Citizen initiatives against the established food order Experiences from the perspective of urban agglomeration in Seville (Spain)
González Romero, Gema; López Casado, David
- Published
- 2022-10-02
- Language
- en
Abstract
The transition that has been taking place in recent decades towards a food regime marked by globalisation and financialisation is another of the consequences of the latest phase of the capitalist system. In the latter, the emphasis is on large-scale standardised production, with commercial distribution concentrated in large transnational corporations, which are the main players in the global agri-food organisation. In this context, both producers and consumers, who are increasingly distanced from each other, have limited decision-making capacity and are subject to the discretion and interests of regulatory institutions and financial markets. At the same time, criticism of the prevailing models of food production, distribution and consumption has spread, and a whole series of citizen movements and initiatives against the established food order have proliferated, coordinated by collectives and groups that strengthen links and interrelate to form a network. The objective of this paper is to analyse the territorial implications of alternative food networks, taking as a field of study the urban agglomeration of Seville, which ranks fourth in demographic importance in Spain. It is assumed that this type of network, although still an emerging phenomenon, has significant territorial repercussions for urban and peri-urban areas. The methodology applied is of a mixed nature: qualitative, based on semi-structured interviews and virtual observation; and quantitative, based on the analysis of databases and social networks. Throughout the research it has been found that the presence and scope of these networks must be related to the demographic size and social dynamism of the territory, the way in which the socio-labour structure withstood the financial crisis of 2008, the progressive nature of urban populations and, above all, the existence of social movements and associative fabrics that, from their community base (vindicatory and autonomous), can implement these types of experiences.
Full text
CITIZEN INITIATIVES AGAINST THE ESTABLISHED FOOD ORDER. EXPERIENCES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN AGLOMERATION IN SEVILLE (SPAIN) PhD Gema González-Romero PhD David López-Casado Universidad de Sevilla (Spain) Grant PID2019-105711RB-C62 funded by:
CITIZEN INITIATIVES AGAINST THE ESTABLISHED FOOD ORDER. EXPERIENCES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN AGLOMERATION IN SEVILLE (SPAIN) PhD Gema González-Romero PhD David López-Casado Department of Human Geography Universidad de Sevilla (Spain) Grant PID2019-105711RB-C62 funded by: 1. STATUS OF THE ISSUES 2. OBJETIVE 3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 4. CASE OF STUDY 5. METHODOLOGY 6. RESULTS 7. CONCLUSIONS SUMMARY
Gibson- Graham Leyshon North 2003 2005 Diverse economies Community economies Alternative economic spaces Alternative economic practices Diverse economies and alternative economic spaces Alternative economic and spaces Fickey Zademach & Hildebrand 2011 2020 … Alternative economic and Politic Sspaces 2010 Fuller 2013 Gibson- Graham Diverse economies 2007 2006 Gibson- Graham 1. STATUS OF THE ISSUES
Whatmore y Thorne, 1997 Marsden et al., 2000 Goodman et al, 2012 Kevin Morgan, Terry Marsden, and Jonathan Murdoch, 2009 Corsi et al, 2018 Kropps et al, 2021 1. STATUS OF THE ISSUES
ALTERNATIVE FOOD NETWORKS PRODUCTION TRADE CONSUMPTION •Community urban gardens •Associations of small producers •Seed banks •Farmer markets •Consumer groups •Cooperative of consumers Transformative proposals against the dominant model of food production, distribution and marketing based on new links and relations between producer- Consumers who, based on social ties, empower the population of a territory ensuring its economic and ecological sustainability. 1. STATUS OF THE ISSUES
2. OBJETIVE The objective of this paper is to analyze the territorial implications of alternative food networks, which are defined as modes of food supply that advocate new forms of producer-consumer relationship and collaboration 2. OBJETIVES
1. What presence do alternative food networks have in the Metropolitan Area of Seville? 2. How has it evolved? 3. Who are their actors? how do they connect? 4. What are the territorial implications of these food practices in the scope of study? Are there impacts at different scales? 5. Where are the production sites located? Where are the distribution spaces located? 3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
4. CASE OF STUDY
Interviewed actors Nª Farmer markets 2 Agro-ecological farmer 1 Coop. Of consumers 1 Associations of small producersconsumers 2 Environmental organizations 1 Researchers 1 Consumers 9 TOTAL 17 Quantitative approach Qualitative approach Social Networks Database Semi-structured interviews 5. METHODOLOGY
Where are the production sites located? Where are the distribution spaces located? 6. RESULTS
Alternative food networks proliferate in urban areas and arise associated with social movements that pursue the construction of an alternative distribution system and food order that aim at social and ecological transformation The crisis of 2008 favored its growth, as did other alternative economic practices in Seville and other Spanish cities. The social base on which alternative food networks are based is made up of culturally transforming agents, linked to social movements in defense of the environment, food sovereignty and communal goods, and facing globalization and capitalism. The actors establish a network of relationships based on mutual knowledge, collective trust and shared identities, which are key to their generation and reproduction. Its organization and operation are based on cross-cutting links, predominantly internal and local. 7. CONCLUSIONS
The intensity of the incorporation of territories into alternative food networks is related to the proximity to the city of Seville. The question of place is of great importance in the supply of products, especially when they are fresh The territorial distribution of alternative food networks is not homogeneous, since three main areas of concentration are observed: central city and suburban northern and western sectors. The concentration of alternative food practices in the northern sector of the Historic City Center coinciding with the sector where tourist processes are still limited. The spatial distribution of these producers is determined by the type of food they supply and the type of practice in which they participate. 7. CONCLUSIONS
Thank you for your attention Obrigado pela sua atenção Gema González- Romero gemagonzale[email protected] David López- Casado [email protected] Universidad de Sevilla (Spain) Grant PID2019-105711RB-C62 funded by:
