KATRINA DUGGAN

Back to the Future?

Deglobalization in Food and Farming 

 

This is an essay which I am currently editing with my Professor Gerhard Bryns for magazine publication. Other project work is also being edited for further publication. 

 

Sub-title: The Food and Farming Industry's impact on Globalization and Deglobalization

 

Abstract: In this essay, the return to a pre-industrial era will be explored through the phenomena of globalization, looking at its history and global impact, the causes behind anti-globalization from different groups of society across the globe, and finally the rationale behind the deglobalization movement. I will conclude with my forecast about a deglobalization future in our fast-paced, interconnected world. I will focus on the possible rebirth of community farming in places such as Greece. In conclusion, I will try to forecast the future of community farming in the midst of food and farming industries dominated by multi-national corporations.

 

Introduction: As a species, the evolution of our relationship with food has been dynamic and extreme. The partnership of Capitalism and Globalization has molded an environment where the food industries have become self-created super powers and have strong governmental and political influences, far exceeding their physical parameters or moral obligations.

 

Sparked by specific 21st-century global events, the once ‘unstoppable’ force of globalization has taken an unforeseen U-turn. We now find ourselves in the era of deglobalization and the more we, as a global society, reject certain aspects of globalization and embrace long term, community minded initiatives, the closer we find ourselves to returning to a pre-industrial era.

 

The return of Peasantry and Commoning, which we are now witnessing in growing numbers across diverse cultures and international boundaries, is a deliberate rejection of the “globalized lifestyle”. Researching food and questioning food values play a critical role in this movement. These communities are sowing the seeds of their own future, eliminating a dependency on money-hungry, stake-holder driven corporations and embracing simple community ideals.