Neighbourhood Food Democracy: Participatory Food Asset Mapping in Vancouver’s Westside
Date
2024
Authors
Stepkina, Ksenia
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Abstract
Food insecurity represents a pervasive systemic issue that has a devastating population impact. Ordinary people, especially those most impacted by the failings of the food system, have little say in its governance. Food democracy aims to support regaining of the democratic control of the food system and enable its transformation by promoting active citizen participation in the decision-making processes. This research study presents a vignette to begin to consider potential pathways for supporting participation of equity-denied groups in addressing the issue that directly impacts them. Set in Vancouver’s Westside, this thesis explores the potential of participatory food asset mapping and a focus group discussion as tools for engagement of equity-denied groups in a democratic process. Based on the proposed conceptual framework of neighbourhood food democracy, these Community Based Participatory Action Research methods serve to support research objectives of community empowerment, knowledge co-creation and setting an agenda for social change. The research study engaged 15 community members with lived experience of food insecurity in the Westside in participatory mapping and focus group discussion. Participants identified neighbourhood food priorities, including values and barriers to local food access, as well as considered contributing systemic factors (knowledge co-creation). Participants suggested recommendations for the community, non-profit and public sectors to support community food security by maximizing value, reducing barriers to food access, and addressing systemic factors (agenda for social change). The research study validated the promise of CBPAR methods in supporting participation of equity-denied groups in a democratic process (community empowerment). To fully realize the promise of neighbourhood food democracy, the report recommends ongoing local opportunities for meaningful participation of marginalized groups in democratic processes on the issue that affects them.
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Keywords
food security, food asset mapping, community development, democracy, community-based participatory research