Abstract:
This thesis undertakes an exploration of the nature of alternative food projects in
Niagara. A review of various theoretical approaches to the study of food and agriculture,
suggests that actor-network theory offers the most useful lens through which to
understand these projects. In particular, actor-network theory facilitates non-dualistic
theorisations of power and scale and a commitment to the inclusion of non-humans in the
'social' sciences. The research is based on 19 in-depth interviews with actors involved in
various urban and rural projects including community supported agriculture, community
gardens, chefs using local seasonal food, a winery that grows organically, the good food
box, a value-added small business, and organic producers.
The analysis consists of four themes. The first analytical section pays special
attention to the prominence of agri-tourism in Niagara, and examines the ways in which
the projects in the sample interact with agri-tourist networks. In the second section the
discussion focuses on the discourses and practices of resistance among Niagara
alternative food actors. The participants' interviews suggest there are more discourses of
resistance toward agri-tourist than toward dominant food networks. The third section
questions commodity chain theorisations of alternative food projects. In particular, this
section shows how the inclusion of non-human actors in an analysis confounds
conceptualisations of 'short' and 'local' chains. The final analytical section assesses
relations of power in Niagara alternative food projects.
Three important conclusions arise from this research. First, Niagara alternative
food projects cannot be conceptualised as operating at the 'local' scale. Broadening the scope of analysis to include non-human actors, it becomes apparent that these projects
actually draw on a variety of extra-local actors. They are at once local and global.
Second, the projects in this sample are simultaneously part of alternative, dominant and
agri-tourist networks. While Niagara alternative food projects do perform many of the
roles characteristic of alternative food systems, they are also involved in practices of
development, business, and class distinction. Thus, alternative food networks should not
be understood as separate from and in direct opposition to dominant food networks.
Despite the second conclusion, this research determines that Niagara alternative food
projects have made significant strides in the reworking of power. The projects
represented in this thesis do engage in resistant practices and are associated with
increased levels ofjustice.
