Relational Foodways in Wild Rose Country: The Pathways, Pitfalls, and Politics of Regenerative Farming in an Agro-Industrial Complex

Abstract

A global shift towards large-scale mechanized agriculture has led to a reconfiguration in socio-economic patterns of food production, circulation, and consumption. This intensive agro-industrial regime is characterized by a corporatization and concentration of land, the commodification of seeds and water, and a heavy reliance on external inputs. Driven by a residual model of extractive development, the capitalist exploitation of natural resources has manifested cycles of debt and dependency among small-scale growers worldwide. In Canada, where the agrarian landscape is dominated by export-oriented conventional methods, small-scale farmers are being squeezed out by industry consolidation, high operating costs, and consumer limitations. Situated in Wild Rose Country (Treaty 7, Southern Alberta), this research analyzes 1) the political, socio-economic, gendered, ecological, and cultural-spiritual factors impacting farmers’ ability to employ regenerative practices, and 2) the role of relationality in enabling or disabling more socially and ecologically resilient foodways. A holistic methodology consisting of experiential farming, farm exchanges, group sharing circles, and storytelling supported an environmental scan of regenerative farming organizations in Southern Alberta. Insights were further gleaned from relevant academic literature, policy and NGO reports, and popular media. Guided by agrarian political economy and feminist political ecology, the analytical framework developed herein–relational foodways–makes theoretical and practical contributions to the fields of Critical Agrarian Studies, Socio-cultural Anthropology, and Development Studies. Namely, enhanced food resilience, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, regenerative applications, and educational value. From the formation of a farmer-owned growers cooperative to an urban activist growers collective, the process and outcomes of this transdisciplinary research brings together diverse voices seeking food system transformation.