Abstract
Agrifood chains are complex systems; they encompass biological, economic, social, health and political variables at different scales (e.g., on-farm, local, regional, national and global). Consequently, what enables a food system to achieve ‘sustainability’ is also complex. This is particularly the case in small-scale societies in developing nations which are socially constituted. In this paper we posit that a habitus of informality underpins food systems’ sustainability in these societies. We argue that conventional applications of approaches like the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Circles of Sustainability (CoS) frameworks fail to assist understanding of sustainability in informal socio-economic systems because they either place too much emphasis on economic growth (TBL) or underplay the strength of socio–cultural obligations and responsibilities (CoS). This is seen in international aid programs that encourage economic growth in the agrifood sector, which is challenging for villages in such societies. We review data from two Pacific Island countries—Tonga and Solomon Islands—to demonstrate the need for a more holistic way to think about sustainability in informal agrifood systems in small-scale developing nations. We demonstrate the value of employing a Hybrid Value Chain Framework for collecting information necessary to understanding how sustainability is constituted in the food systems of small-scale societies.
Highlights
In 2014, the FAO [1] produced a report entitled “Developing Sustainable Food Value Chains: Guiding Principles”
In order to gain an insight into sustainability in food chains in small-scale societies, we briefly review the literature on: food chains as complex systems; sustainability; sustainable development and sustainability of communities; the use of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Circles of Sustainability (CoS) approaches to sustainability
We address the knowledge gap in understanding social complexity as it contributes to the sustainability of small-scale communities, and entwined with this, the overarching food systems that sustain those communities
Summary
In 2014, the FAO [1] produced a report entitled “Developing Sustainable Food Value Chains: Guiding Principles”. Multiple challenges have to be tackled simultaneously in order to truly break poverty cycles This in turn implies the need for collaboration among the various stakeholders in a value chain, including farmers, agribusinesses, governments and civil society. Improvements to the value chain must be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable: the so-called triple bottom line of profit, people and planet” (emphasis added). This is a valuable statement that links sustainability and food system dynamics to the alleviation of poverty in many developing countries. We address the knowledge gap in understanding social complexity as it contributes to the sustainability of small-scale communities, and entwined with this, the overarching food systems that sustain those communities. The implications for the delivery of Foreign Aid to developing nations, where agriculture is still based on a socially weighted economy, is discussed in the light of this
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