Biting into big problems with small solutions: exploring the geographies of alternative foodscapes

Food as a resource is essential for the survival of the human race and as such the geography of and planning for this resource is critical. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1966 recognizes "the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food...". Even with modern abundance that would have been unimaginable just a few generations ago, there remains a myriad of challenging realities for people around the world in terms of climate change, food insecurity, inequitable access, and more. To address these shortfalls there has been a steady rise of practices which offer alternatives to the conventional agrifood system, geared towards greater self-reliance at a more localized scale. This research explores a number of the practices that have emerged to populate the space of alternative foodscapes, giving particular focus to why and how they do so. This thesis puts forward a framework that draws on social practice, social innovation and behavioural theories to examine self-reliant and alternative practices from a perspective that takes into account that their constituent material and immaterial elements as well as the fact that are socially embedded and reproduced within specific contexts, cultures and times. Using this framework to address the question of why practices come into existence, I argue that we must shift the focus from outcomes to the underexplored immaterial socio-psychological elements that inspire individuals to take action in the first place. Furthermore, I delve into how these practices connect with broader contexts in which they are embedded and how their ideals play out within diverse socio-political and biogeographic settings from selected cases in Europe and North America. Taking on practices such as hobby farming, permaculture, urban agriculture, community supported agriculture and more, I show that practices that bear different labels often have commonalities including similar values, needs, goals. Nevertheless, these foundational commonalities do not necessarily lead to paths of similar action by individuals engaging in these practices. These varied paths lead to practices that, though they may lean more towards the alternative/self-reliance rather than conventional, are ultimately situated within a constellation that encompasses both.

Publication year:2021

Accessibility:Open