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Food Systems Sustainability: An Examination of Different Viewpoints on Food System Change

Author

Listed:
  • Gareth Haysom

    (African Centre for Cities, EGS Building, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa)

  • E. Gunilla Almered Olsson

    (School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Box 700, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Mirek Dymitrow

    (Mistra Urban Futures, Chalmers University of Technology, Läraregatan 3, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
    Unit for Human Geography, Department of Economy and Society, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 625, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Paul Opiyo

    (Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kisumu 40100, Kisumu County, Kenya)

  • Nick Taylor Buck

    (The Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, 219 Portobello Street, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK)

  • Michael Oloko

    (Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kisumu 40100, Kisumu County, Kenya)

  • Charlotte Spring

    (The Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, 219 Portobello Street, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK)

  • Kristina Fermskog

    (City of Gothenburg, Department of Environment, Box 7012, 402 31 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Karin Ingelhag

    (Business Region Gothenburg, City Hall, SE-404 82 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Shelley Kotze

    (Mistra Urban Futures, Chalmers University of Technology, Läraregatan 3, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
    Business Region Gothenburg, City Hall, SE-404 82 Gothenburg, Sweden)

  • Stephen Gaya Agong

    (Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kisumu 40100, Kisumu County, Kenya)

Abstract

Global food insecurity levels remain stubbornly high. One of the surest ways to grasp the scale and consequence of global inequality is through a food systems lens. In a predominantly urban world, urban food systems present a useful lens to engage a wide variety of urban (and global) challenges—so called ‘wicked problems.’ This paper describes a collaborative research project between four urban food system research units, two European and two African. The project purpose was to seek out solutions to what lay between, across and within the different approaches applied in the understanding of each city’s food system challenges. Contextual differences and immediate (perceived) needs resulted in very different views on the nature of the challenge and the solutions required. Value positions of individuals and their disciplinary “enclaves” presented further boundaries. The paper argues that finding consensus provides false solutions. Rather the identification of novel approaches to such wicked problems is contingent of these differences being brought to the fore, being part of the conversation, as devices through which common positions can be discovered, where spaces are created for the realisation of new perspectives, but also, where difference is celebrated as opposed to censored.

Suggested Citation

  • Gareth Haysom & E. Gunilla Almered Olsson & Mirek Dymitrow & Paul Opiyo & Nick Taylor Buck & Michael Oloko & Charlotte Spring & Kristina Fermskog & Karin Ingelhag & Shelley Kotze & Stephen Gaya Agong, 2019. "Food Systems Sustainability: An Examination of Different Viewpoints on Food System Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:12:p:3337-:d:240382
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alison Blay-Palmer & Guido Santini & Jess Halliday & Roman Malec & Joy Carey & Léo Keller & Jia Ni & Makiko Taguchi & René van Veenhuizen, 2021. "City Region Food Systems: Building Resilience to COVID-19 and Other Shocks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-19, January.
    2. Shelley Kotze & Mirek Dymitrow, 2022. "North–South research collaborations: An empirical evaluation against principles of transboundary research," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(2), March.
    3. Dymitrow Mirek, 2019. "The concept of ‘rural’ as a psychosocial process: From concept attainment to concept unlearning," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 38(4), pages 15-28, December.
    4. Rumana Akter & Shakuntala H. Thilsted & Nazia Hossain & Hiroe Ishihara & Nobuyuki Yagi, 2019. "Fish is the Preferred Animal-Source Food in the Rural Community of Southern Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-13, October.
    5. Ludmiła Filina-Dawidowicz & Anna Wiktorowska-Jasik, 2022. "Contemporary problems and challenges of sustainable distribution of perishable cargoes: Case study of Polish cold port stores," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 4434-4450, March.
    6. Wendy Geza & Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi & Rob Slotow & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, 2022. "The Dynamics of Youth Employment and Empowerment in Agriculture and Rural Development in South Africa: A Scoping Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, April.

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