Food Policy Councils as Loci for Practising Food Democracy? Insights from the Case of Oldenburg, Germany

Annelie Sieveking

doi:10.17645/pag.v7i4.2081

Abstract

In the highly concentrated and consolidated 21st century food systems, a broad range of stakeholders are rarely involved in food-related decision-making processes. One innovative institutional response is the establishment of food policy councils (FPCs). These institutions are often initiated by civil society actors and seek to transform prevailing agro-industrial food systems. They aim to raise awareness for alternative practises of food consumption and production, and they try to shape food policies at different governance levels. FPCs have been acclaimed for their democratic potential in the past. This study uses the five key dimensions of food democracy identified by Hassanein (2008) to assess the ways in which FPCs might represent loci for practising food democracy. This is achieved by taking one of the first FPCs in Germany as an example. During a two-year study period (2016–2018), the emergence of the FPC Oldenburg was studied through participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Data analysis reveals examples of, as well as challenges related to, all five dimensions of food democracy. In addition, the in-depth analysis of the case also illustrates the importance of taking additional aspects into account, i.e., openness and transparency. Looking at an additional dimension of food democracy, which covers the “How?” of the deliberative process, might allow for a more nuanced analysis of the democratic potential of food initiatives in the future.

Highlights

In the highly concentrated and consolidated 21st century food system, citizen participation in food-related decision-making processes in Western democracies has mainly been limited to indirect control by representative democratic institutions
This study applied Hassanein’s five key dimensions of food democracy to food policy councils (FPCs), an emerging phenomenon that has been acclaimed for its democratic potential
Data analysis revealed that the FPC in Oldenburg, Germany, during its emerging phase provided a number of opportunities for learning, for sharing ideas, for experiencing capacities to act, and for developing a sense of care for food as a public good

Summary

Introduction

In the highly concentrated and consolidated 21st century food system, citizen participation in food-related decision-making processes in Western democracies has mainly been limited to indirect control by representative democratic institutions. These processes have been influenced by professional organizations and interest groups. These initiatives reflect new relationships between, on the one hand, civil society and markets (active involvement in re-constructing alternative systems of food provisioning) and, on the other hand, between civil society and public institutions Alternative food networks are but one example of the new connections which have emerged in recent decades (Goodman, Dupuis, & Goodman, 2012)

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