Empowering People—Democratising the Food System? Exploring the Democratic Potential of Food-Related Empowerment Forms

Abstract

The current food system, characterised by considerable concentrations of economic and political power, is widely regarded as undemocratic and in many respects unsustainable in its outcomes. To address the democratic deficits in the food system, empowerment has become a central claim and point of reference for actors seeking to transform the system. In fact, numerous venues and practices have emerged in recent years to develop people’s capacities to engage with food issues. These range from local food initiatives and health-food movements to food policy councils and government education policies. This article takes a closer look at the theory and practice of democratic empowerment in the food system. It explores whether and how different forms of food-related empowerment have the potential to improve the democratic quality of the food system. Based on a broad analytical understanding of empowerment that is combined with a notion of power-based complex democracy, it is argued that different forms of food-related empowerment promote the development of different types of power, which in turn are constitutive for different functions of the democratic process. From this perspective, the challenge of democratising the food system lies in linking different complementary empowerment practices into functioning configurations of complex democratic governance.

Conflicts over GMOs and their Contribution to Food Democracy

“…The question of what constitutes justice and care is always controversial. Therefore, we consider conflictsi.e., the public expression of contradictory ideas, interests, needs and practices-as central and productive elements of food democracy (and of democratic societynature relations in general) because they drive change and transformation (for another conceptual understanding of food democracy that embraces conflict and contestation as one dimension of food democracy, see also Bornemann and Weiland, 2019). We argue that conflictdriven forms of politics play a vital role in the creation of food democracy from a critical-emancipatory perspective (Gottschlich & Hackfort, 2016; see also Lang, 1999, p. 217).…”

How Shall We Judge Agri-Food Governance? Legitimacy Constructions in Food Democracy and Co-Regulation Discourses

“…Legitimacy depends on "the belief in rightness of the decision or process of decision-making" (Dahl, 2006, p. 46). Legitimacy beliefs make it more likely that people adopt desired behaviors and accept decisions that they dislike, thereby decreasing the need to provide material incentives or to threaten the use of force (for a power-based interpretation of democratic legitimacy, see Bornemann & Weiland, 2019).…”

Food democracy: possibilities under the frame of the current food system

“…Food sovereignty and FD also share values such as access to healthy food, creating local economic opportunities, building stronger communities and societies, and making food policy decisions accessible to all citizens (Hamilton 2005). These two concepts are closely related because of their critical views on the industrial food system and offer alternatives to remedy the food system's ecological, social and economic challenges (Bornemann and Weiland 2019). However, food sovereignty mainly focuses on producers by advocating for sustainable production methods and the right of small producers (e.g., peasants, family farmers, etc.)…”

“…In contrast, Hassanein (2003Hassanein ( , 2008 revealed participation and political engagement of informed citizens to guarantee equal opportunities for shaping the system. FD, in line with sustainability principles, seeks to ensure ethical food practices (e.g., fair labor standards), to address unequally distributed social and environmental effects of the food system as well as the health of citizens and producers, to increase the market power of producers and workers and to enhance diversity within the food system (Pimbert et al 2001;Hamilton 2005;Prost et al 2018;Bornemann and Weiland 2019;Friedrich et al 2019). FD supports the idea that "voting with your dollar" is not the best way to change the system and seeks to create mechanisms needed by citizens and communities to contribute to transformation pathways towards a more sustainable food system.…”