Social Movements and the Food Movement IT TAKES A REGION - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Social Movements and the Food Movement IT TAKES A REGION - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Social Movements and the Food Movement IT TAKES A REGION CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER 2015 KATHY RUHF, SENIOR FELLOW NORTHEAST SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP Wha What is a so t is a social mo ial movemen ement? t? Consciously formed

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Social Movements and the Food Movement

IT TAKES A REGION CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER 2015 KATHY RUHF, SENIOR FELLOW NORTHEAST SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP

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Wha What is a so t is a social mo ial movemen ement? t?

§ Consciously formed associa1on whose goal is to bring about change

in social, economic or poli1cal sectors through collec1ve ac1on and mobiliza1on of large numbers of people. § Involved in conflictual rela1ons with clearly iden1fied opponents; linked by dense informal networks; share a dis1nct collec1ve iden1ty. § Organized yet informal social en11es that are engaged in extra- ins1tu1onal conflict that is oriented towards a goal. These goals can be either aimed at a specific and narrow policy or be more broadly aimed at cultural change.

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Th The “F e “Food

  • od M

Movemen ement” or ” orien entaNon

  • n
  • Inclusion: get marginalized players in; immigrant

farmers, food access

  • Reforma/on: alter opera1ng guidelines; farmers

market rules, fair trade, beFer farm leases

  • Transforma/on: establish qualita1vely different

paradigms; food as human right, land as commons

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Po Power of social movements

  • Poli1cal opportuni1es
  • Framing processes
  • Mobilizing structures
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Po PoliNcal opportuniNes

  • Openings for change within poli1cal structures
  • Interface with exis1ng structures and strategic

posi1oning

  • e.g., Clean Water Act, USDA Office of Advocacy

and Outreach

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Mo Mobilizing s bilizing struc tructur tures es

  • Forms and tac1cs that movements take
  • Organiza1onal capacity to mobilize; what is

capacity (resources, exper1se, technology)?

  • Many groups à hard to coordinate; compete
  • Many groups also means resilience, diversity,

tes1ng various tac1cs and experiments

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Fr Framing pr aming processes cesses

  • Shared meanings and defini1ons that describe the problem,

causes and solu1ons

  • The power or mobilizing capacity of a frame is how

strongly it resonates and compels ac/on

  • credibility: testable, and significant to everyday life
  • resonance: corresponds to life experience and meaning
  • something can be credible, but lack resonance
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His Historic

  • rically d

ally domin

  • minan

ant fr frames in ames in agri agri-f

  • food work
  • Environmental sustainability: historically “sustainable ag”;

WQ/natural resources, GMO, land use

  • Economic jus1ce (for farmers): concentra1on, viability,

tenure, markets

  • Community food security: food access; food jus1ce/rights,

for consumers; local economies

  • Health and food safety: nutri1on, diet, GMO—not

necessarily 1ed to agriculture

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Mas Master Fr er Frames ames

  • Frames vary in their comprehensiveness
  • Master frame is most inclusive
  • A unifying message that brings together various sub-

issues, orgs, networks within a social movement

  • Civil rights
  • Sustainable ag v. CFS
  • Has the greatest poten1al to resonate and mobilize
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Mas Master fr er frames ames

  • What is our master frame???
  • Is there a BIGGER master frame?
  • Sustainable Community Movement?
  • Domes1c economic dispari1es
  • UN Sustainable Development Goals?
  • “ Substan1al things” – jus1ce, ecology, equity,

democracy, diversity, opportunity

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Str Strategic gic Orie rientaNo aNon

  • How do you see your own work?
  • How would you characterize your
  • rganizaNon’s work?
  • What is the opNmal balance for your

movement goals to be achieved?

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Str Strategic gic orie rientaNo aNon: n: Warrio arrior r work rk

Resistance = Change poli1cal & economic structures

  • Challenges primarily in poli1cal sector
  • Defends ground gained
  • Effec1ve to mobilize: public protest is highly visible
  • Can be in the trenches: NSAC and the farm bill
  • Creates space for weaver work
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Str Strategic gic orie rientaNo aNon: n: Builde uilder r Work rk

Reconstruc1on= Create alterna1ves

  • New models e.g., CSA, new genera1on coops,

carbon credits

  • Changes primarily in market sector
  • Less conten1ous
  • May not see as conscious resistance
  • Entrepreneurial, precarious
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Str Strategic gic orie rientaNo aNon: n: Weaver r Work rk

Connec1on = linking to foster change

  • Primarily in the civil sector
  • Networks, coali1ons; movement-building
  • Intra-sectoral: within specific area (e.g., organizing

producer coops)

  • Inter-sectoral different interests (e.g., Food Policy

Councils)

  • Horizontal and ver1cal
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Wha What t is is ou

  • ur mo

r movemen ement? ? Wha What is t is yo your w work?

  • rk?
  • How can we beFer understand and analyze our work

to build the movement”?

  • What strategic connec1ons need to happen to

advance our movement?

  • What is your “strategic orienta1on”? (see handout)
  • How does our individual work contribute to the

movement?

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Th Thank y you

  • u!

Kathy Ruhf Senior Fellow, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group kzruhf@Verizon.net Warrior, Builder and Weaver Work: Strategies for Changing the Food System From: Remaking the North American Food System: Strategies for Sustainability

  • C. Clare Hinrichs and Thomas A. Lyson, editors

University of Nebraska Press, 2007