Strategic Scaling in Alternative Food Initiatives: Expanding Neo-Materialist Movements through Institutional Engagement

Alternative, localised food initiatives address the inherent problems of the industrialised, globalised food system. This paper builds on a conceptual framework for understanding the scaling strategies of consumer collective action within these initiatives through the lens of neo-materialist movement organisations (NMMOs), which are collective endeavors that foster experimental initiatives, bringing the material aspects of collective action to life. They challenge neoliberal capitalist structures at the local level by spreading values and practices centered on sustainability, solidarity, and communal well-being—values often marginalized within the mainstream food system.

This paper examines four strategic NMMO scaling pathways – scaling deep, scaling up, scaling out and scaling through. Scaling deep entails transforming individual beliefs, practices, and everyday consumption patterns to engender more profound cultural shifts. Scaling up concentrates on amplifying collective demands, exerting pressure on systemic structures, and influencing public policies to enact broader societal changes. Scaling out places emphasis on replicating successful initiatives across diverse contexts, creating networks that connect local actions globally. Finally, scaling through engages directly with institutional frameworks, such as local governments, to transform existing structures from within.

The paper places a notable focus on the scaling through strategy, a perspective that has been relatively underrepresented in the context of alternatives, including food initiatives. By engaging with local governments and permeating institutional frameworks, NMMOs can extend their influence beyond local contexts, thereby catalysing systemic change within the mainstream food system. This paper makes a contribution to both theoretical and empirical discussions on food system capitalism by elucidating the ways in which values such as sustainability, solidarity, and equity can be effectively scaled. Within agrifood contexts our perspective ultimately addresses the deficiencies of the current food system and fosters the development of a more just and sustainable future.