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ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4255-6333
Access Type
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
Regional Planning
Degree Type
Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.)
Year Degree Awarded
2019
Month Degree Awarded
September
Abstract
The alternative food movement claims varied goals such as building environmental sustainability, strengthening local economies, and promoting health equity, yet critics argue that the movement’s transformative potential is threatened by a lack of shared vision. Literature suggests that community-based multi-stakeholder coalitions are a useful tool for building consensus around food systems futures. But what kinds of futures? Home Grown Springfield is a school food initiative aimed at reducing hunger in Springfield, MA by serving healthy, homemade, and locally-sourced meals via the Culinary and Nutrition Center, a brand-new full-service commercial kitchen and storage facility. This qualitative case study examines the engagement process of the Culinary and Nutrition Center’s Advisory Council, a multi-stakeholder coalition convened in 2018 to guide the project. The engagement process was envisioned by the Springfield Food Policy Council, Springfield Public Schools, and Sodexo, and funded by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation. Research findings suggests that engagement of diverse actors promotes expanded project visions, which results in more holistic, progressive, and potentially transformative food systems change. In addition, it reveals challenges around the process of authentic community engagement and the dynamics of power-sharing between project leaders and community members. This research has multiple objectives: 1) to document the first year of the Advisory Council’s process for its own reflection; 2) to demonstrate the need for planners to help facilitate diverse cross-sector engagement for more holistic and progressive regional planning; and 3) to highlight the critical need for community leadership and decision-making in planning for sustainable and equitable community development.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/15236114
First Advisor
Mark Hamin
Second Advisor
Catherine Sands
Third Advisor
Krista Harper
Recommended Citation
Whitmore, Kristen, "Envisioning Pathways toward Transformative Food Systems Change: Understanding the Role of Multi-Stakeholder Engagement at the Culinary and Nutrition Center in Springfield, MA" (2019). Masters Theses. 862.
https://doi.org/10.7275/15236114
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2/862