Redundancy and Resilience: Alternative economies of urban framing in the Detroit Regional Food System
Lead Research Organisation:
Aberystwyth University
Department Name: Inst of Geography and Earth Sciences
Abstract
One distinctive aspect of the urban farming system in Detroit is its
inherent inefficiency. Most farms in the city are high labour, low
yield and lacking in logistical coordination. Yet, farmers argue that
it is precisely these characteristics that lead them to produce their
distinctive economic outputs. This project explores urban farming
as an alternative economy that yields a range of positive
economic, social and political outcomes, such as sustainability,
community food security and a resilient food system. The project
is particularly interested in the organisational mechanisms (the
distinctive forms of economic organisation) that produce such
surpluses. One example is the claim by farmers that inefficient
production enhances (rather than undermines) regional food
security. Drawing upon the literature on ecological resilience,
farmers argue that while efficient systems reduce costs, they are
fragile: when one piece fails the system as a whole can collapse.
Redundant systems, they argue, anticipate failure. When one
piece crashes, others (doing similar or the same work) keep the
system going. In this sense, one could argue that redundancy and
inefficiency constitute a distinctive mode of economic
organisation 'producing' a unique economic output (a resilient
food system).
This project focuses on the alternative
economies of urban farming in Detroit including projects on
community food security, urban transformation, food justice and
regional resilience. The student will be based in DGES at Aberystwyth
University and will have 9 months of fieldwork in Detroit working
directly with local urban farming organisations with added support
from the University of Michigan. The project intersects with a
number interests and themes among staff in DGES including
cultural geography, urban geography, community and regional
food security, creative geographies, cultural and political theory
and questions about sustainability, urban transformation and
resilience.
inherent inefficiency. Most farms in the city are high labour, low
yield and lacking in logistical coordination. Yet, farmers argue that
it is precisely these characteristics that lead them to produce their
distinctive economic outputs. This project explores urban farming
as an alternative economy that yields a range of positive
economic, social and political outcomes, such as sustainability,
community food security and a resilient food system. The project
is particularly interested in the organisational mechanisms (the
distinctive forms of economic organisation) that produce such
surpluses. One example is the claim by farmers that inefficient
production enhances (rather than undermines) regional food
security. Drawing upon the literature on ecological resilience,
farmers argue that while efficient systems reduce costs, they are
fragile: when one piece fails the system as a whole can collapse.
Redundant systems, they argue, anticipate failure. When one
piece crashes, others (doing similar or the same work) keep the
system going. In this sense, one could argue that redundancy and
inefficiency constitute a distinctive mode of economic
organisation 'producing' a unique economic output (a resilient
food system).
This project focuses on the alternative
economies of urban farming in Detroit including projects on
community food security, urban transformation, food justice and
regional resilience. The student will be based in DGES at Aberystwyth
University and will have 9 months of fieldwork in Detroit working
directly with local urban farming organisations with added support
from the University of Michigan. The project intersects with a
number interests and themes among staff in DGES including
cultural geography, urban geography, community and regional
food security, creative geographies, cultural and political theory
and questions about sustainability, urban transformation and
resilience.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Mitch Rose (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Rachel Solnick (Student) |
| Description | (1) That the Diverse Economies literature has exhibited white blindness and as such has unwittingly but inevitably contributed toa a continued reification of structural racism within geographic research (2) A focus black political-economic literature reveals the holes of racialised consideration that have been overlooked in the Diverse Economies literature, and simultaneously uncovers ways in which critical theory should be nourished by the knowledge of these historic and inspiring autonomous economies. (3) The diveristy of economic discourse that spreads across race, and that capitalocentric discourse is more prevalent within white economic discourse. |
| Exploitation Route | (1) This is relevant to Diverse Economy theorist and scholars of critical political economic theory. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | Jewish Farmer Network Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Around 40 participants attended a presentation on Radical Diasporism and Jewish Land Justice. There was a lively debate and conversation following the presentation. The audience expressed gratitude for feeling validated by the dicussion and inspired to continue work both practically on the land and politically towards land justice in there localities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/z1kNUQilisEERmxamGxmg4gUDhQfuJY-eZh_pYBWrQUJ9tv03ytfk5KpmFpunzbfpPq... |
| Description | Presentation and the Oxford Real Faming Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 35 professional landworkers attended a presentation about Jewish Land Justice, we had feed back that the session provided a lot of information about the history of land displacement and allowed participants to engage with conceptualizing land justice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USeGAEnPilM&t=261s |
| Description | Shmita Session |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | around 30 people attended a conversation between myself and radical Jewish farm in New york State, Link Fligl. Audience engagned with concepts of diasporism, land justice, shmita, queer theory |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://miknafhaaretz.wordpress.com/ |
| Description | Weekend Teaching Reatreat |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | 30 participants from accross the UK attended a weekend of exploration into shmitta and radical diasporic land justice. The participants attended several sessions exploring different aspects of the work including a history of land struggle, ecology of land justice and theoretical engagement with food and land justice. Participants reported a deep connection to the work and the finding of community in the group and a desire to engage with land justice politically moving forwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://miknafhaaretz.wordpress.com/ |