Organising Food Systems Through Ecologies of Care

Abstract

We propose a conceptual framework based on ecologies of care to examine how the organising of local food systems can flourish and become more resilient. The concept of ecologies of care brings together theoretical understandings of relationality, ecology, care along with an Aotearoa New Zealand indigenous perspective. We examine how local food production can be underpinned by interdependent webs of relationships (whanaungatanga), stewardship (kaitiakitanga), and care and support (manaakitanga) with healthy land and healthy people at the core of organising and governance.