Contextualising food sovereignty: the politics of convergence among movements in the USA

Abstract

As food sovereignty spreads to new realms that dramatically diverge from the agrarian context in which it was originally conceived, this raises new challenges, as well as opportunities, for already complex transnational agrarian movements. In the face of such challenges, calls for convergence have increasingly been put forward as a strategy for building political power. Looking at the US case, we argue that historically rooted resistance efforts for agrarian justice, food justice and immigrant labor justice across the food system are not only drawing inspiration from food sovereignty, but helping to shape what food sovereignty means in the US. By digging into the histories of these resistance efforts, we can better understand the divides that exist as well as the potential for and politics of convergence. The US case thus offers important insights, especially into the roles of race and immigration in the politics of convergence that might strengthen the global movement for food sovereignty as it expands to new contexts and seeks to engage with new constituencies.

Widening the Circle: Racialized Immigrants in Toronto's Alternative Food Movement

“…Findings suggest that further work needs to be done in restructuring approaches and producing transformative change in creating accessible alternative food spaces which engage with systemic and historical inequalities of communities of color in the food system. Brent et al, (2015) explain that working towards food justice does not mean working towards reviving the traditional agrarian lifestyle of the past, but a radically reshaped food system which acknowledges where our food system came from and functions with the absence of exploitation and discrimination. While not all food projects are presented as explicitly part of the alternative food movement, many of the projects discussed by participants and observed in Toronto, adopt food justice principles, a branch to the alternative food movement.…”

“…Discussions with food leaders suggest that it is necessary to move beyond 'conscious consumerism' through purchase of local and organic foods at farmers markets and grocery stores as the main alternative food pathway, as market-based approaches tend to deepen class and race inequalities within the food system (Brent et al, 2015).…”

“…Three participants also mentioned opportunities for collaborations to occur between immigrant communities and other organizing groups. Brent et al, (2015) suggest that convergence of the various efforts in the food system is needed; where organizers and resisters of the food system, including advocates of food sovereignty, migrant worker justice, anti-racist practice and indigenous organizers should collaborate. Often the work of these various groups and communities are raised in separate contexts, but with similar transformative work being done amongst different communities, there exist increasing opportunities to assemble efforts.…”

“…This is particularly necessary in the food studies where academic scholars are traditionally white and tend not to include the nonparticipants of alternative food pathways. Brent et al, (2015) highlight that it is not possible to discuss food justice or food sovereignty without talking about race and class, as it is intertwined into all aspects of the food movement, including land, food practices and the identity of actors involved. It would be ideal for future research in food studies to more consistently consider accessibility of the food movement through an anti-racist praxis which considers the worldview of individuals with experiences as an immigrant or racialized person.…”

Beyond the Modernisation Paradigm: Elements of a Food Sovereignty Discourse in Farmer Protest Movements and Alternative Food Networks in Poland

“…Some contributors suggest that the creation of a localised food system based on peasant agriculture and agroecological methods – often promoted by NGOs – is too much of a universalised vision that does not always match the desires and goals of local smallholder farmers (Jansen ; Soper ). As Brent et al () argue, there is no single food sovereignty but rather multiple, sometimes competing sovereignties across different geographies and scales. Shuttuck et al (, p. 427) suggest that ‘local identities and historical memories’ can be ‘a rich source of power’ for food sovereignty movements.…”