Master's Thesis- Urban Food Production for Socio-Technical Transformations
Project: MA Thesis, Creative Sustainability
Year: 2019
Place: Helsinki Metropolitan Region, Finland
Supervisor: Eeva Berglund
Advisor: Katri Pulkkinen
Aalto University
BACKGROUND
As an outsider to Helsinki –and coming from a culture where food is very embedded in our life– I always thought the relationship the Finnish society has with the food system is somewhat broken. Finland is at a disadvantage from other countries when it comes to being able to be self-sufficient –yes– however, it is still possible. There are plenty of individuals trying to blur the boundaries of what can be done when it comes to producing food in an urban and peri-urban setting.
In my thesis, I immersed myself in the context of the Helsinki Metropolitan Region, to understand what are the drivers and the limitations for a transition to more sustainable food production. I also looked at what are the main limitations preventing these initiatives to succeed, and what the enablers are, which can allow the initiatives to thrive.
PROJECT
This project consisted of different stages. First, I conducted a literature review on the topics of food production in urban and peri-urban environments. Then I looked at transition theory, a theory used in systemic foresight, analyzing how socio-technical transitions happen in society and how this can be used to create shifts to sustainability. This work was done to create the theoretical framework.
For the practical part, I looked at the Helsinki Metropolitan Region and specifically at all the types of urban food production already happening. I interviewed the practitioners and divided them into different sectors which can be seen in the following map.
CHALLENGES & INSIGHTS
The challenging aspects of this project had to do with public perception. I noticed many individuals unfamiliar with the food systems perceive farmers as the culprits of climate change. These individuals often believe the only way to create sustainable systems is through technological developments (the latter is true, but farmers are fundamental enablers of this transition).
Moreover, within city planners, urban food production, or the consideration of food supply is hardly addressed, instead matters such as transportation, urban density, mobility and services are prioritised. Similar to this, the sustainability strategies and action plans of Finland, and the Helsinki regions hardly address food production, when the food system is a big emitter and directly linked to climate change.
The companies, organisations and “startups” working in urban food production are aiming to be disruptive to the status quo and create a shift in the paradigm of sustainable food production and consumption. Food production in urban environments, more than being a source of food, serves as a visualisation of the food system, using visualisation as a way to raise awareness.
One of the most important findings for me was that there are so many factors preventing producers from thriving, but regionally, there are no systems that support these startups. I suggested a council could be implemented –as it exists in Ghent and other cities, where experts and civil servants can create better systems that support a sustainable transition, not only of production but of consumption.
LEARNINGS
My biggest learning was improving my writing communication. I used to be a collaborator in a blog and my approach had always been to write how I think. In a blog, this can work, however, it is also very hard to create comprehensive arguments. With this work, I focused on creating a text that was comprehensive, easy to read, and in which I present my arguments cohesively.
In this line, I also explored my visual communication skills. All the graphics in the thesis, and the layout design are created by me.