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Food for Alternative Thoughts: An investigation into the practices and challenges of alternative food initiatives

Visser, Vera Norien LU (2024) HEKM51 20241
Department of Human Geography
Human Ecology
Abstract
In the capitalist system, there is a need to envision alternatives that advocate for a more just and sustainable world. Alternative scholarships, such as degrowth, aim to counter the hegemonic narrative of food commodification by promoting practices that put social and environmental well-being at the forefront. This ethnographic research outlines the alternative strategies of tackling food waste and surplus. Namely, in investigating the practices of and challenges experienced by alternative food initiatives in the Öresund region. Contributing to the alternative organising landscape, the initiatives distinguish themselves by favouring bottom-up inclusion, creating spaces of solidarity and care and/or directly criticising capitalism. They do... (More)
In the capitalist system, there is a need to envision alternatives that advocate for a more just and sustainable world. Alternative scholarships, such as degrowth, aim to counter the hegemonic narrative of food commodification by promoting practices that put social and environmental well-being at the forefront. This ethnographic research outlines the alternative strategies of tackling food waste and surplus. Namely, in investigating the practices of and challenges experienced by alternative food initiatives in the Öresund region. Contributing to the alternative organising landscape, the initiatives distinguish themselves by favouring bottom-up inclusion, creating spaces of solidarity and care and/or directly criticising capitalism. They do so through decommodification practices of labour (i.e. non-monetised work) and resources (i.e. food rescue and distribution). However, these examples have also portrayed that they cannot be completely divorced from the capitalist context. Overproduction, caused by capitalism, instigates the increased amount of excess food that these initiatives need to exist. Nevertheless, alternative practices are required to demonstrate that there are other and sustainable-just ways of organising food: to view food as a basic necessity and not as a commodity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Visser, Vera Norien LU
supervisor
organization
course
HEKM51 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
alternative organising, degrowth, labour decommodification, resource decommodification, ethnography, alternative food initiatives
language
English
id
9174377
date added to LUP
2024-09-16 08:43:58
date last changed
2024-09-16 08:43:58
@misc{9174377,
  abstract     = {{In the capitalist system, there is a need to envision alternatives that advocate for a more just and sustainable world. Alternative scholarships, such as degrowth, aim to counter the hegemonic narrative of food commodification by promoting practices that put social and environmental well-being at the forefront. This ethnographic research outlines the alternative strategies of tackling food waste and surplus. Namely, in investigating the practices of and challenges experienced by alternative food initiatives in the Öresund region. Contributing to the alternative organising landscape, the initiatives distinguish themselves by favouring bottom-up inclusion, creating spaces of solidarity and care and/or directly criticising capitalism. They do so through decommodification practices of labour (i.e. non-monetised work) and resources (i.e. food rescue and distribution). However, these examples have also portrayed that they cannot be completely divorced from the capitalist context. Overproduction, caused by capitalism, instigates the increased amount of excess food that these initiatives need to exist. Nevertheless, alternative practices are required to demonstrate that there are other and sustainable-just ways of organising food: to view food as a basic necessity and not as a commodity.}},
  author       = {{Visser, Vera Norien}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Food for Alternative Thoughts: An investigation into the practices and challenges of alternative food initiatives}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}