GGRB21 Research Proposal (2) (2)
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Stouffville District Secondary School**We aren't endorsed by this school
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CGG 21
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Sociology
Date
Dec 17, 2024
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7
Uploaded by JudgeFreedomSheep13
Mallika Dol1007865491GGRB21H3November 3rd, 2024Research ProposalThesis:Across urban landscapes, community-driven agriculture is flourishing, transforming vacant lots intospaces of cultivation, community, and resilience. These urban agriculture initiatives have becomebeacons of hope in tackling food insecurity, offering fresh, affordable produce, while reconnectingcity dwellers to the land. While urban agriculture initiatives demonstrate a commitment to addressingfood insecurity in marginalized communities, their potential to advance food justice hinges directlyon their capacity to dismantle the systemic racism ingrained within the food system. However, thedominant focus on access to public land may unintentionally perpetuate existing inequalities byoverlooking the transformative possibilities of private land access. This research paper will explorehow organizations like the African Food Basket and Black Creek Community Farm navigate thelimitations of public land access while also leveraging alternative approaches to secure land forcultivation. Furthermore, it will examine how these organizations confront the historical and ongoingracial inequities that shape access to land and capital within the food system, and how those effortsimpact their ability to achieve long-term food justice.OutlineLimitations of Public Land Access●While public land often seems like the obvious space for urban agriculture, this section willreveal significant limitations that perpetuate inequalities in food justice.●Public land in cities is a highly sought-after resource, subject to competing demands fromvarious interests, including housing, commercial development, and recreational spaces(Wekerle et al, 2019).As cities grow and evolve, political priorities and developmentagendas can shift, leaving urban agriculture initiatives vulnerable to displacement. Forexample, in New York City, where in 1999, the city government attempted to sell or developover 100 community garden sites, highlighting the precarious nature of relying solely onpublic land for urban agriculture(Wekerle et al, 2019).●This example demonstrates that even when public land is designated for community gardens,the commitment can be fleeting, especially when faced with pressure from powerful actorsDol 1
seeking to maximize profits from the land. Highlighting this vulnerability strengthens theargument that securing land tenure for urban agriculture, particularly in marginalizedcommunities, requires strategies that go beyond dependence on potentially unstable publicland access.●When access to land is limited and subject to bureaucratic hurdles, those with greaterresources and social capital are often better positioned to navigate the system and securefavorable outcomes. This dynamic can disadvantage marginalized communities who alreadyface systemic barriers to accessing resources and decision-making power. The podcast notesthe lack of Black participation in community farming initiatives in Toronto, suggesting thatthese programs may not be effectively addressing the specific needs and challenges faced byracialized communities (Burke et al, 2023).2. The Transformative Power of Private Land in Achieving Food Justice●The prevailing focus on public land for urban agriculture often overlooks the vast potential ofprivate land. By highlighting successful cases of private land access, I aim to challenge thisdominant paradigm and demonstrate that diverse approaches are needed to create a more justand equitable food system. My sources provide examples of private land arrangements thatfacilitate urban agriculture, such as:●Manuel Raposo's "soft squatting" on a vacant lot in Toronto. This arrangement, based on trustand negotiation with the landowner, allowed him to cultivate the land until it was needed fordevelopment (Wekerle et al, 2019). City Seed Farms, an entrepreneurial initiative where astudent, Erica Lemieux, negotiated access to residential backyards in exchange for a share ofthe produce. This project demonstrates the potential of leveraging underutilized privatespaces for urban food production (Wekerle et al, 2019).●The Speak Up podcast, featuring Lololi, showcases how private land can be leveraged topromote Black food sovereignty. The African Food Basket's (AFB) use of backyard gardens,community gardens, and larger private farm plots demonstrates the flexibility andadaptability of this approach, allowing them to cultivate culturally specific foods and tailorprograms to the needs of their community.●Private land is typically viewed as exclusive, reinforcing power imbalances; however,examples demonstrate how property relations can be reframed to support communitywell-being and urban agriculture.Dol 2
