Week 12 Flashcards
What food system problems are interrelated
hunger, obesity, farm crisis,global warming
What are the strengths and weaknesses of food systems
Strengths - efficient - productive - profitable Weaknesses - equity - sustainability - health
Why should we concerned with our food system problems
- we can all be suffering the consequences of the problems in the food system
- we pay for the hidden costs: many of hidden social and environmental issues are everyday concerns affecting us all
whose responsibility is it for our food system problems
- dominant neo-liberal ideology emphasizes minimal intervention to the marketplace
Whose responsibility is bringing change
for social change to have systemic impact, and result in changes in collective behavior they need to be structural and existing social structures and institutions need to enable and support such behaviors
What are the institutions tha have been key for the functioning of the food systems and why? and what should they both do?
The market : a social institution that manages human interactions to sustain their livelihoods
The state: a political institution that manages human interactions in dispensing power.
They should both give every a fare chance to participate since democratization of both is crucial.
what is the global legitimacy crisis?
rising inequalities, failure to address key climatic, economic, political and societal challenges at the national and international levels and lack of trust to key institutions of governance, media, and civil society create an environment of hopelessness, distrust and cynicism leading to a global legitimacy crisis.
What are the ways crisis of legitimacy presents itself?
Confusion: we don’t what is right?
Fear: we are bombarded by messages that makes us afraid of almost everything and everybody
Distrust: We do not trust most of the major institutions and agencies in our society
what is the importance of legitimacy in social systems
Democratic society be possible without legitimate power, just, accountable, transparent and democratic governance
Rebuilding trust to social institutions require democratizing all institutions (governments, corporations, universities, media, unions..etc)
What does “Civilizations die from suicide, not from murder” - Arnold toynbee mean?
Roman empires lack of knowledge on their social problems
What are some structural causes of our systemic problems?
- market fundamentalism
- consumerism
- technological determinism
- short term thinking
- not paying attention to interrelations
Why change is difficult ?
- current structures of power: both too powerful and too weak
- established norms are har to change “unless” there is a crisis
- difficulties of “long term” planning
Seeking solutions
- avoid thinking: Solutions need to be specific to the sector, product and problems.
- large or small scale
- private or public - challenge the myths
- neo-liberal myth: self-regulating markets can solve problems
- statist myth: the state is the only agency that represents the public good
- populist myth: community based organizations and NGOs can create an alternative space - recognize the complexity of the problem:
- there is no single magic cure
Some broad policy principles
Systemic thinking: Reforms cannot be limited to any single sector: Effective food policy has to
complement policies in all other sectors such as public health, environmental health, agriculture
and fisheries, education;
Recognize public, environmental and economic health as equally important;
Prioritize local food systems: for community development, for rural development, for environmental protection, for food security, for national security;
Democratize markets and take measures against corporate concentration;
stop dumping;
support fair trade practices;
strengthen global cooperation;
Reduce food loss and food waste: use food to feed people;
Emphasize sustainable and resilient food system;
Harness wasteful consumerism;
Take action against environmental pollution and climate change;
protect biodiversity;
Recognize food as a basic human right;
eliminate poverty and hunger by creating sustainable livelihoods;
use charitable solutions only for emergency assistance;
Demand democratic and accountable governance in all public institutions;
Support democratic governments;
Ban trade in armaments;
Do not harm.
What are policies ?
policies are a set of rules, spoken or unspoken that determine how things are run
