In February 2016, the article “Forging Links Between Food Chain Labor Activists and Academics” was published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD). The article draws, indirectly, on some of lead author Charles Levkoe’s experiences and work as the academic co-lead of CFICE’s Community Food Security (CFS) Hub.
The article explores the ways in which community-engaged teaching and research partnerships can work to address the challenges faced by workers in the food system.
The article can be accessed by visiting the JAFSCD’s website. Please note, a subscription to the journal is required for accessing a PDF copy of the document.
Abstract (from JAFSCD)
“Interest in food movements has been growing dramatically, but until recently there has been limited engagement with the challenges facing workers across the food system. Of the studies that do exist, there is little focus on the processes and relationships that lead to solutions. This article explores ways that community-engaged teaching and research partnerships can help to build meaningful justice with food workers. The text builds on a special roundtable session held at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers in Chicago in April 2015, which involved a range of academic scholars and community-based activists. We present these insights through a discussion of key perspectives on collaborative research and teaching and learning as food-labor scholar-activists. We argue that despite significant gaps in the way that food movements are addressing labor issues, community-campus collaborations present an opportunity for building alliances to foster food justice. Building on our collective analysis and reflection, we point to five recommendations for fostering collaboration: connecting to personal experience; building trust; developing common strategies; building on previous community efforts; and, appreciating power differences and reciprocating accordingly. We conclude with some final thoughts on future research directions.”