What are the characteristics of warrrior activities? choose an australian example of food democracy and briefly discuss.

Answer

In the Australian food system, there has been a growing base of citizens who have had concerns with the existing aspects of the agri-food system. As such, academic professionals who share the concerns of the farmers and consumers have led a social movement which seeks to help people sharpen their collective understanding of both social change and food citizenship (Stevenson et al. 2007, p.34). In modern Australia’s agri-food system, warrior activities have been conducted to ensure that there is more engagement with the community members and consumers as well as farmers on the importance of social change with regard to food production systems and distribution enterprises and relationships (Enderton et al. 2017, p.86). The warrior activities have been characterized by resistance, engagement, and lobbying.

1. Resistance

One of the characteristics of warrior activities is that they involve resistance which is demonstrated through contesting the existing corporate trajectories and operations, primarily in the political sector. The warrior activities are interrelated with other building activities which seek to create alternative food initiatives coupled with models which operate in the economic sector (Stevenson et al. 2007, p.35). A lot of the food democracy activities in Australia have been pegged on the reconstruction. The aim of the warrior activities is to challenge the status quo in the current food system. According to Stevenson et al. (2007, p.35), the warrior activities are seen in the context of social movements which seek to bring about change in the social, economic, and political sectors through not only resistance, but also collective action and mobilization of people in the society.

2. Community Engagement

Warrior activities are also characterized by community engagement whereby those aligned to changes in status quo institute change by providing education to the communities on the importance of abandoning existing farming and consumption systems and adopting food citizenship (Stevenson et al. 2007, p.36). One of the engagement methods is the application of a multi-stakeholder collaboration using “shepherding.” In specific, shepherding refers to the activities aimed at engaging the community in the creation of changes in food systems (Enderton et al. 2017, p.85). Some paid staff members are employed to ensure increased community engagement and empowerment.  The paid staff (shepherds) are part of warrior activities as their aim is to stimulate social change and foster not only asset-based community development but also local engagement, public participation, and participatory action research.

3. Lobbying

Lobbying is the other feature of warrior activities which is found in not only the Australian food system, but also in others across the globe. Notably, according to Lehner (2013, p.1), since the adoption of alternative food systems is dependent on the commitment of the farmers and the consumers, lobbying is a warrior activity which involves attempts to encourage consumers to engage with alternative food systems by providing them with information for the facilitation of voluntary and pro-environmental consumption patterns. Various mobilizing structures are used by social change groups to communicate a message of change and press for political change (Stevenson et al., 2007, p.37). These warrior activities are indeed those of lobbying the public into advocating for change.

Conclusion

Warrior activities are those social change aspects which are used to institute change in the status quo of the existing food systems. The three specific features of warrior activities are that they are branded by resistance, community engagement, and lobbying. The aim of these activities is to ensure socioeconomic and political changes which will result in the adoption of new and more effective food production and consumption patterns.