Paid Work, Unpaid Work, and Economic Viability in Alternative Food Initiatives: Reflections from Three Boston Urban Agriculture Endeavors

Carole Biewener

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2016.062.019

Abstract

This article addresses issues related to paid work, unpaid work, and economic viability in alternative food initiatives (AFIs) by comparing three urban agriculture entities in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. The discussion is framed in terms of what constitutes alternative economic practices. Three standards of assessment are used in the analysis: First, that of whether the AFIs are able to provide good jobs along with good food; second, the extent to which the AFIs engage in alternative economic practices by relying on non-exploitative forms of work; and third, the extent to which they foster spaces for enabling progressive social change by engaging in a reflexive local politics oriented toward creating sustainable, democratic, and equitable community food systems. Preliminary research indicates that the three AFIs surveyed represent a spectrum with respect to their ability to provide good jobs, their non-exploitative economic practices, and the extent to which they foster spaces for enabling a reflexive food politics. Given that the economic viability of all three AFIs depends on a significant amount of unpaid work, the discussion concludes by reflecting on the nature and implications of unpaid work by addressing three questions: How is unpaid work understood and fostered by these AFIs; what are the conditions that enable it; and is it indicative of alternative, noncapitalist economic logics and practices?

Highlights

While much has been written about the sustainability of alternative food initiatives (AFIs) with respect to environmental concerns, less attention has been paid to the factors that shape the economic sustainability and viability of alternative endeavors, especially with regard to the labor that is performed within them
This paper considers issues related to food work and economic viability by offering an analysis framed in terms of what constitutes alternative economic practices
Three AFIs in Boston are discussed, all of which are engaged in some form of urban agriculture: Higher Ground Farm, a commercial, for-profit enterprise; City Growers, a social enterprise that pursues both economic and social returns; and The Food Project, a nonprofit with a mission of “engaging young people in personal and social change through sustainable agriculture”

Summary

Introduction

While much has been written about the sustainability of alternative food initiatives (AFIs) with respect to environmental concerns, less attention has been paid to the factors that shape the economic sustainability and viability of alternative endeavors, especially with regard to the labor that is performed within them. Initiatives that combine a concern with providing good jobs, non-exploitative labor practices, and a reflexive food politics oriented toward building equitable and sustainable community food systems—as in the case of City Growers and The Food Project—provide a better alternative economic model. Given the difficulties of providing decently paid farm jobs in any farming operation, HGF will likely face considerable challenges achieving this At best it will become a commercially viable (i.e., profitable) small business, owned and operated by two relatively privileged people (both are college-educated, white, and middleclass), with its alternative character relying on its being small, local, and able to produce some amount of good food in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner. The longer-term hope is to acquire 10 to 15 acres (4 to 6 ha), which would allow farmers to grow on multiple intensive minifarms, potentially reaching US$1,000,000 in sales (assuming earnings of US$4,000 per week per acre) (Rajewski, 2011, para. 27)

Length of Growing Season

Total Revenue

Findings

Youth Development Programs