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Food Democracy from the Top Down? State-Driven Participation Processes for Local Food System Transformations towards Sustainability

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  • Jana Baldy

    (Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy, University of Freiburg, Germany)

  • Sylvia Kruse

    (Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy, University of Freiburg, Germany)

Abstract

Food democracy is a concept with growing influence in food policy research. It involves citizens regaining democratic control of the food system and enabling its sustainable transformation. In focusing mainly on civil society initiatives, food democracy research has so far neglected the potential of state-driven food-related participation processes. We base our study on qualitative interviews with local stakeholders in two smaller cities in southern Germany where the city administration and city council initiated participatory processes. The study aims to understand how local actors are framing state-driven participation processes concerning sustainable local food system transformation along key dimensions of food democracy. We identify eight categories that conceptually constitute food democracy: mutual knowledge exchange; legitimacy and credibility of knowledge claims; transparent processes for deliberating ideas; shared language for sharing ideas; expectations of and experience with efficacy; role model function of municipalities; raising awareness; and motivation and justification of the normative orientation. Furthermore, the empirical analysis shows that state actors can have important roles in food-related participation processes as potential initiators, shapers and implementers depending on how they interact with local food-related actors and how they design and coordinate food system transformation processes. This suggests that food democracy research should not necessarily conceptualize state actors, local entrepreneurs and citizens as opponents, but rather, should reconsider how these various actors can drive food democracy and citizenship in a supportive and coordinated way.

Suggested Citation

  • Jana Baldy & Sylvia Kruse, 2019. "Food Democracy from the Top Down? State-Driven Participation Processes for Local Food System Transformations towards Sustainability," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 68-80.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v:7:y:2019:i:4:p:68-80
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Carina Mueller & Christopher West & Mairon G. Bastos Lima & Bob Doherty, 2023. "Demand-Side Actors in Agricultural Supply Chain Sustainability: An Assessment of Motivations for Action, Implementation Challenges, and Research Frontiers," World, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Basil Bornemann & Sabine Weiland, 2019. "Editorial: New Perspectives on Food Democracy," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 1-7.
    4. Annelie Sieveking, 2019. "Food Policy Councils as Loci for Practising Food Democracy? Insights from the Case of Oldenburg, Germany," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 48-58.
    5. Viviana Lopez & Jenny Teufel & Carl-Otto Gensch, 2019. "How a Transformation towards Sustainable Community Catering Can Succeed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.
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    7. Dele Raheem & Arnaldo T. Soltermann & Laura Virginia Tamiozzo & Ariel Cogo & Leena Favén & Noor Jahan Punam & Claudio R. Sarmiento & Egidija Rainosalo & Franco Picco & Federico Morla & Armando Nilson , 2022. "Partnership for International Development: Finland–Argentina Conference on Circular Economy and Bioeconomy with Emphasis on Food Sovereignty and Sustainability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-22, February.
    8. Aintzira Oñederra-Aramendi & Mirene Begiristain-Zubillaga & Mamen Cuellar-Padilla, 2023. "Characterisation of food governance for alternative and sustainable food systems: a systematic review," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-32, December.
    9. Lena Partzsch & Jule Lümmen & Anne-Cathrine Löhr, 2022. "City networks’ power in global agri-food systems," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1263-1275, December.
    10. Kruse, Sylvia, 2021. "Akteure und ihre Beiträge zur großen Transformation in ausgewählten Handlungsfeldern. Transformation kommunaler Ernährungssysteme durch staatliche und nicht-staatliche Akteure," Forschungsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Hofmeister, Sabine & Warner, Barbara & Ott, Zora (ed.), Nachhaltige Raumentwicklung für die große Transformation - Herausforderungen, Barrieren und Perspektiven für Raumwissenschaften und Raumplanung, volume 15, pages 163-171, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
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    15. Karen Bassarab & Jill K. Clark & Raychel Santo & Anne Palmer, 2019. "Finding Our Way to Food Democracy: Lessons from US Food Policy Council Governance," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 32-47.
    16. Jeroen J. L. Candel, 2022. "Power to the people? Food democracy initiatives’ contributions to democratic goods," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1477-1489, December.

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