Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Learnings from the Appalachian Foodshed Project: Propositions for Organizing with Complexity
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Since 2011, a consortium of community and university partners has been collaborating, as the Appalachian Foodshed Project, in an effort to systematically address issues of food insecurity in central Appalachia. In this collaborative work, we adopted a community food security approach, which acknowledges that hunger and household food insecurity are symptoms of a larger ecology of issues, like a lack of affordable, culturally appropriate food, disproportionate income spent on housing expenses, racism, insufficient public transportation, and limited employment options. From a community food security perspective, an equitable, resilient, and fair food system will only result by addressing these, and other larger issues. In our most recent work, we have embraced the complexity of these interconnected issues. Rather than attempting to create reductive solutions that fail to keep pace with dynamically changing complex issues, we have focused our energy on creating conditions for emergent solutions with novel organizational partnerships and alliances. In this paper, we will share some of our recent work and thinking regarding processes and mindsets that we believe need to be be nurtured in order to truly effect transformative systems-level change in a region like central Appalachia. We will share our series of propositions for organizing with complexity, as well as some of the potentialities that have emerged from the collective work.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Phil D’Adamo-Damery was a postdoctoral researcher with the Appalachian Foodshed Project (AFP) and has been involved with the transition to the Appalachian Foodshed Partnership. Phil’s work has been focused on processes for emergent self-organization in rural food systems change work. He is particularly interested exploring mechanisms and processes for creating spaces for nimble collaboration between diverse social change perspectives.
Nikki D'Adamo-Damery has a background in community development and food systems work. She most recently served as the Deputy Director of the Appalachian Foodshed Project from 2011 to 2016.
Learnings from the Appalachian Foodshed Project: Propositions for Organizing with Complexity
Since 2011, a consortium of community and university partners has been collaborating, as the Appalachian Foodshed Project, in an effort to systematically address issues of food insecurity in central Appalachia. In this collaborative work, we adopted a community food security approach, which acknowledges that hunger and household food insecurity are symptoms of a larger ecology of issues, like a lack of affordable, culturally appropriate food, disproportionate income spent on housing expenses, racism, insufficient public transportation, and limited employment options. From a community food security perspective, an equitable, resilient, and fair food system will only result by addressing these, and other larger issues. In our most recent work, we have embraced the complexity of these interconnected issues. Rather than attempting to create reductive solutions that fail to keep pace with dynamically changing complex issues, we have focused our energy on creating conditions for emergent solutions with novel organizational partnerships and alliances. In this paper, we will share some of our recent work and thinking regarding processes and mindsets that we believe need to be be nurtured in order to truly effect transformative systems-level change in a region like central Appalachia. We will share our series of propositions for organizing with complexity, as well as some of the potentialities that have emerged from the collective work.
