Southeastern Food Movement: Nonprofit Perspectives on Progress and Inclusion Open Access

Abstract

 

This thesis provides insight into the perceptions and strategies that advocates within food- oriented nonprofits use to create a more sustainable and just food system. Three central themes are analyzed throughout this study: motivations for entry, ideologies for change, and perspectives of whiteness in the movement. Due to the numerous issues present in the current food system, motivations that galvanize individuals to food movement action are diverse. Individual advocate motivations can play a role in determining which issues are addressed and the forms of activism that are used for food system change. As such, much debate exists regarding the best ways to create a better food system. Some activism promotes change by creating alternatives to industrial agriculture through market-based approaches. Other forms of activism use non-market based approaches to challenge the structure of the food system. Within these food movement dynamics exists the critique that the movement is predominately white and excludes communities of color from participating and shaping solutions. Semi-structured interviews with 23 nonprofit advocates, both people of color and white, working in the food movement in the Southeast were used in this study to interrogate food movement dynamics of motivations, ideologies, and race from the perspective of nonprofit practitioners. Taken together this study demonstrates that nonprofit food movement advocates are primarily motivated to work in this sector due to health considerations, the potential to create community through food, and environmental concerns. Ideologically, advocates expressed support for market- based activism that seeks to create alternatives in the current system. In terms of race, a majority of advocates agreed that the food movement is dominated by white folks but complicated that critique through testimony related to power. In addition, advocates outlined a plethora of barriers that they feel hinder nonprofits from more explicitly adopting racial equity practices and policies. Aside from highlighting how food movement actors become interested in the moment, rationalize their modes of activism, and view the level of inclusion they foster within their organization, this study calls for deeper and more transparent institutional collaboration in addressing these critiques systematically to build a transformational and socially progressive food movement. 

Table of Contents

I. Introduction....................................................................................... 1

a. Background.................................................................................. 3

b. Motivations................................................................................. 13

c. Ideology.................................................................................... 15

d. Whiteness................................................................................... 18

e. Filling the Void: Nonprofit Focused Research Questions........................... 21

f. Note on Self................................................................................. 24

II. Methodology.................................................................................... 27

a. Recruitment................................................................................. 29

b. Data Collection............................................................................ 29

c. Semi-Structured Interviews.............................................................. 29

d. Surveys...................................................................................... 31

e. Analysis..................................................................................... 31

III. Results........................................................................................... 33

a. Demographics.............................................................................. 33

b. Cultural and Social Capital............................................................... 33

c. Motivations: Health....................................................................... 35

d. Motivations: Community................................................................. 36

e. Motivations: Environment............................................................... 38

f. Other Motivations......................................................................... 40

g. Ideology..................................................................................... 42

h. Whiteness................................................................................... 44

IV. Discussion....................................................................................... 51

a. Motivations: Health....................................................................... 51

b. Motivations: Community................................................................. 53

c. Motivations: Environment............................................................... 55

d. Ideology.................................................................................... 57

e. Whiteness................................................................................... 60

V. Conclusion...................................................................................... 69

VI. Study Limitations.............................................................................. 73

VII. Bibliography.................................................................................... 74

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Sociology, General Anthropology, Cultural Sustainability
Keyword	Advocates (Food Activism) Food Justice Capitalism Race Food Movement Social Movement Alternative Food Networks Food System Neoliberalism Motivations Equity Nonprofits
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Reznickova, Alice, Emory University
Committee Members	Troka, Donna, Emory University Barlett, Peggy, Emory University

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