ABSTRACT
In this paper we explore the relationships, politics, and cultures of two co-evolving food system networks in Dunedin, New Zealand. In 2013, an informal group of local food advocates recognized an opportunity in bringing together diverse actors to scale-up the impact of local food initiatives through a series of local food forums. Out of these forums emerged Our Food Network Dunedin (OFN), a self-described grassroots organization dedicated to stimulating the production, distribution, and consumption of local food, and in that way contribute to building a resilient and prosperous community. OFN recognized the importance of institutional resources to support food system change and was successful (along with other actors) in lobbying the Dunedin City Council to create a part-time position in 2015 to ensure that food issues were considered across council policies and in the broader community. These efforts resulted in Good Food Dunedin, a council-led food initiative that brings together stakeholders who share a vision of transforming Dunedin into a thriving and sustainable food city. Despite having many of the same actors involved in both networks, they are perceived differently by stakeholders involved and by the broader community, have different access to resources, and are taking different approaches to food system change. In this research, we use these two co-existing and evolving governance networks to reflect on the relative (im)mobility of concepts such as food justice, food sovereignty, food security, sustainable food, urban agriculture, and economic development across council-led and community-led food networks. We explore how diverse stakeholders engage in shaping the meaning of these concepts and the processes used to influence and shape changes to food systems in place.
