Food as Commons or Commodity? Exploring the Links between Normative Valuations and Agency in Food Transition

Abstract

Abstract:The food system, the most important driver of planetary transformation, is broken. Therefore, seeking a sustainable and socially-fair transition pathway out of this crisis becomes an issue of utmost priority. The consideration of food as a commodity, a social construct that played a central role in this crisis, remains the uncontested narrative to lead the different transition pathways, which seems rather contradictory. By exploring the normative values on food, this paper seeks to understand how relevant is the hegemonic narrative of food as commodity and its alternative of food as commons to determine transition trajectories and food policy beliefs. Applying the multi-level perspective framework and developing the ill-studied agency in transition, this research enquired food-related professionals that belong to an online community of practice (N = 95) to check whether the valuation of food is relevant to explain personal stances in transition. Results suggest that the view of food as commodity is positively correlated with a gradually-reforming attitude, whereas food as commons is positively correlated with the counter-hegemonic transformers, regardless of the self-defined position in the transition landscape (regime or niches). At a personal level, there are multiple loci of resistance with counter-hegemonic attitudes in varied institutions of the regime and the innovative niches, many of them holding this discourse of food as commons. Conversely, alter-hegemonic attitudes are not positively correlated with the alternative discourse, and they may inadvertently or purportedly reinforce the neoliberal narrative. Food as commons seems to be a relevant framework that could enrich the multiple transformative constituencies that challenge the industrial food system and therefore facilitate the convergence of movements that reject the commodification of food.

Change Agents’ Perspectives on Spatial–Relational Proximities and Urban Food Niches

“…Although publications concerning sustainability transitions in agriculture are increasing [6,[15][16][17][18][19], only a few publications address agro-food systems [9,10,[20][21][22] and much less address them in an urban context [23][24][25]. Even less publications focus on food niches in urban agro-food systems [5,12,26,27].…”

“…As pointed out above, only a few publications address sustainability transitions in agro-food systems [9,10,[20][21][22] and much less in an urban context [23][24][25], although publications concerning sustainability transitions in agriculture are increasing [6,[15][16][17][18][19]. In this section, we tackle the literature analyzing and explaining context-related niche development in agro-food systems and beyond.…”

“…Some food niches might not have a clear transformative ambition and might rather operate autonomously outside of the regime than aiming to change the regime rules [8]. Vivero-Pol [18] elaborates that although food niches might aim for food justice, commons, and food sovereignty, they are not necessarily transformative and reformist towards the regime. In contrast, even if they stay small, they can initiate change through suggesting different pathways, perspectives, rules, and norms [46].…”

“…To spread the innovation, CSA actors aimed to build a local network of CSA initiatives in Vienna. Coenen et al [18] recognized the importance of social networks for niches which are stimulated by high trust arrangements and short geographical distances (i.e., geographic proximity).…”

Epistemic Regards on Food as a Commons: Plurality of Schools, Genealogy of Meanings, Confusing Vocabularies

“…Recommoning food systems may attack the legal and political scaffoldings that sustain the hegemony of the market and state elites over eaters (all) and food producers (more than 2 billion). Being so convivial, relational and important for individuals and societies, food is a perfect agent of change (McMichael, 2000) with transformative power (Vivero-Pol, 2017). Re-commoning food may help us re-creating sustainable forms of food production (agro-ecology), new collective practices of governance (food democracies), and alternative policies (food sovereignty) to regain control over the food system by the most relevant actors (eaters and producers) from the current dominant actors (agri-food corporations and governments).…”