Throughout history, wild green vegetables have played a significant role in human diets around the world, coevolving alongside agriculture and changing land use patterns (Wilson, 1990). Wild greens such as purslane (Portulaca oleracea), lambquarters (Chenopodium spp.) and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), wild ancestors of crop plants, are prehistoric foods that are cultural and nutritional mainstays in many parts of the world including the Arizona-Mexico borderland region. While consumption of these foods is commonplace on the Mexican side of the border, on the American side their use is less frequent. In this study, I explore the patterns of and barriers to consumption of wild green vegetables by Latinos living in the Arizona (AZ)-Mexico (MX) borderland city of Tucson, AZ. I use Weber's rationalization theory, as well as human agency theory, to guide my exploration of how the dominant food system contributes to dietary acculturation and the loss of agency among Latinos living in Tucson. In-depth interviews and naturalistic observations are employed across a diverse array of market settings, which include a farmers' market, several carniceri­as (Mexican butcher shops), a corner store/tortilleria with procurers and purveyors of Latino and indigenous foods, and a more conventional supermarket. The findings reveal a reduction in knowledge and consumption of heritage greens by Latinos concurrent to their adoption of more mainstream American foods. I consider this pattern and its various implications in the context of the rationalization of the dominant U.S. food system, which leads to a dynamic that favors efficiency and productivity over authenticity and aesthetics.

Alternative food systems (AFSs) are so defined because they purport to challenge a value or ameliorate a negative impact of the dominant conventional food system (CFS). Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are a type of AFS whose alterity is defined by socially proximal economic exchanges that are embedded in and regulated by social relationships. This relational closeness is argued to have benefits with respect to economic, environmental, and social sustainability. However, it would be a mistake to assume that AFSs and CFSs are paradigmatically differentiated or that their structures engender particular outcomes. The first article traces a misguided attempt to find indicators of success for farms participating in short food supply chains. The effort was misguided, because in designing the original study there was an assumption that producers participating in these AFSs shared similar goals, values, and definitions of success. The true diversity of these variables was discovered through the analysis of eighteen semi-structured interviews with Burlington and Montpelier area farmers who participate in SFSCs. This diversity motivated an exploration of the origins, common applications, and recent academic skepticism regarding assumptions of the relationship between certain food systems structures and broader food systems outcomes. The second article undertakes to develop a framework for exploring the actual motivations of SFSCs farmers and challenging common AFS assumptions. A framework that differentiates motivations guided by formal and substantive rationality is used to code the aforementioned data. Common themes amongst the responses are discussed demonstrating that producer motivations for participating in AFSs can be diverse, contradictory, and subject to change.

Our contemporary American food system has created complex environments for decisions and actions around food, and those decisions have implications for culture, health, natural resources, social relations, and the economy. And yet, as scholars, we do not understand the particulars of how people actually cook for themselves and their families. This study explores how race and socioeconomic class interact with individual experience of "food agency," or personal capacity to plan and prepare meals within one's food environment. It is one stage in a multiphase project developing a comprehensive theory of food agency, applicable in any context; a scale for measuring that agency; and a cooking pedagogy for increasing it. This research was based on an explanatory sequential mixed methods design: a qualitative follow-up to quantitative research (see Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). It is an in-depth qualitative investigation with low-income participants of color, a population that had previously not been included in the development of food agency theory. The study's population was a mix of Drexel University students and community residents of Mantua, in Philadelphia, PA, and was recruited from Drexel's Healthy Cooking Techniques summer course. Data collection included semi-structured interviews and survey administration, and also utilized food agency scale survey responses. Analysis and results are divided into two papers, one narrative, and one a comparison between quantitative components of the food agency scale and corresponding qualitative data. Narrative analysis reinforces the notion that food agency is incredibly complex and self-referential. People with high self-efficacy around food may feel like they have a high level of agency, even if they can identify ways that societal structures impede them. Mixed-methods analysis reveals aspects of food agency that are not reflected by the scale: specifically, strategies for procuring food; environmental and financial impediments to that procurement; and aspiration for greater self-sufficiency and healthfulness in preparing food. Participants are intentional and skillful in resisting economic and environmental obstacles to feeding themselves. They want to be supported in building skills for that daily endeavor. The food agency scale does not gauge many of the strategies with which they resist obstacles, and therefore might be better cast as a cooking action scale, rather than a measure of comprehensive food agency.

