Competitive Productivism and Australia's Emerging ‘Alternative’ Agri-food Networks: producing for farmers' markets in Victoria and beyond

Andrée, Peter; Dibden, Jacqueline Lineton; Higgins, Vaughan; Cocklin, Chris

doi:10.1080/00049182.2010.498038

Cited by 43 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The social and environmental outcomes of South Australian agriculture have also been studied at various geographical scales (Bryant, 1999;Crossman & Bryan, 2009;Raymond et al, 2009;Smailes & Newman, 1993;Smailes, 1995Smailes, , 2002Smailes & Hugo, 2003). Research in other spatial contexts has shown that barriers such as rural exclusion, or large geographical distances between producers and customers, mean that for more remote farmers there is less opportunity to engage with consumers, directly market produce, and obtain feedback (Andrée et al, 2010;Lobley et al, 2013;Wilson & Whitehead, 2012). The ability to directly market produce is helping some farmers incorporate sustainability principles into their agricultural businesses, such as increased crop diversity, participating actively in the local community, or embracing practices that reduce ecological degradation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional agricultural governance in peri-urban and rural South Australia: strategies to improve multifunctionality

Fielke

Bardsley

2014

Sustain Sci

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The current neoliberal agricultural policy model focuses on maximising productivity and efficiency. The issues that arise from this governance focus are manyfold. In this study we illustrate the regional disparity and implications for agricultural sustainability caused by this governance focus. We surveyed farmers in two South Australian case study regions, the adjoining peri-urban Barossa-Light region and the rural area of Loxton. It was found that respondents from Loxton had larger properties, saw more benefits from government support for agriculture, and were more likely to prioritise support for their local community and increases in productivity. Respondents from Barossa-Light were more concerned about risks of urban encroachment and an increasing population in the region, prioritised keeping their farms in their families, and were more concerned about aspects of government support. These results highlight the complexity involved with applying appropriate government support mechanisms across a diverse industry such as agriculture, with various regional sustainability issues driving respondent priorities. We also suggest that regional variation will require explicit planning which aims for heterogeneous goals, and that educational, cooperative and alternative pursuits may help to increase the capacity of the land managers in the case study regions. These suggestions have broader implications for other regions where agricultural diversity complicates policy to support the industry within strongly neoliberal regimes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional agricultural governance in peri-urban and rural South Australia: strategies to improve multifunctionality

Fielke

Bardsley

2014

Sustain Sci

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“…The benefits of this regulatory change for fish harvesters and buyers is equally uncertain, given that the majority of fish harvesters still rely on export markets for most of their catch due to the small local market. This may lead to a more 'hybridized' version of AFNs, in which food producers continue to depend on some conventional aspects of the food system in order for their business to subsist, while waiting for the local demand to expand [9,44]. As with the fisheries in Newfoundland, this hybridity can often be the result of policy environments that encourage and incentivize all producers, including those engaging in alternative practices and niche markets, to participate in the conventional supply chain [9].…”

Section: Challenges To Developing Fisheries Afnsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, fisheries policies at the provincial and federal levels remain highly problematic, even with the recent change in direct sale regulations. Andrée et al [9] found that in regions where export-oriented food production policies are implemented, the development of AFNs is arduous, since governments prioritize the growth of international markets over stimulating local opportunities. This is the case in Newfoundland's fisheries, where governments at both federal and provincial levels have sought to develop external markets to the detriment of the local one.…”

Section: Challenges To Developing Fisheries Afnsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Critical understandings of AFNs evoke a broad definition and appearance of 'alternative foods' to reflect the diverse contexts in which alternatives take place, rather than simply presenting 'alternative' in a dichotomous opposition to conventional food production [1,[7][8][9]. Conventional food systems have largely been framed as 'bad' , particularly since associated food production processes generate significant ecological issues, including habitat degradation and loss of biodiversity; and sociocultural and economic issues, such as the homogenization of food cultures and the concentration of power in the hands of a few corporate entities [1,10].…”

Section: Reconnecting Through Alternative Food Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reconnecting people, place, and nature: examining alternative food networks in Newfoundland’s fisheries

2017

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Background: Fisheries have played a significant role in the economic development of Newfoundland and Labrador and continue to contribute to coastal livelihoods and local food security. However, the access to and availability of locally harvested fish and seafood in the province is notably lacking, particularly since federal and provincial policies have prioritized the development of export markets in the fisheries over local sales. In this paper, we examine market actors and civil society organizations in St. John's (the provincial capital) and Petty Harbour (a nearby fishing community) that have embarked on initiatives to better include fish and seafood in the local food system. The success of these initiatives depends in part on the degree of connectivity between consumers and harvesters, as well as between people, the culture of fishing, and the marine environment. Results:Reconnections are the foundations of alternative food networks (AFNs), which aim to develop more environmentally and socially sustainable and localized ways of producing, distributing, retailing, and consuming food. This paper explores the social, cultural, and ecological values of the fisheries as means to forging reconnections. The research reveals that values pertaining to traditional food culture, environmental stewardship and conservation, localization, and social cohesion were significant motivating factors for stakeholders in seeking out reconnection in their food system. Conclusions:While AFNs in Newfoundland's fisheries are currently underdeveloped, reconnections are nonetheless taking place along the fisheries supply chain and can contribute to enhancing the accessibility and availability of locally harvested fish. The study also finds that AFNs must be context appropriate and reflect local values, as there are significant opportunities in building on Newfoundland's strong fishing culture and heritage.

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“…Friedmann, 2007). This shift in resources has the potential to build and strengthen local food distribution infrastructures and support additional new links between local producers, processors, and consumers (Andrée, Dibden, Higgins, & Cocklin, 2010;Goodman, 2003;Renting, Marsden, & Banks, 2003). This paper examines the challenges -as well as the opportunities -associated with a key obstacle to the shift toward local procurement: the transnational foodservice corporations who operate within most of these public institutions (Sustain UK, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The "Buy-Local" Challenge to Institutional Foodservice Corporations in Historical Context

Martin

Andrée

2012

JAFSCD

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Public institutions such as universities and hospitals are being increasingly encouraged by social movements to direct their substantial foodservice budgets toward supporting local farmers and producers. This paper examines a key obstacle to the buy local challenge: the transnational corporations who are contracted by many public institutions in North America to provide foodservices. The institutional food sector is dominated by three large transnational foodservice corporations: Compass Group, ARAMARK, and Sodexo. It is their centralized supply chains and management structures, along with a dependence on prepared and "ready to eat" food, that are barriers to local food procurement. Up to this point, there has been little scholarly attention to the origin and organization of these corporations. This paper's examination of the history and political economy of the institutional foodservice industry illustrates a long association between these companies and public-sector goals over the last 70 years. Comparing past public-sector goals to contemporary campaigns directed at institutional foodservice is therefore instructive. We examine three different political economies that have fostered the development of these corporations: the Second World War, the post-war era from 1945 to the 1970s, and the neoliberal era beginning in the 1970s through today. While recognizing that the barriers to local procurement are real, we also argue that the structure and competitive dynamics of these corporations offer opportunities to make positive changes.

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Competitive Productivism and Australia's Emerging ‘Alternative’ Agri-food Networks: producing for farmers' markets in Victoria and beyond

Cited by 43 publications

References 29 publications

Regional agricultural governance in peri-urban and rural South Australia: strategies to improve multifunctionality

Regional agricultural governance in peri-urban and rural South Australia: strategies to improve multifunctionality

Reconnecting people, place, and nature: examining alternative food networks in Newfoundland’s fisheries

The "Buy-Local" Challenge to Institutional Foodservice Corporations in Historical Context

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