from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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Food forestry, an advanced type of agroforestry, has become increasingly prevalent in the Netherlands. As food forests numbers increase, policy can no longer ignore this innovative approach to food production.
In a new JAFSCD article, “Understanding the emerging phenomenon of food forestry in the Netherlands: An assemblage theory approach,” Anna Roodhof presents initial findings of the food forestry phenomenon in the Netherlands based on a survey and unstructured interviews with five food forestry experts from the field. She demonstrates the heterogeneity of food forests and the complexity of the food forestry landscape and synthesizes the experiences of practitioners in this quickly evolving agricultural practice.
KEY FINDINGS
Most food forests are multifunctional and geared toward education, recreation, and nature conservation in addition to food production. Food forests are extremely heterogeneous in terms of size, orientation, and socio-geographical context.
Practitioners consider themselves pioneers who share a disposition that combines excitement, hope for the future, and a sense of insecurity. The grassroots nature of food forestry offers practitioners a sense of opportunity, but simultaneously manifests in infrastructural challenges (relating to laws, regulations, and financial opportunities) and misinformation.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
Descriptive and context-based evidence demonstrates that food forestry is a promising type of agriculture that provides much more than healthy and organic food products: it plays a role in reconnecting communities to nature and provides an array of ecosystem services. It offers both climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, which are necessary to secure food production for future generations. Besides ecological knowledge, food forestry currently requires considerable entrepreneurial know-how (because zoning laws often do not recognize food forestry as a land-use system) and personal assets (as financial possibilities are scarce).
Policies that recognize food forestry as a legitimate type of agriculture are necessary to help it proliferate and to encourage more farmers to adopt food forestry as at least part of their agricultural enterprise. Likewise, the availability of subsidies and loans could assist farmers in making the required investments. SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
Much more than food production: A new study by Anna Roodhof published in @JAFSCD presents the heterogeneity and multifunctionality of food forests in the Netherlands and discusses the necessary conditions for food forests to take a more prominent role in the transition towards local and sustainable food production. Read for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.018
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Photo above: Butterflies resting on an apple tree in a food forest in the Netherlands. Photo by author Anna Roodhof.
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Gardening at the Margins: Convivial Labor, Community, and Resistance, by Gabriel R. Valle; review by Max Sano
From the review: "Gardening on the Margins underscores the importance of engaging in anthropological research through community building. . . . [Valle] had the chance to meet with members of the La Mesa Verde community, many of whom are community gardeners who entered community gardening not just out of necessity to meet their needs but also through an 'ethic of care,' which the author defines as 'caring for others and the relationships that caring creates … make us human' (p. 8)."
Read the full review for free! |
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There is a growing awareness that the views of citizens must be taken into account when formulating policies so that legislative decisions align with public preferences. One way to achieve this is by organizing deliberative mini-publics (DMPs), which assemble random groups of citizens who represent a cross-section of society to engage in discussions about policy issues and to formulate recommendations.
In this new JAFSCD article, “Democratizing food systems: A scoping review of deliberative mini-publics in the context of food policy,” the authors explore the effectiveness of DMPs organized to address food policy issues. A literature review was conducted to examine the contexts in which food-related DMPs emerge, as well as their organizational characteristics, procedural qualities, and results.
KEY FINDINGS
Among the 24 studies of DMPs analyzed by the authors, there was significant diversity in policy themes, organizational formats, and recruitment and decision-making procedures. Participants reported that attending DMPs had been a positive experience and had increased their awareness of and ability to engage in food policy debates.
Only a handful of DMPs led to documented policy reforms.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH - To increase the policy impact of DMPs, more emphasis should be placed on post-deliberation dialogues with policymakers and food stakeholders.
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Consideration should also be given to organizing DMPs later in the policy-making cycle when different solutions are being debated, rather than convening citizens to discuss whether an issue should be put on the agenda.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
How can citizens get involved in food policy-making? Read a review of efforts to democratize food systems. #food #citizens #democracy #policymaking Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.019 |
Photo above: Members of the North American Food Systems Network at a strategic planning session.
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