By 2050, it is estimated that food production will need to increase by 70 percent in developed countries and 100 percent in developing countries to meet the demands of future populations. In countries such as the United Kingdom - where the opportunities for increasing food production are limited due to the lack of available land - urban agriculture is seen as a possible solution to meeting increased food demand. However, many cities in the United Kingdom exhibit high building densities and the availability of space at ground level for agricultural activities is in short supply. As a result, the practice of urban agriculture in high-density cities is typically portrayed as a succession of purpose-built edifices that are filled with lettuces or livestock; illustrating a method of food production that is dependent on substantial investment and the demolition of existing buildings to succeed. Within this thesis, these large utopian agricultural skyscrapers are pushed to one side, and existing buildings become the focus of the research; so as to work with cities as they exist today rather than against them. The aim of this thesis is to determine the productivity of building integrated technical food systems and to understand the challenges that face their integration within existing buildings in the future, to calculate the cumulative impact of building integrated technical food systems on UK food security and to understand the potential benefits of building integrated technical food systems such as employment opportunities and the increase in green infrastructure. The delivery of this thesis is not dependent on a pre-existing hypothesis that building integrated technical food systems will drastically improve food security. Instead, this thesis relies on the design of real-world experiments, the development of simulated studies and the construction of logical arguments to quantify and qualify the potential impacts of building integrated technical food systems.

abstract: The coyote of the natural world is an anthropomorphic figure that occupies many places within Southwestern Pueblo cultures in oral traditions as well as the natural environs. The modern-day coyote is a marginalized occupant of Southwestern milieu portrayed as an iconic character found in cartooned animations or conceptualized as a shadowed symbol of a doglike creature howling in front of a rising full moon. Coyote is also a label given to a person who transports undocumented immigrants across the United States–Mexico border. This wild dog is known as coyote, Coyote, Canis latrans, tsócki (Keresan for coyote), trickster, Wylie Coyote, and coywolf. When the biology, history, accounts, myths, and cultural constructs are placed together within the spectrum of coyote names or descriptions, a transmergent materiality emerges at the center of those contributing factors. Coyote is many things. It is constantly adapting to the environment in which it has survived for millions of years. The Southwest landscape was first occupied by rudimentary components of life evolving into a place first populated by animals, followed by humans. To a great extent, the continued existence of both animals and humans relies on their ability to obtain food and find a suitable niche in which to live. This dissertation unpacks how the coyote that is embedded in American Pueblo literature and culture depicts a transmergent materiality representing the constantly changing human–animal interface as it interprets the likewise transformative state of food systems in the American Southwest in the present day. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2019

The research in this thesis investigates the relationship between social capital and the ability of a community food system (CFS) to contribute to broad community development goals. Social capital is understood to be an intangible resource that proliferates from strong relationships stocked with trust, reciprocity, and cohesiveness. This research presents a journey through the literature to provide an overview of community food systems, the anticipated benefits that can result from adequate expansion, and how the concept of "embeddedness" contributes to development between the CFS and the community at large. The concept of social capital is introduced and discussed as previous researchers have demonstrated the usefulness of social capital building in the context of community and economic development (CED). The literature suggests that social capital can help the community and economic development in six ways that are applicable to CFSs; resource sharing, entrepreneurial activity, human capital, supply chain performance, democratic participation, and economic development. It is proposed that if we wish to have strong CFSs then it is in our best interest to optimize these six attributes within the CFS, and therefore optimize the levels of social capital present in the CFS, too. Social capital in the context of CFS development has been investigated before, however, not from this point of view. I suggest a framework that uses the definition of social capital as one that pertains to the "norms and networks" of a community. This framework is useful in that it helps illustrate how researchers can investigate the level of social capital in a CFS and how that translates to CED gains. This research identifies the norms of a community as relational social capital (rSC) and the networks as structural social capital (sSC). Only rSC is measured in this research to explain the role of social capital in relation to community development objectives, however, it is asserted that sSC is also essential to measure. This thesis helps answer the question, "how can the quality of relationships as measured by the relational social capital influence the performance of a community food system?". The research is qualitative and uses 23 interviews with informants in the Tampa Bay community food system as evidence to suggest that rSC is positively related to the six community and economic development attributes that can strengthen a CFS. Then, it demonstrates the usefulness of the proposed framework to observe the presence of embeddedness that, in combination with social capital, can lead to general community development by means of CFS development.

In the global industrial agricultural system many people lack access to high-quality nutritious foods and food production techniques are often inefficient and reliant on harsh chemical inputs. While numerous strategies exist to address the disparities present in the global food system, increasingly researchers and practitioners are looking to local food systems for solutions to strengthen community food security (CFS). CFS emphasizes small-scale production strategies such as farmer's markets, community gardens, and consumer supported agriculture. As these efforts evolve, research is needed to understand how these strategies affect communities. To explore a local CFS initiative, qualitative data were collected from community garden participants in Fellsmere, Florida, contextualized by participant observation. Interviews (N=9) focused on household and community nutritional concerns and the impacts of community gardening on diet quality and food security. Further, quantitative data were collected on the Fellsmere food environment using the USDA Thrifty Food Plan in six local food stores. Individual and household food security, the ability to obtain enough food to live a healthy life, was assessed using a food access and security survey (N=30). Results suggest that the Fellsmere food environment is lacking in the high-quality foods that participants' desire. Additionally, interview data suggests that participants want more control over their food production systems. This thesis provides a case study for better understanding what factors affect community members' perceptions of community food security.

