TY - JOUR

T1 - Local food hubs in deprived areas

T2 - destigmatising food poverty?

AU - Psarikidou, Aikaterini

AU - Kaloudis, Charalampos

AU - Fielden, Amy

AU - Reynolds, Christian

N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Local Environment on 20/03/2019, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13549839.2019.1593952

PY - 2019/6/3

Y1 - 2019/6/3

N2 - This paper aims to explore the potential of “local food hubs” to address issues of stigma associated with the use of food banks in urban deprived areas. “Local Food Hubs” are a relocalised distribution channel, however, like other Alternative Agro-Food Networks (AAFNs), it can be an elite phenomenon for affluent areas and consumers. Our research focuses on the Open Food Network (OFN) local food hubs in order to explore their potential to constitute “an alternative” to the conventional ways of addressing food poverty. Currently, food banks are the main avenue for accessing food in conditions of food poverty, carrying significant implications of stigmatisation for their users. In this paper, drawing on existing social science research on stigma, we identify the diverse ways “local food hubs” help overcome as well as reproduce existing discourses and practices of stigmatisation. We conclude that, despite their efforts, as they currently stand, “local food hubs” are unable to address stigma in food poverty. We suggest that his is due to the specific individual-focused stigma-management strategies they employ, as well as the wider underlying societal structures that cause food poverty, and which local food hubs are unable to address by themselves. We thus propose that addressing the broader structural conditions that cause and reproduce stigma in food poverty is pivotal for “local food hubs” to be in a position to constitute an AAFN for all.

AB - This paper aims to explore the potential of “local food hubs” to address issues of stigma associated with the use of food banks in urban deprived areas. “Local Food Hubs” are a relocalised distribution channel, however, like other Alternative Agro-Food Networks (AAFNs), it can be an elite phenomenon for affluent areas and consumers. Our research focuses on the Open Food Network (OFN) local food hubs in order to explore their potential to constitute “an alternative” to the conventional ways of addressing food poverty. Currently, food banks are the main avenue for accessing food in conditions of food poverty, carrying significant implications of stigmatisation for their users. In this paper, drawing on existing social science research on stigma, we identify the diverse ways “local food hubs” help overcome as well as reproduce existing discourses and practices of stigmatisation. We conclude that, despite their efforts, as they currently stand, “local food hubs” are unable to address stigma in food poverty. We suggest that his is due to the specific individual-focused stigma-management strategies they employ, as well as the wider underlying societal structures that cause food poverty, and which local food hubs are unable to address by themselves. We thus propose that addressing the broader structural conditions that cause and reproduce stigma in food poverty is pivotal for “local food hubs” to be in a position to constitute an AAFN for all.

KW - Local food hubs

KW - alternative agro-food networks

KW - stigma

KW - food banks

KW - food poverty

U2 - 10.1080/13549839.2019.1593952

DO - 10.1080/13549839.2019.1593952

M3 - Journal article

VL - 24

SP - 525

EP - 538

JO - Local Environment : The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability

JF - Local Environment : The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability

SN - 1354-9839

IS - 6

ER -