Food democracy and frugal innovation

Presentation 1 - Dachas and food democracy: What makes a (good) food citizen?

By Lilian Pungas (ISS and Friedrich Schiller University)

Lilian Pungas sheds light on the aspects of food citizenship and food democracy within the practice of Food Self-Provisioning (FSP) in Eastern Estonia. Her findings are based on interviews with 45 people on dachas - a Russian term for a plot of land with a seasonal allotment house, mostly used for food production.

The analysis focuses on the three dimensions of food democracy (input, throughput, output) and explores to what extent can the FSP in the dachas serve as a vivid example of food democracy. On the one hand FSP encompasses essential characteristics of food democracy, increases citizens’ resilience and serves as an example of food sovereignty.

Presentation 2 - The ‘Multifunctional Greenhouse’ in the making: Repurposing, frugal innovation, and novel niches in peri-urban farming

By Ilja van Lammeren (ISS), Oane Visser (ISS) and Willem Hulsink (EUR)

This presentation examines the novel phenomena of Dutch growers’ starting confined allotment gardens and self-pick orchards and theorizes these as an emerging model of multifunctional, peri-urban agriculture. The researchers presents findings from 4 case studies from the eastern- and western outskirt of Rotterdam-the Hague metropole. Situated amidst ever-more enclosed and automated monoculture greenhouse production, the case study growers retooled ‘outdated’ technological infrastructures and diversified, creating pockets of agro-ecological and social activity.

The ‘multifunctional greenhouse’, attracts surrounding rural and urban dwellers and ethnic minority groups in particular, whose engagement accelerates plant-biodiversity and knowledge-exchange inside the greenhouse and increases the availability of culturally appropriate foods in the wider region. Initial findings suggests that these multifunctional greenhouse present a promising alternative income model for Dutch growers and nurtures remarkably inclusive alternative food networks.