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Great new article: "The Elusive Inclusive: Black Food Geographies and Racialized Food Spaces" by Margaret Marietta Ramírez

12/9/2014

 
I just read a new article in Antipode by a geography PhD student at the U of Washington, Margaret Marietta Ramirez. In it she pushes the boundaries of food justice scholarship by drawing on black geographies and critical race theory (notably as elaborated by McKittrick and Woods) to "de-center the white subject as the presumed actor within critical food studies".  Here's the abstract:

North American food scholars, activists and policymakers often consider how to make a community food project more inclusive to “vulnerable populations” to increase participation in local food efforts. Drawing from qualitative research conducted with two community food organizations in Seattle, Washington, I argue that inclusive efforts are not addressing the power asymmetries present in organizations and within communities. Engaging with black geographies literature, I reveal how a black food justice organization grapples with violent histories of slavery and dispossession rooted in a black farming imaginary, and works to re-envision this imaginary to one of power and transformation. The spatial imaginaries and spaces of each food organization acknowledge racial histories differentially, informing their activism. Black geographies possess knowledge and spatial politics that can revitalize community food movements, and I consider how white food activists might reframe their work so that their efforts are not fueling the displacement of residents of color.

She makes an important claim that really speaks to something I've been mulling over, which is the relationship between food justice and food sovereignty. She writes: "Some food scholars have signaled that perhaps a shift in terminology to that of “food sovereignty” would be more appropriate for food movements that address injustices across scale. While the use of food sovereignty connects North American struggles to indigenous struggles for autonomy across the globe, signaling our interconnection in the colonial present, I worry that the loss of this genealogy would displace the critique of institutional racism central to food justice activism and use a broad brushstroke to encompass place-based movements rooted in black geographies. In addition, the loss of the “justice” genealogy that traces food justice activism to its social justice roots in black social movements would be lost, submerging generations of black struggles for equity that are often tied to the land."

Great reading and I'll definitely be assigning it in class!

Interview in Seedstock

12/4/2014

 
I was recently interviewed for an article for the sustainable ag online hub Seedstock. Author Jenny Smiechowski writes, "It’s easy to label urban farming as the solution to serious societal problems like food deserts, economic development, and obesity. But not all urban farming is alike. Some methods are bound to be more successful, profitable, and impactful than others. The question is which ones are giving cities the “biggest bang for their buck,” so to speak, and which ones are more good for morale?" Read the rest of the article entitled: "Urban agriculture, what's really making a mark?" 

Upcoming Lecture in Paris, December 19th

12/3/2014

 
I'll be traveling to Paris in a couple of weeks to sit on the dissertation exam committee of Jeanne Pourias, a doctoral student doing a joint degree at AgroParisTech and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Jeanne has been working with Eric Duchemin and Christine Aubry, two leaders in Francophone scholarship on urban agriculture. Her dissertation, "Production alimentaire et pratiques culturales en agriculture urbaine: Analyse agronomique de la fonction alimentaire des jardins associatifs urbains à Paris et Montréal", examines practices and motivations of gardeners in 12 collective gardens in Paris and MTL. Publications (in English) are forthcoming, so be on the look out!

While I'm there, I'll be giving a talk entitled "La différenciation socio-spatiale de l'agriculture urbaine et ses implications pour la vie durable" that builds on our UA mapping and survey work in Portland. Contact Christine Aubry if you're interested in joining us.
AgroParisTech
16 rue Claude Bernard, Paris 75005

Friday, December 19th, 10am to 12pm

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    Nathan McClintock is a geographer and professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University.

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