Ancestral Knowledge and Contemporary Co-Opting
Food Sovereignty and notions of sustainability are experiencing a renaissance in public discourse — I say this with the caveat that I am speaking about Western/Northern countries; the global south and Indigenous communities have used traditional cultivation practices throughout time. From the 1970s onward, the pace at which industrialized nations transitioned towards industrial agriculture was swift and aided by governmental deference for business, resulting in corporate agriculture — or Agrifood. Frustratingly, the transition away from industrial farming in economically dominant nations has moved at a glacial pace, taking decades to shift back around towards reciprocal stewardship.
True Cost Accounting (TCA) is a contemporary framework aimed at incorporating the external costs of our modern food system. At its core, TCA is meant to interrogate the impacts of the mercantile-industrial food regime and advocate for more resilient and sustainable practices therein, championing permaculture and regenerative agriculture practices. Although it is still in the nascent stages of development, TCA can be used as an instrument for comprehensive food system reform and has the potential to tackle existing power structures therein; but first it must provide avenues for inclusion.
The phrases ‘permaculture’ and ‘regenerative’ agriculture are in vogue, aligning with corporate green washing in the face of looming climate crises. The term permaculture — ‘permanent’ and ‘agriculture’, stemmed from the notion of a diversity in whole systems and a study of the land over a long period, to provide insight into the complexity of biodynamic systems.
This knowledge has been known to Indigenous communities for over 10,000 years, and it is important to understand, pay respect, and foster inclusion in the belief that its roots are in Indigenous science. The contemporary discourse of permaculture and regenerative agriculture generalize the practices of thousands of different peoples, from across the world. As Samantha Chisholm writes, ancestral knowledge of stewardship, commonly referred to Traditional Ecological Knowledges
are foundational systems with which most Indigenous populations operate. Traditional Ecological Knowledge evolves from generations of experience; a base that is incomparable in terms of the depth, breadth, and holistic perspectives that it provides for a given ecosystem. TEK is often highly developed relating to traditional Indigenous areas, and can span hundreds of years back through multiple generations.
This lack of recognition is embedded in the colonial mindset of western supremacy and continues to enact violence on communities of color in its lack of atonement and inclusion. Because TCA is meant to shift the focus from extractive agriculture towards regenerative farming there is a base belief of benevolence in this action. However, Indigenous, Native, and Black communities have been doing this of work for centuries. Not only have their bodies been used as labour-power, their methods of cultivation have been co-opted.
This dictum is mirrored in the dialogue surrounding TCA. Much of TCA focuses on the environmental impacts of industrial agriculture because it is easily identifiable and quantifiable. Energy in, energy out.
The econometric analysis of fecundity has been the standard measure of the 20th and 21st centuries. The justification of focusing on quantitative measurements in TCA are bolstered by a narrative of “orthodox economics making it very hard to attribute meaningful costs to the social impact of outcomes that arise from externalized factors, such as climate or pollution.”
Organizations such as TEEBAgriFood (provide an analysis of the environmental impacts of the industrial food system such as GHG and carbon sequestration) and GAFF (an organization working directly with industry professionals, NGOs, and philanthropic foundations to “transform the global food systems”) are trying to develop a framework for the incorporation of TCA into the broader food system. Yet many philanthropic endeavors and think tank boards fail to include stakeholders and fail to look at the social costs of the current food regime.
The need for inclusion of communities of color and Indigenous peoples, as well as local and national organizations is imperative to TCA. We must think holistically about the true cost of food and the first step is the inclusion of previously excluded and oppressed peoples. Additionally, the inclusion of organizations such as Native Food Alliance and Black Food NW are paramount to inclusion and future reparations.
For thousands of years, communities of color have been the stewards of the land. The benefits touted by those working in the TCA sphere believe that their framework is the first step towards creating an equitable and just food system, but they fail to build coalitions with communities of color. And although they incorporate traditional methods of stewardship into their approach, they fail to recognize with whom they originated. The power structure inherent to any framework must include the people it oppresses if true change is going to happen.
Additional readings can be found here: TCA, TEK, Regenerative Agriculture, and John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