●The concept of usufruct rights allows non-owners to benefit from land use without fullownership, challenging traditional notions of property and supporting marginalizedcommunities.●The case of Manuel Raposo exemplifies a form of usufruct rights in practice. Though hedidn't own the land, he negotiated access and was able to cultivate it for a period. Thisarrangement highlights the potential for temporary use agreements to facilitate urbanagriculture on private land.3.Confronting Systemic Racism and Barriers to Capital●Lololi, in the Speak Up podcast, traces the roots of food injustice back to the historical legacyof slavery and colonialism, emphasizing that the present food system is built upon afoundation of racial inequality. He argues that food justice necessitates the dismantling ofracism within the food system(Burke et al, 2023).●The history of Black food sovereignty in North America is intertwined with the historicaldispossession of Black communities from land and resources. This legacy continues toimpact the ability of Black communities to achieve food sovereignty today (Burke et al,2023)●Black Food Sovereignty goes beyond mere food security. It is about people of Africandescent defining their own food system and security. This means having control over theproduction, distribution, and consumption of food, and ensuring that it is culturallyappropriate, healthy, and sustainable.●Jones (2021) article highlights the precariousness of relying on provincial funding, which isoften insufficient and subject to cuts. The African Food Basket, for example, experienced asignificant increase in demand for its services but struggled to meet those needs as fundingdwindled. This precarious funding landscape hinders their ability to expand programs, hirestaff, and acquire necessary resources.●Leticia Deawuo, director of Black Creek Community Farm, highlights the challenges ofbalancing fair wages, affordable food prices, and operational costs within limited fundingstructures.●This underfunding is not coincidental. It reflects a broader pattern of systemic racism withinphilanthropic and governmental structures. Black-led organizations often receive less fundingthan their white-led counterparts, and when they do receive funding, it is often restricted inways that limit their autonomy and ability to address root causes of food injustice.Dol 3
Annotated BibliographyAllen, Lauren. Growing in the City: Analyzing Public Urban Agriculture in Ottawa. Doctoraldissertation, Carleton University, 2015.Lauren Allen’s dissertation provides a comprehensive analysis of public land access for urbanagriculture in Ottawa through the lens of food justice. Using GIS mapping, Allen identifies 1,380hectares of potentially suitable urban land, revealing that while physical space may be available,access is restricted by competing land demands, regulatory limitations, and resource allocationchallenges. This research is particularly relevant for understanding how public land use policies canunintentionally perpetuate inequities, as community demand for urban agriculture—evidenced bylengthy waitlists for garden plots—often goes unmet. Allen’s work highlights how restrictions onpublic land access, such as regulations on the sale of produce, can limit the viability of urbanagriculture initiatives that aim to generate income and support marginalized communities. This alignswith arguments in my paper regarding the need for policies that not only provide land access but alsocreate conditions that allow urban agriculture initiatives, like those led by the African Food Basketand Black Creek Community Farm, to thrive economically. By addressing structural constraints andadvocating for more inclusive planning, Allen’s findings underscore the importance of prioritizingmarginalized communities in urban agriculture policies, supporting a broader argument foralternative land access strategies that promote food justice and economic empowerment.Holt-Giménez, E., & Breeze, H. (2016). Dismantling racism in the food system. Food First.In their article, Holt-Giménez and Harper examine the systemic racism embedded within the foodsystem, arguing that it is structured to concentrate power and resources among privileged groupswhile marginalizing communities of color. They contend that this racial inequity is often overlookedin discussions about food systems, which are incorrectly labeled as "broken" rather than recognizedas operating as intended. Through historical context, they trace food system inequities back tocolonialism and slavery, noting how Black and Brown labor exploitation shaped both capitalism andmodern food systems. Holt-Giménez and Harper’s insights deepen my argument that addressing foodinjustice involves confronting systemic racism, which underpins barriers to land access and capitalfor Black communities. Their discussion on how the food system perpetuates racial inequalityconnects directly to Lololi’s argument on the historical exploitation of Black agricultural knowledgeand labor. This aligns with my analysis of how Black-led initiatives, like the African Food Basket(AFB) and Black Creek Community Farm, are systematically underfunded, facing structuralchallenges due to a legacy of exclusion.Dol 4
