Boundary politics and the social imaginary for sustainable food systems

Kim L Niewolny

doi:10.1007/s10460-021-10214-0

Abstract

In this essay, Kim Niewolny, current President of AFHVS, responds to the 2020 AFHVS Presidential Address given by Molly Anderson. Niewolny is encouraged by Anderson’s message of moving “beyond the boundaries” by focusing our gaze on the insurmountable un-sustainability of the globalized food system. Anderson recommends three ways forward to address current challenges. Niewolny argues that building solidarity with social justice movements and engendering anti-racist praxis take precedence. This work includes but is not limited to dismantling the predominance of neoliberal-fueled technocratic productivism in agricultural science and policy while firmly centering civil society collective action and human rights frameworks as our guiding imaginary for racial, gender, environmental, and climate justice possibilities for sustainable food systems praxis. She concludes by exploring the epistemic assertion to push beyond our professional and political imaginaries to build a more fair, just, and humanizing food system.

Highlights

I argue these challenges include dismantling the predominance of neoliberal-fueled technocratic productivism in agricultural science and policy while firmly centering civil society collective action and human rights frameworks as our guiding imaginary for racial, gender, environmental, and climate justice possibilities for sustainable food systems praxis
We need to explore more deeply, widely, and compassionately to learn how people near and far are meeting their food system challenges. She recommends three strategies to push the boundaries “that are holding back progress” on addressing some our greatest food system issues. These approaches include: 1) engaging more intentionally with international opportunities and colleagues from governmental to civil society organizations to refine our critiques of the globalized food system, 2) interacting and organizing with global social movements to build new alternatives, and 3) committing to anti-racist work to seek a deeper understanding of the way structural and institutional racism in our food system operates while developing a pathway to action to help dismantle the attitudes, practices, and structures that hold racism in place
What I found most satisfying about Anderson’s calls for action is the underlying assertion that food scholars and change makers need to push beyond our professional and political imaginaries to help build a more fair and humanizing system

Summary

Introduction

I argue these challenges include dismantling the predominance of neoliberal-fueled technocratic productivism in agricultural science and policy while firmly centering civil society collective action and human rights frameworks as our guiding imaginary for racial, gender, environmental, and climate justice possibilities for sustainable food systems praxis.

Results

Conclusion