Degree Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2019
Degree Name
Master of Community and Regional Planning
Department
Community and Regional Planning
Major
Community and Regional Planning; Sustainable Agriculture
First Advisor
Monica Haddad
Second Advisor
Jane Rongerude
Abstract
Food plays an integral role in not only our health, but also our identity, culture, personal relationships, and the place in which we live. Using a food justice framework, this study investigates what food means to the organizations participating in the Des Moines food system, to a community-based organization located in a racially diverse, low-income neighborhood, and to six high school youth living in that neighborhood. Using a survey, interviews, and photovoice, this Participatory Action Research (PAR) study finds that the meaning of food changes with scale. In the food system network, food is a commodity. For the community-based organization, food is a form of community development. For the youth, food is part of their lived experience that reflects health, care, and identity. I argue that incorporating the various scales and meanings of food in policy implementation and planning ensures healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food for all while supporting environmentally responsible agriculture and the empowerment of local producers and consumers.
Copyright Owner
Morgan Bradley
Copyright Date
2019-08
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
176 pages
Recommended Citation
Bradley, Morgan, "What does food mean? A multi-scale investigation into Des Moines, Iowa" (2019). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 17409.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/17409