Kvernland, K. V. (2017). Toward Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Food System: ExploringInclusivity, Anti Racist Practice and Radical Food Justice Principles in the SustainableAgriculture Movement (Doctoral dissertation, Marylhurst University).Kvernland’s work critiques the sustainable agriculture movement for failing to address racialinequity, calling for inclusivity and antiracist practices to achieve real food justice. She emphasizeshow systemic barriers to land and resource access continue to exclude communities of color, showingthat structural reforms are crucial for dismantling these inequities. Kvernland’s arguments will helpstrengthen my thesis by providing evidence that food insecurity in Black and low-incomecommunities is rooted in systemic racial inequities rather than just poverty. I will use her focus onantiracist practices to illustrate that urban agriculture initiatives need to move beyond simplyaddressing food access; they must actively work to dismantle the racial biases embedded in land andresource allocation to unlock their full potential for food justice. Kvernland’s call for intentionalinclusivity reinforces my argument that relying solely on public land access may inadvertentlyuphold existing inequalities, as it doesn’t address the historical barriers preventing Black-ledorganizations from securing private land. Her critique supports my exploration of how organizationslike the African Food Basket (AFB) and Black Creek Community Farm are navigating thesesystemic challenges and how their efforts to secure alternative land access—alongside confrontingstructural racism—are essential for achieving lasting food justice in urban settings.Wekerle, G. and Classens, M. (2019) "Challenging Property Relations and Access to Land forUrban Production." In Urban Gardening as Politics, Routledge.Wekerle and Classens argue that urban food activists are increasingly turning to privatelyowned land to create more sustainable and equitable food systems, challenging traditional norms ofprivate property. By negotiating usufruct rights and building relationships with private landowners,activists gain access to land in ways that resist exclusionary practices within neoliberal urbanism.This work directly supports my thesis by illustrating how private land access enhances the impact ofurban agriculture on food justice. Wekerle and Classens’ focus on alternative land governancestrengthens my argument that public land alone may limit urban agriculture’s potential to addresssystemic inequities. Their insights align with my analysis of Black-led initiatives like the AfricanFood Basket (AFB) and Black Creek Community Farm, showing how private land access canadvance food justice by fostering community resilience and challenging racial disparities within thefood system.Dol 5
Li, T. M. (2014) “What is Land? Assembling a Resource for Global Investment.” Transactionsof the Institute of British Geographers, 39(4): 589-602.Tania Murray Li’s article critically examines the complexities of land, particularly within thecontext of global land acquisitions. Using an assemblage framework, Li argues that land is notmerely a physical commodity but is shaped by a myriad of factors, including social relations andpower dynamics. She highlights how large-scale land grabs often erase local claims to land,categorizing it as “underutilized” and rendering it investible for global investors while underminingthe existing uses by local communities. Li’s analysis is essential for my thesis, as it highlights thesystemic racism embedded in land access and ownership. Her focus on the erasure of local claimscomplements my examination of urban agriculture initiatives like the African Food Basket and BlackCreek Community Farm, which seek to reclaim agency and challenge exclusionary practices. Byilluminating the barriers faced by marginalized communities in asserting their rights to land, Li’swork provides a foundational context for exploring how urban agriculture can resist theseexclusionary practices and advocate for food justice.Dol 6
ReferencesBurke, R., Brown, E. and Lololi, A. (2023) ‘Nourishing Our Path to Food Sovereignty – AnanXola Lololi,’ SpeakUP! International Podcast, Aug 13.https://player.fm/series/speakup-international/nourishing-our-path-to-Food-sovereignty-anan-xola-lololiEarth to Table Legacies (2023) ‘Black Creek Community Farm,’https://earthtotables.org/essays/black-creek-community-farm/Holt-Giménez, E., & Breeze, H. (2016). Dismantling racism in the food system. Food First.Jones, S. (2021) ‘Food Insecurity in Jane-Finch Area Soars as Annual Provincial Funding forSupport Runs Out,’ CBC News, Mar. 24:https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/food-insecurity-in-jane-and-finch-area-1.594831Kvernland, K. V. (2017). Toward Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Food System: ExploringInclusivity, Anti Racist Practice and Radical Food Justice Principles in the SustainableAgriculture Movement (Doctoral dissertation, Marylhurst University).Li, T. M. (2014) “What is Land? Assembling a Resource for Global Investment.” Transactions ofthe Institute of British Geographers, 39(4): 589-602.Wekerle, G. and Classens, M. (2019) "Challenging Property Relations and Access to Land forUrban Production." In Urban Gardening as Politics, Routledge.Dol 7