Social, cultural, political, and human capital perceptions by young food system professionals

Abstract

The Community Capitals (CCs) model has been applied to numerous food systems and community development efforts. This paper utilizes the CCs framework to understand how it informs the oper­ations of food system organizations in Vermont. We focus on four capitals without clear units of measurement: social, human, cultural, and political. These capitals have been highlighted in previous research as being less commonly and easily identi­fied by food systems stakeholders. We conducted interviews with 10 early-career professionals across the state. The purpose of the inquiry was to meas­ure how our respondents understand these capitals and how they underpin the respondents’  work. Questions focused on how respondents and their organizations define and operationalize these four capitals and their roles in food resilience. Respond­ents emphasized the value of investing in collabo­rative relationships, recognizing experiential knowl­edge, supporting advocacy efforts, and actively addressing equity concerns. This study contributes to a broader understanding of how CCs support resilient food systems. Future research could further explore how to address diversity gaps in food system networks and promote collaboration.