Barriers to Implementing a Successful Urban Food Strategy in Amsterdam
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Bachelor’s Thesis Barriers to Implementing a Successful Urban Food Strategy in Amsterdam Exploring the nature of Amsterdam’s approach to food policy and its limits for success A.E. Kuhlmann 10737247 [email protected] Urban Studies, Faculty GPOI, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands Supervision: B. Pineda Revilla Second Reader: M. Giezen Submission date: 19 June 2017 A.E. Kuhlmann – Bachelor’s Thesis Abstract The failings of the current food system that emerge in the form of environmental degradation, health problems, extensive food waste and social injustice increasingly play out on an urban scale. Many urban municipalities in the US and Canada have established (and in Europe are establishing) integrative food policy to achieve a sustainable food system. In Amsterdam the societal support for and interest in such a transition of the food system is high. Regardless of several attempts for an urban food strategy (UFS) over the last decade the municipality does not yet exhibit any form of effective integrative food policy. In order to assess why this is the case this research analyses the process of Amsterdam’s approach to food policy, the content of the various food-related policy documents as well as the role that the players of urban governance have in the implementation of an UFS. This results in the identification of barriers that have restrained the implementation of an UFS. These include the lack of governmental commitment, and thus vision, and leadership, the difficulties of reconfiguring urban governance according to new requirements and the gap between small-scale initiatives of the civil society and globalised and industrialised market players. Key words Urban food strategy, Barriers, Policy implementation, Urban governance 2 A.E. Kuhlmann – Bachelor’s Thesis Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to thank Beatriz Pineda Revilla for her supervision and support. Her patience and kind advice helped me to find my research focus and her enthusiasm about the topic aided the practical realisation of this thesis. Further I would like to thank all my study participants for making time for me in their busy schedules and their openness and content- related input. I am also grateful for the long brainstorm sessions with my family and friends, outstandingly Remco van Dam, and their practical advice and feedback on my work. A great thanks goes out to my parents; without their support this study in the Netherlands, and thus this thesis, would not have been possible. Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation for Amsterdam for welcoming me, being ever inspiring and offering such a suitable case study for my research. 3 A.E. Kuhlmann – Bachelor’s Thesis Contents 1 Introduction 5 2 Theoretical Background 7 2.1 Food Policy 7 2.2 Urban Food Strategy and Governance 8 2.3 Implications of Implementing Urban Food Strategies 10 3 Research Methodology 12 3.1 Research Strategy & Design: A Case Study Research 12 3.2 Collecting Data 12 3.2.1 Semi-structured Interviews 12 3.2.2 Documents 13 3.3 Analysing and Interpreting Data – Coding Qualitative Data 13 4 Case Study Results: Amsterdam’s Approach to Food Policy & Barriers 15 4.1 Food Policy in Amsterdam 15 4.1.1 Proeftuin Amsterdam 15 4.1.2 Voedselvisie 16 4.1.4 Agenda Groen 17 4.1.3 Voedsel Informatie Punt: Van Amsterdamse Bodem 17 4.1.5 Amsterdamse Aanpak Gezond Gewicht 17 4.1.6 Voedselagenda voor Veilig, Gezond en Duurzaam Voedsel 18 4.1.7 City Deal: Voedsel op de Stedelijke Agenda 18 4.1.8 Milan Food Policy Pact 18 4.2 Initiatives in Amsterdam 19 4.3 Barriers 20 4.3.1 Government 20 4.3.1.1 Commitment 20 4.3.1.2 Fragmentation 22 4.3.1.3 Leadership 24 4.3.1.4 Electoral Cycle 25 4.3.1.5 Coordination of Scale 26 4.3.2 Civil Society 27 4.3.2.1 Societal Pressure 27 4.3.2.2 Stakeholder Diversity 28 4.3.2.3 Diverging Interests 28 4.3.3 Market 29 4.3.3.1 Economic Interests 29 5 Discussion 31 6 Conclusion 34 6.1 Amsterdam’s Approach to Food Policy 34 6.2 Barriers to Implementing UFS in Amsterdam 34 7 References 36 8 Appendix 40 4 A.E. Kuhlmann – Bachelor’s Thesis 1 Introduction The global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050 (United Nations 2015). This growth of the global population necessitates agricultural intensification, which leads to food systems applying increasing pressure on the environment. Environmental problems in relation to the food system are numerous, ranging from soil erosion and extensive water use to the immense loss of biodiversity and habitat fragmentation (Vermeulen et al 2012). The agricultural sector is extremely energy intensive due to activities such as fertilisation and transportation and is thus a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions (ibid). Emissions caused by the food system contribute almost 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions (ibid). Within food production the most energy inefficient and carbon intensive sector is livestock rearing, which not only