Bringing the city to the country? Responsibility, privilege and urban agrarianism in Metro Vancouver
Evan Bowness, Hannah Wittman
Abstract
This paper furthers the development of the theory of agrarian citizenship–the bundle of rights and responsibilities underpinning the food sovereignty movement. Through interviews with 34 participants engaged with urban agriculture in Metro Vancouver, Canada, we introduce the concept of urban agrarianism, defined as an urban ethic of care for foodlands and, by extension, a relational responsibility to exercise solidarity with those who cultivate and harvest food. We argue that urban people, especially those with privilege, should recognize impacts associated with their social-ecological metabolism, and mobilize for food sovereignty struggles—including for the repatriation of lands stolen by colonial dispossession.