Thank you for joining us for this Farmers’ Lab, where we discussed the creation of a local food system. We know this is a daunting task. It is difficult to see how we can change an economic system to benefit local communities. We need to be aware that the economic system is centuries old, and the paths that are created there are created by all the actions of many many individuals and firms, and their actions in turn are determined by technology, by how we perceive this activity historically, and by the accompanying patterns and incentives in society already.
We can also, as the United Nations estimate, only produce a small percentage of our food in the local area. They estimate that this could cover 20% of our food needs, whilst some cities, like Kinshasa, produces close to 100% of its own food needs. It is clear that how the background economy and society is organised affects how we can think of local food systems.
For local communities to capture the benefits of self-production and we need to be very strategic and build a system with incentives and opportunities. This, in a sense, has to be an enterprise itself that has to compete with the existing market. However, this “enterprise” will deal with “value” and not “money” and it can thus use “value” to bind all together for such a local market.
In the Farmers’ Lab I suggested that we use what I call the “factors of the production of social innovation” to build this enterprise. This is different than using “land, labour or capital” for enterprise creation and this allows us to think of the creation of a local food market as an alternative system.
From the experience gained in setting up iZindaba Zokudla, please allow me to make the following suggestions on how such a local food system can be created.
Use events, spaces and places
Everything happens somewhere. To create local food systems spaces and places need to be used as part of a local food system. The hosting of an event at or in such a space or place will give people a cause to focus on in understanding and eventually living in such a local food system. An event can be created to explicitly create such a system or it can be added to the agenda of any other meeting in the local area. To create a local food system you need inspire the community and show them that it is possible. In this event, invite all the role players that may form a closed circle of actors and entrepreneurs that could create such a system.
Facilitate the conversation and push it in the right direction
Once you have all the players in the room, it would be necessary to facilitate the conversation amongst them. People will try to use such gatherings to advance their own particular agenda, and the trick is to let their agenda converge with that of the community, and to let them see the benefit of a new pattern of trade that keeps things local. We have to remark that the economic incentives for such a system would have to be competitive with the mainstream system. "Local" could also means those "involved" and interesting "engineering" or patterns of trade needs to be practiced to create cheaper than conventional products to make such a system work. This can be done by creating a local community that links farmers, sellers and consumers and everyone else.
Technology
We have to take heed of the technologies needed to make such a system work. The obvious ones are the social media technologies like Facebook and WhatsApp. These can create feedback loops and discussions that can bind the community. These will be essential. Local farmers need to harvest food waste and other biowaste and this would need technology, from a simple compost heap, to tumblers to worm farms, to safely process this food waste. Food waste harvesting, rainwater harvesting, and the harvesting of biomass are the resources we need to make small local farms viable. This feeds the soil and we need to understand that this is where the value lies we need to make a local system viable. This also includes means to cool, transport and display food grown or marketed locally.
An assembly of people
We need an assembly of people who support a local food system. As the “assembly” trades in local value, it must be open to all sources of local “value” and this means the system must accommodate money, support, help, and also the involvement of many. A loose organisation would bind everyone around the local food system. It can be sustained by stories, identities – “Diepkloof local!” and this is easier to build than a real enterprise. Membership of this might not be such a good idea as all those in the "local" area should have the opportunity to bring non-monetary value to this "organisation". The organisation will be made up of its name and identity, and its stories, more than its members and its products.
This is an assembly or community that must enable those under it to build viable businesses. Entrepreneurs, to support such an initiative must only be very loosely bound to such a local food system. They need to explore all possible paths on their own and only after they have done so would you know their participation is authentic. Only if entrepreneurs join out of their own interests will you know they are relevant. When they do you can be sure they can make money, and this is the trade that we need to make the local system work!
Let us then, in all our local areas, uses spaces and places for events so the whole community can be involved. Make this a festival, so people want to participate. This will enable them to re-arrange their own lives on their own to participate in this economic opportunity.
Facilitate the discussion amongst the people so they see the merits of what you propose so they can become involved.
Use technology throughout the process.
Allow people to assemble around this process as they see fit. In the end local food systems will only emerge if people voluntarily and through their own interests support this. We cannot engineer a local food system, but people must create it because they see benefit in it.
Above is only the basics of what may be needed to build such a system. This system needs good food to keep it going, so it is important to see where and who needs to be empowered to help create it. Farmers will need biomass for fertiliser, whilst community members need spaces and places to discuss this together. Entrepreneurs need to sell good quality products at a fair price. Those who want to see this happen cannot use organisations to change people's behaviour to realise a local food system, but the right behaviour needs to emerge because it is in everyone's benefit. There is a real art involved in setting up such a local food system.
There are leadership opportunities available for anyone, particularly in townships and “local” areas to rearrange their own local areas, mobilise local businesses and farmers, and to build meaningful stories about self-reliance and self-provision, that can create local economic patterns. This is a worthwhile exercise and those who try and fail, will benefit from improved future opportunities. You should know, I tried four times to create a farmers’ market in Soweto. I failed four times, but after me, The Soweto Markert Place succeeded.
Please note the details of our speakers:
Queline Dieumie. Masters Candidate in Development Studies, University of Johannesburg: dieumiequeline@gmail.com
Ethel Khoza, Chairperson of the Zodwa Khoza Foundation. chairperson@zodwakhozafoundation.org
Ntsieni Mbulungeni Thulamela Business forum: Ntsieni Mbulungeni ntsieni@thulamelabusiness.co.za
Michele Sohn, Confluence and #10Million Masks.
Comments