater reflect community needs and ethics.