TO FIGHT FOR FOOD? AUSTERITY AGENDAS AND THE LIMITS OF A TORONTO FOOD MOVEMENT LED BY NON-PROFITS LAURA LEPPER A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN GEOGRAPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN GEOGRAPHY YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO September 2012 © Laura Lepper, 2012 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du 1+1 Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-91773-2 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-91773-2 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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Canada Abstract In the face of municipal budget cuts in Toronto in 2011,1 studied the position of food security initiatives as a starting point to explore the political possibilities of the current food movement in the city. An understanding of the role food insecurity plays in the dynamics of neoliberal capitalist accumulation is necessary in order to assess the opportunities and limitations in current solutions offered by food movement practices. I discuss themes that arose from interviews with thirteen key informants from ten food security initiatives regarding the ability to respond to an austerity agenda and engage in political struggle for food. Ultimately I argue that there are significant limitations to making political gains around food security in a movement led by non-profits. Rather, building mass movements, with Indigenous sovereignty as a foundation, is necessary to achieve the revolutionary social change required to have access to healthy food for all. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract................................................................................................................................ ii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................iii Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 Method .................................................................................................................... 13 Chapters Outline ......................................................................................................20 Chapter Two: Austerity and Food Security ....................................................................... 24 Food Security under Neoliberal Capitalism in Food Movement Studies and Practice..................................................................................................................... 25 The Nature of Food Movement Practice .................................................................28 Capitalism and Food Security................................................................................. 30 The Neoliberal Project .............................................................................................35 Recent Austerity Attacks in Toronto...................................................................... 40 Activism in a Neoliberal Urban Context ...............................................................46 Downloading to the Third Sector ........................................................................... 48 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................50 Chapter Three: The Limits of Non-Profits ......................................................................... 51 Why Study Non-profits?.........................................................................................52 Neoliberal Urbanism and the Rise of Non-Profits ................................................ 55 Toronto Food Security Initiatives and Municipal Budget Cuts ............................ 58 Funding Relationships Changing Objectives, Strategies, Organization ................60 Issues of Capacity: Overburdened and Underfunded ............................................ 62 Funding Relationships and the Ability to Take Political Stances .......................... 65 Race, Concentration of Power, and Food Security Initiatives ............................... 70 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................74 Chapter Four: Exploring Tactics and Strategies .................................................................77 The Need for a Collective Strategy to Resist Funding Cuts ................................. 78 Resisting Neoliberal Discourse ...................................... 81 Limitations of Using “Food” Discourse .................................................................84 Combining Social Service and Social Change .......................................................92 The Special Diet Campaign: Mobilizing Around Food and Against Austerity.. 100 Food in Tactics and Strategy................................................................................ 107 Conclusion .............................................................................................................110 Chapter Five: Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 1 Introduction There is currently growing attention to food politics in Canada and the U.S., yet a lack of substantial political gains in the face of a capitalist industrial food system destroying the earth, appalling levels of hunger, and unjust, uneven access to healthy food. Thus, it is important to critically assess the political opportunities and limitations of the current shape of resistance in places like Toronto, where food activists make claims under a food movement yet face a deepening neoliberal capitalist agenda. I argue that such unjust conditions of food insecurity, highlighted by food justice advocates, are not limited to the food system but are symptoms of the capitalist system. An analysis of the practice of the food movement can help us to better assess and orient it towards changing the conditions causing food insecurity. As someone who is committed to a struggle for social justice, I see critical reflection on resistance as an important part of the process of building an effective movement for revolutionary social change. I am interested in using research and analysis of food justice activists’ experiences to critically and constructively contribute to struggles for food security, as one struggle for access to, and control of, the resources we need to live. Thus, ultimately the root question I explore is: how do we fight to win? By “fight”, I mean politically straggle in a contestation between owners and the exploited over resources, discourse and space (Swyndegouw 2009). By “win”, I mean achieve significant social change through shifting the power (and thus, shifting the resources, discourse or space) in such a straggle. As I investigate issues surrounding politically 1 organizing around food insecurity under a neoliberal capitalist agenda, I explore the lessons we can learn to help answer such a question from this one struggle. In this thesis, I examine the state of political struggle around food insecurity as a way to critically assess one struggle caused, enhanced and shaped by austerity politics. This research may contribute to the work of scholars and activists of food politics by pointing to current limitations to and possible radical orientations of the food movement. Dahlberg (1994), Allen (2008) and many other scholars argue that food justice1 initiatives have the potential to mobilize broad-based support and open political possibilities to fight for food as a public good in times of increasing austerity. It is critical to understand the extent to which the frames and practices of particular food justice initiatives are strategically leveraged in the city, or result in oversights, limitations or obstacles to effecting social justice in practice. In 2011, Toronto was threatened with a deepening austerity agenda