Consumer concerns regarding food safety and quality, a crippling farm crisis across North America, and growing criticisms of the environmental consequences of intensive agricultural practices are leading to increased scrutiny of the dominant, industrialized food system. Faced with uncertainty, many communities are pioneering new, decentralized models of food production, with a view to designing systems that are more economically, ecologically and socially sustainable. At their essence, these local food systems appear to embody a new form of ‘capitalism’, one that values, depends upon, and seeks to strengthen or preserve all stocks of community capital: natural, human, social, and economic. Employing a case study approach, this research explores ways in which a local food system’s development depends upon the interplay of a community’s capital stocks, as well as ways in which a local food system may serve as a site for the creation or strengthening of these capital stocks, with a particular focus on social capital. The two communities studied are: Kingston, Ontario and Hardwick, Vermont. Both communities have been actively pursuing local-food system development through various initiatives. Face-to-face interviews, participant observations, and a review of written information served as the main sources of data for this study. A conceptual framework was also developed and served to guide the research, including the analysis of findings. Case study findings revealed the interdependent nature of community capital stocks, highlighting the importance of maintaining or enhancing all capital stocks over time. Social capital proved to be particularly integral to development efforts, with social networks sourcing economic and human capital for local-food system initiatives. Notably, many of the local-food initiatives carried out served to strengthen social and human capital, highlighting the potential for a restorative system. Overall, findings suggest that a more all-encompassing valuation of capital stocks is necessary to capture the ways in which a local-food system can contribute to community betterment and sustainability. It is anticipated that the case studies of Kingston and Hardwick will provide practitioners and scholars with insight regarding how community capital stocks are deployed and created through local-food initiatives. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 10:27:57.831

The thesis presents an exploration into the relationship between food and planning in Helsinki and Stockholm. It looks at the top-down side of planning and the bottom-up side of urban gardening to investigate how food and urban gardening are taken into consideration in the official planning; how two urban gardening initiatives, Dodo's Kääntöpöytä and Trädgård på spåret, are involved in shaping their city; and what the relationship between the two sides is. The study is qualitative and uses case study approach, netnography, interviews, questionnaires, planning documents, and observation to answer the research questions. The literature review includes food systems and planning, urban agriculture, and planning theory on public participation, urban forms and sustainability. Urban food planning cannot be said to exist in either city yet, but Helsinki has a relatively recent strategy that aims to improve the food system and accommodate more urban gardening, and urban gardening is increasingly allowed in both cities. The gardening organisations, Dodo and Trädgård på spåret, are involved in planning in different ways, but both wish to promote urban gardening as a sustainable strategy. The relationship between the two sides is generally positive, and both initiatives are in line with their city's goal of becoming more sustainable.

Food production in urban areas has been conducted worldwide as a subsistence strategy and source of income. Recently, however, it is recognized that urban agriculture has the potential to contribute to the development of sustainable urban environments. This study examines the benefits of urban food production in North American cities, as well as focusing on some of the critical barriers to its widespread expansion and acceptance. It also explores the potential for contamination of produce from the ambient atmosphere in mid-sized urban centres. Through interviewing nine urban farmers and one urban planner, in the city of Victoria, British Columbia, I documented each producer’s knowledge of the benefits and limitations associated with urban food production. Each interviewee impressed upon me the numerous benefits that can be accrued through the practice of urban agriculture, but they also painted a picture of the struggles that urban farmers face. Issues identified included: a real and perceived risk of contamination, problems with land ownership and access, and lack of meaningful support for urban farmers. Although urban agriculture has been accepted in principle by the City of Victoria and other Canadian cities, there are many challenges that must be overcome for urban food production to truly produce a viable, sustained food system. A coordinated, comprehensive government policy for involvement in the urban food system is critical to effectively addressing urban food issues. Investigations of heavy metal levels in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown in sampling sites across an urban/rural gradient showed that atmospheric contamination by heavy metals is greatest at urban sites, but also affects residential and rural sites. Sampling site types included: a control area (rural farms and properties outside of Victoria); residential sites (yards in residential neighbourhoods in the City of Victoria); and, industrial/business sites (heavily trafficked and industrialized areas in downtown Victoria). Site types were intended to reflect areas perceived as safe, probably safe, and probably not safe, and were selected based on expert opinion and land use. Results indicate that caution should be exercised in growing leafy greens at downtown sites, and that growing food in most residential neighbourhoods and green spaces is typically no worse than growing greens in rural Victoria. In fact, due to the proximity of urban agriculture to the market, growing food locally eliminates the need for transportation and extra processing; reducing the extra exposure crops otherwise might face during these phases. Urban food production requires the support of communities and governments in order to contribute to both urban food security and urban sustainability. The City of Victoria has started on a path to ensuring that this food system receives the required support, but it requires concerted effort and action. Further research into urban food systems is necessary to ensure that urban food production is able to become a viable, sustained food system. / Graduate