Integrated Food Systems Governance

Scaling Equitable and Transformative Food Initiatives through Scholar-Activist Engagement

Abstract

Community-based efforts to transform food sys­tems involve a diverse range of actors and increas­ingly attempt to focus on public engagement in policymaking processes. These initiatives often emphasize opportunities for more participatory forms of engagement rooted in systems thinking, which recognizes the interconnections between environmental, social, and economic injustices. Similarly, food systems scholars are increasingly engaged in participatory action projects seeking to make productive linkages between academic research, policymakers, and community organiza­tions in search of tangible food systems change. This collective essay, based on a roundtable discus­sion at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) in New Orleans, describes integrated food governance pro­cesses currently underway—particularly those engaging anchoring institutions from civil society, government, and academia—to demonstrate both the promise and the challenges of networked gov­ernance efforts in pursuing more equitable food systems. In particular, we focus on how differing anchor institutions engage in translocal govern­ance, coalition building, and adaptation. This research contributes to literature and practice on food systems governance, systems thinking, and anchoring institutions by proposing an analytical framework and providing a series of case studies of integrated governance initiatives for pursuing social and ecological justice in food systems.