Beyond markets: food poverty and the noncommercial food system

Abstract

ABSTRACT Food poverty, or household food insecurity, has been a growing phenomenon in high-income countries as a result of neoliberal reforms. In this paper, we advance the idea of a noncommercial food system which, we argue, differs from conventional and alternative food systems in that it does not entail a profit motive, and we examine its potential contribution to alleviating food poverty. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in 2017 with organizations and groups involved in the noncommercial food system in Auckland, New Zealand, it highlights the importance of collaborations and networks and how the sharing of resources, knowledge, and skills enables and sustains local initiatives that contribute to alleviating the effects, but not the root causes, of food poverty. Two key findings emerged from this study. First, the noncommercial food system can contribute to addressing food poverty in both direct and indirect ways, and a key factor that enables this is through collaboration and resource sharing between actors. Second, actors face challenges related to resource constraints which limit the scope, scale, reach, and sustainability of their activities. Therefore, we argue that the State needs to play a pivotal and active role in addressing both the causes and consequences of food poverty.