Food Security in Focus: A Critical Case Study Analysis

Minor Essay – Option 1 Instructions

For your minor essay you have given two options. For Option 1, you should engage in a critical reflection using a case study as the starting point for your framing and analysis. A case study is an approach that allows one to ground conceptual and methodological critique of significant and scalable issues in the specific evidence and realities of an evidenced example.

Below you will find a list of approved case studies. You should pick one of these case studies to ground your analysis. When using your case study, you should not merely recap the argument of the authors, but should engage in a sustained critical reflection and critique. This will involve closely examining the selected case study and developing your own argument, based on your evolving understanding of food security.

Assessment requirements

As per the assessment brief in this essay, you must:

• Identify what you see as the primary challenge(s) to food security (broadly conceived) in the selected case study.

• Consider cultural, economic and/or spatial justice issues associated with food security, food access, and food vulnerability as they relate to the case study.

• Make an argument for the most appropriate and effective approach to addressing these challenges.

You should draw on additional research to support your argument. You are also expected to critically apply theoretical approaches covered in lectures, learning materials, and subject readings in addition to other scholarly sources.

Approved case studies

Implications of transformation for urban agricultural practices in 19th century

Urban agriculture transformation in the US cities

• Brinkley, C., & Vitiello, D. (2014). From Farm to Nuisance: Animal Agriculture and the Rise of Planning Regulation. Journal of Planning History, 13(2), 113–135.
  
  https://doi.org/10.1177/1538513213507542

“Blood and bone” industries in London*

• Atkins, P. J. (2016). Chapter 4: The blood and guts economy. In Animal cities: beastly urban histories (1st ed.). Routledge.

Impact of large-scale industrial agriculture and monoculture proliferation

Intensive pig production

• Parenti, E., & Liberti, S. (Directors). (2018). Soyalism. [Video/DVD] Syndicado.
  
  Accessed at: https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/Soyalism

Intensification of broiler chickens

• Boyd, W. (2001). Making Meat: Science, Technology, and American Poultry Production. Technology and Culture, 42(4), 631–664.
  
  https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2001.0150

Effectiveness of alternative food networks (AFNs)

AFNs in Melbourne and Brisbane

• Canal Vieira, L., Serrao-Neumann, S., & Howes, M. (2021). Daring to build fair and sustainable urban food systems: A case study of alternative food networks in Australia. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 45(3), 344–365.
  
  https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2020.1812788

AFNs in Guangzhou, China*

• Zhong, S., Hughes, A., Crang, M., Zeng, G., & Hocknell, S. (2022). Fragmentary embeddedness: Challenges for alternative food networks in Guangzhou, China. Journal of Rural Studies, 95, 382–390.

Gendered dimensions of food systems

Afro-Colombian women sustaining localised food systems

• Turner, K. L., Idrobo, C. J., Desmarais, A. A., & Peredo, A. M. (2022). Food sovereignty, gender and everyday practice: the role of Afro-Colombian women in sustaining localised food systems. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 49(2), 402–428.
  
  https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2020.1786812

Cuba’s local agriculture innovation project

• Benítez, B., Nelson, E., Romero Sarduy, M. I., Oriz Pérez, R., Crespo Morales, A., Casanova Rodríguez, C., ... & Daniels, J. (2020). Empowering women and building sustainable food systems: A case study of Cuba’s local agricultural innovation project. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 4, 554414.

South African fruit markets

• Barrientos, S. (2014). Gender and global value chains: challenges of economic and social upgrading in agri-food. Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper No. RSCAS, 96.

Global shocks and agri-food systems

Impact of Russian-Ukraine agri-food system shocks in Melbourne

• Murphy, M., Carey, R., & Alexandra, L. (2023). Building the resilience of agri-food systems to compounding shocks and stresses: A case study from Melbourne, Australia. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7, 1130978.

Impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous Australians

• Bronwyn Fredericks, & Abraham Bradfield. (2021). Indigenous Australians and COVID-19: Highlighting ongoing food security issues. International Journal of Home Economics, 14(1), 53–65.

Note

• These case studies are drawn from recommended learning materials and are available in learning material folders for Week 2–4.
  
  ** These are additional approved case studies that are not included in recommended or required learning materials. They can be accessed through the La Trobe library catalogue.