Examining Eco-Gentrification through the Prefigurative Politics of Alternative Food Initiatives in Copenhagen

26 Apr 2017

Amanda Winter gave a paper presentation at the “Reimagining Civil Society in a Period of Uncivil Societies” Conference at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Title:

Examining Eco-Gentrification through the Prefigurative Politics of Alternative Food Initiatives in Copenhagen

Abstract:

In this paper, I use prefigurative politics as a conceptual framework to explore two alternative food initiatives and their role in promoting eco-gentrification in Copenhagen. These civil society initiatives, Byhaven 2200, Denmark’s first community garden in a public park, and the Københavns Fødevarefællesskab, a community supported agriculture group, demonstrate the difficult situation for green/environmental activists in what I refer to as the ‘gateway-gentrification paradox’. On the one hand, participation in alternative food initiatives has been deemed as a ‘gateway’ opportunity – in that their prefiguration may lead to a deeper civic engagement with social justice issues. On the other, their ‘greening’ efforts are now exposed to neoliberal cooptation and commodification, and thus may contribute to gentrifying their neighborhood and displacing vulnerable residents. This paradox has general implications for green urban policies and civic initiatives that do not consider unintended social and economic consequences, displaying a rift between ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’. As local food policies and alternative food initiatives increase in popularity and international mobility, eco-gentrification remains an important issue to grasp – especially as it can result from often-romanticized community groups who now face testing decisions in their attempts to prefigure their situated visions of sustainability.