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Community Self-Organizing and the Urban Food Commons in Berlin and New York

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  • Oona Morrow

    (Rural Sociology Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6706KN Wageningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Food sharing and food commons have both been raised as possible solutions to unsustainable and unjust urban food systems. This paper draws upon ethnographic research conducted in Berlin and New York to examine self-organizing in community food initiatives that are to varying degrees creating urban food commons by opening up urban space and its fruits to community use, sharing, and governance. In New York, the organization 596 Acres has developed an interactive map of vacant land to help community members self-organize to gain access to, steward, and protect the “lots in their life” for urban growing. In Berlin, the organization foodsharing.de has developed an interactive web platform to decentralize and democratize the logistics of food rescue and redistribution through peer-to-peer gifting and community fridges. The paper examines the possibilities and limitations of socio-technical innovations as “tools for commoning,” for self-organizing imagination, access, care, and governance in urban food commons. The paper contributes to debates on the role of socio-technical innovation in urban food sharing and practices of self-organizing in urban food commons.

Suggested Citation

  • Oona Morrow, 2019. "Community Self-Organizing and the Urban Food Commons in Berlin and New York," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:13:p:3641-:d:245072
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Charlotte A. Spring & Robin Biddulph, 2020. "Capturing Waste or Capturing Innovation? Comparing Self-Organising Potentials of Surplus Food Redistribution Initiatives to Prevent Food Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Alice Marie Yamabe-Ledoux & Osamu Saito & Keiko Hori, 2023. "Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of ICT-Mediated Food Sharing in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, March.
    3. Giaime Berti & Claudia Giordano & Mariavaleria Mininni, 2021. "Assessing the Transformative Potential of Food Banks: The Case Study of Magazzini Sociali (Italy)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Sara A. L. Smaal & Joost Dessein & Barend J. Wind & Elke Rogge, 2021. "Social justice-oriented narratives in European urban food strategies: Bringing forward redistribution, recognition and representation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 709-727, September.
    5. Caroline Ruiner, 2021. "Voluntary Work in Digital Contexts as Gift Exchange," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-13, November.

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