Boundary politics and the social imaginary for sustainable food systems

Abstract

In this essay, Kim Niewolny, current President of AFHVS, responds to the 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address given by Molly Anderson. Niewolny is encouraged by Anderson’s message of moving “beyond the boundaries” by focusing our gaze on the insurmountable un-sustainability of the globalized food system. Anderson recommends three ways forward to address current challenges. Niewolny argues that building solidarity with social justice movements and engendering anti-racist praxis take precedence. This work includes but is not limited to dismantling the predominance of neoliberal-fueled technocratic productivism in agricultural science and policy while firmly centering civil society collective action and human rights frameworks as our guiding imaginary for racial, gender, environmental, and climate justice possibilities for sustainable food systems praxis. She concludes by exploring the epistemic assertion to push beyond our professional and political imaginaries to build a more fair, just, and humanizing food system.

Building agroecological traction: Engaging discourse, the imaginary, and critical praxis for food system transformation

“…We believe that those moments of deliberation served as moments of generative awareness for many of our respondents. We suggest they represent a first step in critical praxis and building consciousness of alternative onto-epistemological realities (Niewolny, 2021). The respondents who noted their disciplinary assumptions made engaging with agroecological content difficult highlight the fact that imaginaries are composed of a widely shared set of norms, values, and beliefs.…”

AFHVS 2021 Presidential Address: critical praxis and the social imaginary for food systems transformation

“…As I have said before (see Niewolny, 2021), I am hopeful that the current moment helps us to create new conditions for the life-affirming possibilities we seek. To deliberately "unthink" the orthodoxies that govern our ideas of the possible-as critical praxis for food systems transformationis generative movement toward cultivating a new social imaginary that is more humane, compassionate, and just.…”

Local food systems, citizen and public science, empowered communities, and democracy: hopes deserving to live

“…Among the strengths and issues identified in the numerous AHV journal articles from multiple continents are: the differences in commitment, racial membership, and economic risks among low and high income households (e.g., Galt et al 2017;Delind 1999), their innovative and transformative potential (e.g., Mert-Cakal &Miele 2020), andsocial, cultural, economic &Gugerell 2021;Candel 2022); and rights-based food systems (Anderson 2008). Broader approaches have also been proposed such as transitions to sustainability and moving beyond boundaries (Hinrichs (2008(Hinrichs ( , 2014Niewolny 2021). Each of these perspectives and social movements have made significant contributions.…”