Agroecological localisation: a
core practice for ecological food
provision?
Jyotsna Ram
Department of Planning
j.ram@riseup.net
Outline
Theory - Alternative Food Networks (AFNs)
Agroecological localisation – the concept
Agroecological localisation in practice
(case studies)
Implications of agroecological localisation
Unresolved issues
Theory- Alternative Food Networks
What are AFNs?
“any set of production-consumption
relations which connects people through
food”. Such relations are encompassed in
single or a cluster of projects (Cox et al
2008,
Involve small-scale “local” farms;
reduce distance between producer
and consumers
Commitment to ethical values such as
ecological sustainability, social justice,
and community participating within
and ownership of the food system
Retail landscape very different from
the industrial food system – farmers
markets,.
Theory- Alternative Food Networks
Defining characteristic: Local/ locally rooted.
But what is ‘local’?
No fixed definition (Pearson et al 2011)
Not a fixed distance but “a process, or
aspiration, in terms of a direction to be
heading in, and hence encourage
continuous steps towards shortening the
food supply chain (Pearson et al 2011)
This means the form and shape of a local
food system will differ from locality to
locality
Theory- Alternative Food Networks
BUT BEWARE OF THE LOCAL TRAP!!! (Born and Purcell 2006; Dupuis and
Goodman 2005)
How to avoid the local trap but still reap the benefits of local food???
Practice localisation within an “ethics of care” (Holloway and Kneafsey
2004)
Agroecological localisation – the
concept
Localisation of a food system within an
“ethics of care”.
The ethics is ecological production,
trade, and consumption
Commitment to the production of
ecological food and the localisation
of the food system
Set of practices to realise this
commitment
Agroecological localisation in
practice
Examine PRODUCTION practices. Are these ecological?
Examine LOCALISATION practices ( for example
transportation, trade, others?)
Localisation practices
reduce food miles
foster a sense of community between producers,
consumers and relevant intermediaries
Facilitate fair exchange between producers and
consumers.
Ecological localisation practices, in addition to
agroecological production practices, include those that
improve the energy efficiencies of the distribution processes
Case studies
Production practices
Growing Communities and the Start Up Communities
Define sustainable food as food that is either certified
organic or biodynamic, sustainably foraged, or home
grown without the use of artificial fertilisers.
Do not source air freighted or ‘hothouse’ produce
Only support practices that involve organic soil and
wildlife management
Invest in local growing sites to increase local
ecological food production
Abundance
Foraging project – harvest wild food; use pruning and
grafting for pest management; plant new trees
Localisation practices
Growing Communities and
the Start Up Communities
Local trade and direct
sourcing; nurture local
businesses
Encourage a community Farmers Market
Transportation efficiencies
Box scheme are collection
only
Electric vehicles to drop off
boxes (London)
Producers collaborate on
deliveries
Localisation practices
Abundance
Does not
provide fruit all
year around
Creates
community
around harvest
celebrations
Implications of agroecological
localisation (AL)
Directs investment in previously ignored local assets
Local growing sites, local foraging opportunities, support
for local ecological producers
Leads to fairer terms of exchange and increases
sustainable trade
Furthers the debate on the relationship between non
local foods and local foods in an ecological food
system.
Unresolved issues?
Scalability of agroecological localisation practices?
Is it paradoxical to scale ‘local’ systems when local implies place
specific?
Scaling up vs. replication (Start up communities replicate rather
than scale up the Growing Communities model)
Balance of local and non-local foods?
Significant gap in knowledge
Agribusiness an obstacle to local ecological systems?
What is the relevance of agroecological localisation when local
climatic related disasters – e.g. recent flooding emergency –
impacts local harvest?
Thank you!
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