causes environmental damage, but raises questions of animal welfare as well. Additionally, excessive meat consumption negatively impairs human health (Jennings et al 2015). Simultaneously an increasing number of people are moving towards cities. These people subsequently consume food in an urban setting. Thereby the city’s share of pressure on natural environments rises, such that issues connected to food are becoming increasingly urban (Morgan & Sonnino 2010). While cities in the Global North might not be faced with imminent hunger crises and seem food secure in comparison to places in the global south where food security is a more pressing topic, problems concerning food persist (Morgan 2014). These include problems related to health, either malnutrition or overconsumption, leading to obesity and diabetes; globally, 44% of diabetes, 23% of ischemic heart disease and 7-41% of certain cancers are caused by overweight and obesity (Moragues et al 2013). About 43 million people are estimated to be at risk of food poverty in Europe, which points to the persisting problems of social justice in relation to food (FAO 2009). This is opposed by the immense amount of food is being thrown out by households; food waste by consumers is 95-115 kg per capita a year in Europe (Gustavsson et al 2011). At the same time food contributes substantially to national economies, necessitating the maintenance of the food system’s economic vitality (Jennings et al 2015). This multitude of issues illustrates that food requires an interdisciplinary approach in theory and an integrated approach in practice (Morgan & Sonnino 2010). Due to food being an increasingly urban issue, this practical approach should take place on an urban scale. In order to solve problems concerning the food system, scientists agree that food needs to be incorporated into urban planning, just as any other vital resource, such as energy and water (Morgan & Sonnino 2010). Many municipal governments of cities have in fact recently approached food; food policy councils and food visions are emerging (Sonnino 2014). Also the municipal government of Amsterdam has the motivation to increase the sustainability of the city in terms of the food system (Gemeente Amsterdam 2014). Moreover, there is, or at least was, a clear intention in the form of an ambitious food vision to act on this motivation (ibid). However, critics argue that the municipal government exhibits a lack of action when it comes to the execution of the Voedselvisie (Food Cabinet 2015, Versprille 2016). It is opaque what restrains the municipal government from successfully implementing an urban food strategy. 5 A.E. Kuhlmann – Bachelor’s Thesis Even so, little research exists concerning the analysis of these new urban food strategies in regard to their motivation and intended effects as well as their meaning in a broader transition towards a more sustainable1, equitable and healthy food system (Sonnino 2014). Additionally, Morgan & Sonnino (2010) emphasise the necessity to clarify the consequences of the implementation of integrative food policy for urban governance. In order to clarify these uncertainties, it is first of all necessary to determine the barriers of implementing a successful urban food strategy. Considering that Amsterdam has not yet successfully implemented an UFS even though societal support is substantial, it appears that it is most suitable to analyse what has and is restraining this process. Drivers for implementation of municipal urban food strategies have been analysed elsewhere (Mansfield & Mendes 2013), as well as barriers that restrain the implementation of more general sustainability policies (Campbell 1996, Bulkeley & Betsill 2005, Mendes 2008). Therefore, this research sets out to somewhat fill this gap, namely the intersection between urban food strategies and the factors that might restrain their successful implementation. Thereby it will explore the case study of Amsterdam’s approach to food policy, and in particular to an urban food strategy. This case study approach is helpful because cities differ greatly in their geographical, cultural and managerial properties, thus making a context-dependent approach necessary to answer this question. This research lays the basis for achieving a successful urban food strategy that results in meaningful change in terms of sustainability of the food system that considers the local context of Amsterdam. The findings of this research contribute to a wider understanding of the role that urban food strategies have in a highly needed shift of the food system towards sustainability. This research therefore poses the question: ‘What are the barriers to successfully implementing an urban food strategy in Amsterdam?’ In order to answer this question, it firstly presents the Amsterdam’s current approach to food policy and the process towards it. Therefore, the sub question is: ‘What is the development of Amsterdam’s current approach to food policy?’ This research thus aims at determining what restrains Amsterdam’s urban food strategy from being successfully implemented.