Growing a Commons Food Regime: Theory and Practice

Growing a Commons Food Regime: Theory and Practice Thesis Submitted to University College London for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Marina Chang Development Planning Unit The Bartlett, Faculty of the Built Environment University College London 2013 Declaration of authorship I, Marina Chang, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. 2 Abstract Existing food regimes theory has a strong analytical power to help us understand the reality of contemporary global food politics and has a political commitment to provoke a new direction in our thinking. Yet, it falls short on how we can actually engage with such a change, especially with the pressing need for strategic alliances among multiple food movements which aim to advance a regime change. By exploring both theory and practice, this research addresses this gap and responds to a call for a new food regime in the 21st century. Firstly, this research proposes the notion of growing a commons food regime. With care as the core, an integrative framework for growing a commons food regime is presented, drawing on reviews of literature on food regimes theory, commons regimes, adaptive governance and critical food studies. This framework aims at building an adaptive capacity to transform the current food system towards sustainability. Secondly, applying the framework as ‘a tool of insight’, the current landscape of community food initiatives was investigated in order to identify implications and opportunities to grow a commons food regime in London. Finally, considering the significant role of universities in helping to form multiple and reciprocal connections with society; and as a catalyst and an experiment in integrating theory and practice in growing a commons food regime, a journey of university-led community food initiatives was carried out at University College London (UCL) as a case study. On reflection, the thesis suggests ways forward in continuing to grow care-based commons food regimes through community food initiatives at UCL. With our growing adaptive capacity, we might enter a new epoch of history. 3 Acknowledgments I had a great deal of help in producing this thesis, and help came at every step of the way. I would like to express my gratitude to all of those involved, and whose willingness to share their experiences and stories helped develop this piece of work. However, as hundreds of people were involved in some way in this project, any attempt to that everyone is bound to be incomplete. My apologies go to those who have been omitted due to limited space or a failure of memory. Special thanks go to my three supervisors Dr. Robert Biel, Professor Caren Levy and Professor Yves Cabannes for their guidance and encouragement, and more importantly, their unreserved trust that I would be able to overcome the anticipated and unanticipated challenges and finally produce this thesis. I would also like to sincerely thank a group of colleagues and friends from whom I received important support. These include: Lesley Acton, Adriana Allen, Pushpa Arabindoo, Camillo Boano, Piyapong Bossabong, John Braime, Ben Campkin, Fong-Yee Chan, Chia-Lin Chen, Clayton Chiang, Steve Cross, Julio Dávila, Shin- Shin E, Michael Edwards, Chloë Fèvre, Daniel Fitzpatrick, Victoria Foster, Matthew Gandy, Louise Gates, Khadija Gitay, Muki Haklay, Hao Zhen Han, Andrew Harris, Mary Hilson, Hilary Jackson, Dan-Azumi Jake, Sandra Jasper, Moses Mpuria Kindiki, Regan Koch, Chris Lemmens, Ming Leung, Lukas Meusburger, Hector Becerril Miranda, Gemma Moore, Kevin Morgan, Lucy Natarajan, Ian Needleman, Kaori O’Connor, Lila Oriard, Phil Paulo, Michel Pimbert, Jane Rendell, David Roberts, Ian Scott, Michael Stuart, Colin Tudge, Jim Tyson, Rita Valencia, Celina Veríssimo, Harry West, Sion Whellens, Michael Worton, Dafeng Xu and Karol Yanez. My heartfelt thanks go to Ian Fitzpatrick and Geoffrey Shepherd who read the manuscripts with great care and intelligence, and every page they touched they made better. Thanks also go to the financial support from UCL Research Challenges, UCL Public Engagement Unit, UCL Grand Challenges, UCL Graduate School, and Funds for Women Graduates (FfWG). I am likewise aware of my indebtedness to my family, for their generous support, not only during the last four years, but all those preceding. I am happily in their debt and send them a warm embrace. Finally, I dedicate this thesis to all those who care about growing a commons food regime. I thank all of you for keeping the water flowing, the food growing, the kitchen cooking, and our journey together continuing, and ultimately leading the world to enter a new epoch of history. 4 Contents Abstract �� 3 Acknowledgments �� 4 Contents �� 5 List of figures, tables and maps �� 7 � Chapter 1: Introduction �� 8 1�1 Responding to a call for a new food regime in the 21st century �� 9 1�2 Shaping an academic-activist identity for community food movements ��12 1�3 Research questions and structure of thesis ��16 � Chapter 2: Building Theoretical Foundations for Growing a Commons Food Regime ��17 2�1 Introduction ��18 2�2 Rethinking food regimes theory ��19 2�2�1 Background to food regimes theory ��19 2�2�2 An emerging new food regime? ��20 2�2�3 Reflections on food regimes theory towards sustainable transitions ��22 2�3 Exploring commons regimes in a complex world ��28 2�3�1 Another kind of regime: the rise of commons regimes in a complex world ��28 2�3�2 Challenges from anti-capitalist perspectives ��31 2�3�3 Reflections on optimising the scope of commons regimes ��35 2�4 Constructing an integrative framework for growing a commons food regime ��41 2�4�1 Shifting from food regimes theory to a commons food regime ��41 2�4�2 Care is the core of growing a commons food regime ��48 2�4�3 Constructing an integrative framework for growing a commons food regime ��58 2�5 Conclusion: entering a new epoch of history ��81 � Chapter 3: How Can We Grow a Commons Food Regime by Learning from Community Food Initiatives in London? ��83 3�1 Introduction: from theory to practice ��84 3�2 Methodology and methods��87 3�2�1 Scope, aims and objectives of investigation ��87 3�2�2 Investigating process ��89 3�2�3 Focusing on case studies ��95 3�2�4 Constant analysis and interpretation ��98 3�2�5 Research limitations ��99 3�3 Quilting the complexity of the current landscape of community food initiatives in London �� 101 3�3�1 Connecting the dots �� 102 3�3�2 Whose food knowledge counts? �� 110 3�3�3 It’s more than conducting a symphony! �� 117 3�3�4 Growing a new piece of the city �� 132 3�4 Conclusions and implications from the investigation �� 150 5 � Chapter 4: Growing a Commons

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