University of New England DUNE: DigitalUNE All Theses And Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 7-2021 Adopting Principles Of Food Justice For Equitable Oyster Aquaculture Industry Development Cristina Sandolo Follow this and additional works at: https://dune.une.edu/theses Part of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, and the Social Justice Commons © 2021 Cristina Sandolo Adopting Principles of Food Justice for Equitable Oyster Aquaculture Industry Development Cristina Sandolo Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Professional Science Master’s Degree in Ocean Food Systems University of New England Thesis Committee: Adam St. Gelais (University of New England; University of Maine) Barry Costa-Pierce (University of New England) Zachery Miller-Hope (University of New England) Shannon Hood (MD Sea Grant) Ed Hale (DE Sea Grant; University of Delaware) 1 This thesis has been examined and approved. 2 Ó 2021 Cristina Sandolo All Rights Reserved 3 Acknowledgements This project was accomplished with tremendous guidance and support from advisors, thesis committee members, interview participants, and others who provided consultation and advice. I would like to thank Imani Black and Talia Young for participating on my Advisory Committee, and Ed Hale, Shannon Hood, Zach Miller-Hope, Adam St. Gelais, and Barry Costa-Pierce for being on my Thesis Committee. The guidance that you all provided, the knowledge that you shared, and the commitment that you gave to this project kept me directed and motivated throughout this year. I am so grateful to everyone who participated in interviews, including Oyster Farmers who shared incredibly insightful information about their work and the industry in general. The Industry Experts and Food Justice Experts who were interviewed provided so much insight, data, and information; I am so grateful for your participation. Thank you to Jaqueline McBride, Vince Legget, and Michael Chiarappa for taking the time to build my knowledge of the history of the oyster industry and the role of Black watermen in the Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay regions. Professor Tom McLaughlin, thank you for all your advisement on data collection and analysis. Finally, thank you to UNE and the Henry L. & Grace Doherty Foundation for the opportunity to participate in this program along with my supportive, collaborative, and incredibly talented peers in the second cohort. 4 Table of Contents I. ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... 7 II. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 7 A. PROJECT OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................. 7 B. FOOD JUSTICE ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. Background and History ............................................................................................................................. 7 2. Defining Food Justice ................................................................................................................................. 9 C. HISTORY OF OYSTERS IN AMERICA .......................................................................................................................... 9 1. Regional Industries ..................................................................................................................................... 9 2. Industry Labor .......................................................................................................................................... 11 3. Connecting Urban Centers to the Marine Environment ........................................................................... 11 4. Industry Decline ....................................................................................................................................... 13 D. TODAY’S INDUSTRY ............................................................................................................................................ 13 1. Mid-Atlantic Industries ............................................................................................................................ 13 2. Impact of COVID-19 ................................................................................................................................. 15 E. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 15 III. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND SIGNIFICANCE .................................................................................................. 15 A. OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 B. HYPOTHESIS ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 C. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF OYSTERS ................................................................................................................ 16 D. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIOECONOMIC DIVERSITY IN THE INDUSTRY ............................................................................ 16 E. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ....................................................................................................................................... 17 F. ADVANCING THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS ...................................................................... 17 1. UN Sustainable Development Goals advanced by this project ................................................................ 17 IV. METHODS .................................................................................................................................................. 18 A. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................................................... 19 B. INTERVIEWS ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 C. IDENTIFYING THEMES OF FOOD JUSTICE ................................................................................................................. 20 D. IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO ENTRY IN MID-ATLANTIC OYSTER AQUACULTURE ................................................................. 21 E. DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 22 V. RESULTS .................................................................................................................................................... 22 A. FOOD JUSTICE: SECONDARY AND PRIMARY DATA RESULTS ......................................................................................... 22 1. Defining and Describing Food Justice ....................................................................................................... 22 2. Themes of Food Justice: Transforming the Food System ......................................................................... 23 B. HISTORIC OYSTER INDUSTRY: LABOR, OPPORTUNITIES, AND BARRIERS TO ADVANCEMENT .............................................. 42 1. Marginalization and Oppression .............................................................................................................. 43 2. Black Captains and Black-Owned Businesses ........................................................................................... 44 3. Economic Mobility .................................................................................................................................... 46 C. CURRENT INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT, DEMOGRAPHICS, BARRIERS TO DIVERSIFICATION .................................................... 46 1. MD Regulations ....................................................................................................................................... 47 2. DE Regulations ......................................................................................................................................... 51 3. NJ Regulations ......................................................................................................................................... 54 4. Demographics: Production in MD, NJ, DE ................................................................................................ 57 5. Challenges / Barriers to Diversification .................................................................................................... 59 6. Demographics: Consumption .................................................................................................................. 66 VI. DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................................. 69 A. SYSTEMS MAP .................................................................................................................................................. 69 5 B. RQ1: IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC OYSTER INDUSTRY TO ADOPT THE PRINCIPLES