from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD is the world’s only community-supported journal. JAFSCD content is open access (free) thanks to the generous support of our shareholders: the JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium, Library Shareholders, a growing number of Individual Shareholders, and our six JAFSCD Partners: |
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JAFSCD SPECIAL SECTION OF PAPERS |
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JAFSCD has begun publishing a special set of papers in response to the call for papers on community-based circular food systems (C-B CFSs): local and regional food systems that emphasize a community’s health and well-being while minimizing waste and protecting shared natural resources. From North America to Ireland and Pakistan, accepted papers and commentaries range from human, household, and community-level waste recycling to efforts to create circular food systems through community farming and value chains. Over the next few weeks, the News Flash share out the published articles; see the latest one below!
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Margriet Goris (Wageningen University & Research), Daphne Schoop (Wageningen Research), Dirk Roep (Wageningen University), and Jan Hassink (Wageningen Research)
Values-based territorial food networks (VTFNs) hold immense potential for reshaping our food supply, but little is known about how they bring about change. In a new JAFSCD article, Relational autonomy highlights how interdependencies shift in the transformation of food provisioning, authors Goris, Schoop, Roep and Hassink present findings from narrative interviews and observations during fieldwork in three different VFTNs in The Netherlands.
They aimed to understand how shifts in interdependencies in VTFNs come about and what this means for autonomy in food provisioning. The scholars show how mutual autonomy is promoted in relationships among farmers, livestock, soil life, plants, citizens by creating opportunities, rights, respect, trust, and capacities, among others. They state that autonomy is not an individual matter but is created in relationships of interdependency.
This helps us explain how people and nature depend on each other. For example, when we stop using agrochemicals, we depend more on natural processes and other market relations. To make this work, farmers and rural workers need to be able to mimic those natural processes and to be able to create a fairer food market where everyone shares the risks, acknowledging mutual vulnerabilities and interdependencies.
Corresponding author Margriet Goris can be contacted at margriet.goris@wur.nl.
KEY FINDINGS In VTFNs opportunities, rights, trust, and capacities are created for a future-proof farming;
In VTFNs, diverse professionals participate. To promote in-depth peer learning and a critical mass of farmers in their negotiation with a buyer, it is essential that farmers are next to food networks, living labs also self-organized based on a shared customer, whether this is the government, a company or food network.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE POLICY: In green education, more attention is needed for re-arranging market relations, contracts with buyers, negotiation skills, and reformulating contracts for sustainable purchasing, among other things. PRACTICE: Relevant questions for practice are: with whom do you want to be interdependent in producing or buying food? And how can we achieve mutual autonomy in our relations? - RESEARCH: In VTFNs, interdependencies shift, and research is needed about the new interdependencies created.
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In values-based territorial food networks in the Netherlands, mutual autonomy is promoted in relations among farmers, livestock, soil life, plants, and citizens by creating opportunities, rights, respect, trust, and capacities among others. For example, one of the farmers in this study lets his roosters mature. The roosters can grow up and the farmer has extra meat in their range. Scholars Goris, Schoop, Roep and Hassink show that autonomy is not an individual matter but is created, promoted, or impaired in relations. Read the entire @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.142.009
Photo above: Members visit the local food forest. Photo provided by VOKO Utrecht. |
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JOB OPPORTUNITY IN VALUE CHAIN COORDINATION! |
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The Food Connection at the University of Kentucky (TFC) is seeking a Post Doctoral Scholar to conduct applied research on value chain coordination (VCC) in local and regional food systems.
This is a unique and high-impact postdoctoral researcher position, created in partnership with TFC, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Local and Regional Foods Division (LRFD), and the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD). The postdoctoral researcher will lead a novel multi-institution research initiative that results in scholarly publications, stakeholder-facing technical assistance resources, and policy recommendations at local, regional, and national scales. Hybrid remote/on-site (Lexington, KY) applicants are welcome!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO APPLY | |
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JAFSCD SHAREHOLDER SECTION |
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