Environmental Studies Commons^™

Addressing Issues In Global Food Systems Contributing To Food Injustice And Waste On A Local Level In Missoula, Mt, Jocelyn Stansberry, Devin Jacaruso, Abbe Feilzer, Gabby Adams, Rianna Bowers, Livi Lackland-Henry

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Food waste and insecurity are two of the most pressing issues of our time. We, as a planet, produce more food than necessary-- enough to feed the entire global population and then some. Yet, millions of people still struggle to find reliable access to food due to inefficient distribution within our global systems. As people face the incredible struggle of starvation and malnourishment produced, in part, by these global systems, they often are forced to notice the lack of meaningful support from within their communities, separating those in need from those that could help. Food waste and community resilience are …

Co-Op To Cafeteria: Building A Food Value Chain For Farm To School, Blake D. Lineweaver

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The central theme of this M.S. Environmental Studies portfolio considers farm-to-school as a medium for food system transformation within an innovative regional partnership of producer-owned food hubs and a state education agency. The portfolio consists of three main elements.

The first element is a literature review that examines the holistic farm-to-school model, with a particular focus on local food procurement.

The second element is a strategic communications plan, which was developed as part of an internship project with the Northwest Food Hub Network and the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center. The aim of this plan is to promote value-added products …

Keeping What You Sow: Intellectual Property Rights For Plant Breeders And Seed Growers, Paulina B. Jenney

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Over the last 150 years, the food system in the present-day United States has undergone a transformational restructuring, from a diversified, decentralized, network of farmers and seed growers, to one in which the majority of crop production is controlled by a few industrial corporations. The consolidation of power has been under-girded by the application of intellectual property rights (IPR)—especially utility patents—to plant varieties and genetic traits, which are leveraged to exclude small-scale seed growers from accessing quality germplasm. Patents and restrictive licensing agreements recapitulate colonial structures by appropriating common and traditionally community-held resources for profit, and by creating reliance on …

Food Policy For A Healthy, Sustainable, And Equitable Local Food System: Recommendations For Missoula, Erika Berglund

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Over the last several decades, food policy councils (FPCs) have led the effort to place food on local government policy agendas. While FPCs continue to make progress in supporting local food systems, they also face institutional and organizational challenges. In recent years, a handful of cities and counties have endeavored to further food system reform with the establishment of full-time food policy staff positions. Currently, there are 19 confirmed food policy positions housed in local governments across the U.S. While there is considerable literature on FPCs, little research has been published regarding governmental food policy staff positions. This study uses …

Water Use In Confined Animal Feeding Operations (Cafos) In Minnesota: Who’S Keeping Track?, Dara Meredith Fedrow

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are highly concentrated feedlots that raise large numbers of livestock with an emphasis on efficiency and maximizing output. Hog and dairy feedlots in Minnesota are shrinking in number, yet growing in size. In hand with the rise of CAFOs, water scarcity is a growing concern as the effects of climate change worsen and the human population increases. Though Minnesota is a state of abundant water, it is not evenly distributed throughout the state raising concerns about sustainable water usage.

This paper describes and analyzes how Minnesota’s water appropriation permit system is overseeing water usage in …

Walking While Asking:Lessons From Agroecology Education In Chiapas, Mexico, Katherine E. Keller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Keller, Kate, M.S., December 2019 Environmental Studies

Walking While Asking: Lessons from Agroecology Education in Chiapas, Mexico

Committee Chairperson: Dr. Neva Hassanein

This professional paper presents an assessment of the most recent project of Schools for Chiapas (SfC), a U.S.-based solidarity organization working in collaboration with the Zapatista autonomous communities in Chiapas, Mexico. It examines the challenges and potentials of SfC’s efforts to implement food forests at 16 autonomous secondary schools. I contextualize this work within a larger conversation amongst food sovereignty activists and scholars around efforts to scale-out the use of agroecology through education. As the organization looks to …

Full Circle: Building A Local Economy Through Pollinator Enterprises In The Food System, Catherine M. Demets

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

As the alternative food movement gains traction in mainstream American society, it is essential to document how enterprises in the movement are building robust local economies. As Eric Holt-Giménez (2010: 1) points out, the movement “has successfully shone the spotlight on hunger and food access in the US, created a drive for more local food, and gotten better policy from the federal to the local level,” yet no assurance exists that our society’s interest in food issues is not a passing fad. Rather, we should ask: “how do we turn initial reforms into lasting food system transformation?” (Holt-Giménez 2010: 1). …

Volunteering For Vegetables: Community Agriculture And The Prospects For Building A More Democratic Food System, Kali Orton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Scholars and activists hold varied ideas about what a more just and equitable food system might look like. Food democracy, one of these alternative food system theories, centers around the idea that all people should have equal opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the shaping of their food systems. Community farms, due to their socially-oriented qualities, present one possibility for people to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to function as food citizens and build food democracy.

This research explores and seeks to inform food democracy theory through case studies of two urban community farms – one in Missoula, Montana, and …

Growing Youth Programming At Garden City Harvest Through Participatory Action Research, Hannah B. Oblock

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This professional paper presents a program evaluation and strategic plan for the youth development farming programs at Garden City Harvest (GCH), a non-profit in Missoula, Montana, which coordinates community-centered agriculture projects and facilitates sustainable agriculture education. The youth programs, Youth Harvest (YH) and Youth Farm (YF), hire adolescents of 15-18 years of age to work on their urban farms to learn about sustainable agriculture, job readiness skills, and social-emotional well-being. As the organization continues to expand, especially with the addition of a new facility, GCH administration and staff are interested in learning how the programs impact the youth employees and …

Zoning And Complementary Incentives To Protect Farmland: A Case For Missoula County, Kaitlin Mccafferty

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Urban sprawl reflects an inefficient use of land that diminishes both rural landscapes and quality of life turning farms, ranches and open space into siloed suburban communities. This results in less walkable cities with more traffic and air pollution, among other negative consequences. Farmland constitutes a particularly important resource that often faces degradation or loss due to sprawl. Higher quality agricultural soils are particularly desirable for development because they are flat and well-drained. Farmland is also important for urban communities concerning food security, environmental health, and economic well being. As American cities continue to grow, farmland around urban areas has …