Date of Award:

8-2024

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Sociology and Anthropology

Committee Chair(s)

Jessica Ulrich-Schad

Committee

Jessica Ulrich-Schad

Committee

Courtney Flint

Committee

Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde

Abstract

Food sovereignty is a framework focused on achieving a wide range of changes in food systems that yield more equitable outcomes for consumers, workers, farmers, and future generations. Food sovereignty is also believed to be an important driver of community wellbeing. However, there is limited research linking perceptions of community-level food sovereignty to subjective wellbeing. Additionally, the complex determinants of food sovereignty are not fully understood. Through two papers linking community-level food sovereignty and subjective wellbeing, I discuss the factors that influence food sovereignty and the impact of food systems on wellbeing in Washington’s upper Yakima River Basin.

In the first paper, I draw upon 17 interviews conducted with local leaders and other individuals who work in a variety of roles in agriculture, food banks, or other food-related industries. These interviews provide deep insights and expertise on how changes over time in food systems have impacted their communities. I find that levels of food access are different between and within communities. I also find that historical and ongoing changes in agriculture are impacting community wellbeing. In my second paper, I draw upon 121 interviews for a broader discussion of the role of food systems in driving perceptions of wellbeing. These interviews come from local leaders and general community members from six different communities in two counties in the upper Yakima River Basin. Findings in this paper reinforce that food access is not distributed equally within or between communities. Additionally, I find that even interviewees without a direct relationship to farming believe agriculture to be important to wellbeing in several communities of focus, and many are concerned about changes in agriculture over time. When taken together, the two papers in this thesis help build an understanding of the impact of food systems on community wellbeing and the importance of community-level food sovereignty for achieving future food justice.

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