Wiskerke, J. S. C., & Verhoeven, S. (2018). The spatiality of food provisioning. In
Flourishing Foodscapes (pp. 17-38).
Von Thünen model:
central assumption > the land surrounding market towns is completely flat and has no rivers or
mountains and the soil quality is the same everywhere
→ four concentric rings of agricultural productivity surround the market center
Following the introduction of railroads, spatial proximity relations between cities and agricultural
production rapidly became weaker with the introduction of new technologies
→ increased the shelf life of food products and global sourcing of fresh food has become a common
practice
The growing apart of cities and their food systems has changed their relationship in multiple ways >
three spheres of changing relations:
1. Spatial: physical distance between the site of production and site of consumption has
increased
2. Social: increased physical distance has also changed the social relations between actors
involved in different food provisioning practices, such as the consumption, cooking, trade,
distribution, processing, and production of food (farmers do not know their consumers and
vice versa)
3. Values: change in the values that actors contribute to food and in the conventions (exchange
rules and agreements) that shape the interactions and relations between actors in food
systems
Commercial: importance of price
Industrial: growing significance of standards and quality assurance schemes in food
systems
→ alternatives to this mainstream globalized industrial food systems are emerging and growing
have certain characteristics in common: reducing the spatial distance between production and
consumption, (re-)establishing social relations between producers and consumers, and emphasis on
domestic conventions such as attachment to place and tradition (aka terroir)
Contemporary food system challenges
Cities become disconnected from their food provisioning systems and at the same time globalized
and industrialized food systems are on the rise
, → food system challenges that need to be urgently addressed
resource depletion and scarcity
fossil fuel > GHG emissions
water
environmental degradation
deplete natural resources
energy- and chemical intensive
climate change
some regions benefit: more productive environment (longer growing season,
sufficient rainfall)
others not: severe droughts and floods
food availability, food accessibility, food utilization and food security
dualistic relationship food - climate change
waste (food and packaging)
40% of produced food is not consumed
industrialized: supermarkets, restaurants, at home
developing countries: during harvest, storage and transport
food packaging waste increased due to: combined effects population growth,
increased levels of consumption, and a growing share of processed food in people’s
diets
social inequalities
city: economic growth, innovation and employment
urban inequalities > poor urban governance
SES inequalities → differences in access and affordability of food
public health
2 billion people suffer from diet-related ill-health: obesity, malnutrition, and hunger
Alarming: overweight children
Malnutrition children and elderly
prevalence stunted growth children remains high
food system also impacts environmental health (e.g. transport > urban air pollution;
lack of urban green)
Six challenges are interconnected and interdependent → emerging Nexus-thinking
(i.e. water-energy-environment-waste-climate-change-social inequality-health nexus → within
context of population growth, urbanization, and dietary change)
The spatiality of food-related challenges
Food provisioning practices, the conditions that shape these practices and the impacts of these
practices are not only of a social, economic, and environmental nature but also manifest themselves
spatially
inextricable spatial interdependencies between food provisioning practices (e.g. pre-packed
pork)
spatial aspects of the nexus: existence of spatial differences in climate change effects, in food
access and availability, in diet-related ill health, in food waste, etc.
areas with highest rate of urbanization and population growth → expected to suffer
the highest negative impact of climate change on agricultural productivity
strong correlation between projected climate change impact on agricultural
productivity and the availability of water for food production
Flourishing Foodscapes (pp. 17-38).
Von Thünen model:
central assumption > the land surrounding market towns is completely flat and has no rivers or
mountains and the soil quality is the same everywhere
→ four concentric rings of agricultural productivity surround the market center
Following the introduction of railroads, spatial proximity relations between cities and agricultural
production rapidly became weaker with the introduction of new technologies
→ increased the shelf life of food products and global sourcing of fresh food has become a common
practice
The growing apart of cities and their food systems has changed their relationship in multiple ways >
three spheres of changing relations:
1. Spatial: physical distance between the site of production and site of consumption has
increased
2. Social: increased physical distance has also changed the social relations between actors
involved in different food provisioning practices, such as the consumption, cooking, trade,
distribution, processing, and production of food (farmers do not know their consumers and
vice versa)
3. Values: change in the values that actors contribute to food and in the conventions (exchange
rules and agreements) that shape the interactions and relations between actors in food
systems
Commercial: importance of price
Industrial: growing significance of standards and quality assurance schemes in food
systems
→ alternatives to this mainstream globalized industrial food systems are emerging and growing
have certain characteristics in common: reducing the spatial distance between production and
consumption, (re-)establishing social relations between producers and consumers, and emphasis on
domestic conventions such as attachment to place and tradition (aka terroir)
Contemporary food system challenges
Cities become disconnected from their food provisioning systems and at the same time globalized
and industrialized food systems are on the rise
, → food system challenges that need to be urgently addressed
resource depletion and scarcity
fossil fuel > GHG emissions
water
environmental degradation
deplete natural resources
energy- and chemical intensive
climate change
some regions benefit: more productive environment (longer growing season,
sufficient rainfall)
others not: severe droughts and floods
food availability, food accessibility, food utilization and food security
dualistic relationship food - climate change
waste (food and packaging)
40% of produced food is not consumed
industrialized: supermarkets, restaurants, at home
developing countries: during harvest, storage and transport
food packaging waste increased due to: combined effects population growth,
increased levels of consumption, and a growing share of processed food in people’s
diets
social inequalities
city: economic growth, innovation and employment
urban inequalities > poor urban governance
SES inequalities → differences in access and affordability of food
public health
2 billion people suffer from diet-related ill-health: obesity, malnutrition, and hunger
Alarming: overweight children
Malnutrition children and elderly
prevalence stunted growth children remains high
food system also impacts environmental health (e.g. transport > urban air pollution;
lack of urban green)
Six challenges are interconnected and interdependent → emerging Nexus-thinking
(i.e. water-energy-environment-waste-climate-change-social inequality-health nexus → within
context of population growth, urbanization, and dietary change)
The spatiality of food-related challenges
Food provisioning practices, the conditions that shape these practices and the impacts of these
practices are not only of a social, economic, and environmental nature but also manifest themselves
spatially
inextricable spatial interdependencies between food provisioning practices (e.g. pre-packed
pork)
spatial aspects of the nexus: existence of spatial differences in climate change effects, in food
access and availability, in diet-related ill health, in food waste, etc.
areas with highest rate of urbanization and population growth → expected to suffer
the highest negative impact of climate change on agricultural productivity
strong correlation between projected climate change impact on agricultural
productivity and the availability of water for food production
