Late Additions
Seed Fantasy: Social Activism and the Protection of Traditional Seeds in South Korea
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Hyejin Kim
In South Korea, there is a movement to preserve and promote traditional seeds. These activists, who are tied to professional farmers, part-time farmers, and local government offices, build “seed libraries” and support projects to keep Korean seeds in use. This movement should be understood against the corporatization and globalization of South Korea’s seed industry. After the East Asian financial crisis in 1997, the country’s seed market was opened to foreign investment. Large transnational firms like Monsanto and Syngenta entered and dominated the seed market. Since then, domestic firms have re-gained control over much of the market. These firms have stressed investment in research and development in the seed sector. Along with governmental actors who support them, the firms have placed a priority on export of seeds and farm produce. Seed activists are critical of these firms. The movement is not, however, without ambiguities. Both seed activists and seed developers seek to label seeds as “domestic” in order to convince consumers they are safe. While debates over genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) have slowly emerged in the country, the domestic versus foreign labeling has been the dominant approach to building trust in products. Articulating a critique of the corporate seed sector has proved a challenge to seed activists. This project examines the seed movement. I draw on interviews with farm activists, fieldwork at a local seed library, participation in seminars on agriculture, and documentary materials from activists and industry.
Urbanization and Food Self-sufficiency Politics: Representations and Perceptions on Food Gardening in Cape Town
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lynn Mafofo
One of the global trends that profoundly impacts on solutions to food and nutrition security is rapid global urbanisation. Gravitating towards a "good and clean" lifestyle, people living in urban areas normally leave the state, and a few stakeholders respond to the food security measures and hinder cities food self-sufficiency. They abandon their roles as food growers, and such behaviour threatens food security, especially in cases where the government is not always able to sustain the needs. In South Africa, with particular reference to gardening, "food gardening" is quite rare. Against this backdrop, this paper presents results on a qualitative based investigation aimed at understanding people’s practices and preferences in relation to food gardening in Cape Town. The data collection methods included document analysis, interviews, and participant observation. Using critical discourse analysis and habitus issues, the paper analyses the various opinions and practices on food gardening. It reveals the kind of standards that exist for defining gardening in general that hinder the practice of growing food by individuals. It also notes that commodification of gardening as a practice of the affluent discourages people to expand and transform gardening into meaningful productions towards food security. The paper contributes to the gap of literature in food security studies by focussing on small land use discourses which could possibly influence people’s practices around taking ownership in food production in this era where food insecurity is also rapidly becoming a cause of concern, especially in the African cities.
