Alternative Albertan Agriculture

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorMcKay, Ben
dc.contributor.authorCannon, Nathaneal
dc.contributor.committeememberApentik, Rowland
dc.contributor.committeememberWalls, Matthew
dc.date2023-02
dc.date.accessioned2022-12-02T16:42:16Z
dc.date.available2022-12-02T16:42:16Z
dc.date.issued2022-11
dc.description.abstractHumanity is facing multiple crises. We are simultaneously experiencing a climate crisis, ecological degradation, rising inequality, and issues in access and distribution of nutritious food. While there is no panacea for these problems, the way we use ecosystems to produce food, the type of food produced, and how food is distributed are important questions in addressing these crises. Alternative methods of agricultural production, or alternative farming methods (AFM), can be a set of tools that help societies address these intersecting environmental and socio-economic injustices. While a body of literature is growing on alternative farming methods as a tool to promote ecosystem services, reduce the climate emissions of the agricultural sector, and sustain the livelihoods of small and medium sized farms, a gap remains as to the social, economic, and political dimensions of the lived experiences of alternative farmers in Alberta, Canada. To address this deficit, the proposed study asks: how and why do farmers in Alberta choose to pursue alternative agricultural practices vis-à-vis the dominant mode of industrial agricultural production. The “how” subcomponent of the research question centres on themes such as the farmer’s experience accessing land, interfacing with capitalist markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), marketing, “cheap food,” networks, and knowledge. The “why” subcomponent of the research question seeks to explore the farmer’s journey to their chosen farming practice, focusing on such themes as their relationship to the land, environmental stewardship, farmer identities, (competing) meanings of regenerative agriculture, and political identities and aspirations. The thesis explores these topics through three case studies, one urban and two rural farms, spanning central and southern Alberta. Under a political ecology analytical framework, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and visual ethnographic methods were employed. In addition to this written thesis, a 30-minute film was produced to deepen the reader’s understanding of alternative agriculture in Alberta and expand the audience for this research to include members of the public for whom a written academic thesis would be inaccessible. Overall, this research seeks to bring a greater awareness to alternative farming and help inform public debate on local food systems in Alberta.en_US
dc.identifier.citationCannon, N. (2022). Alternative Albertan agriculture (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40511
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/115565
dc.identifier.urihttps://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1S4HCM6H
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.relation.urihttps://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1S4HCM6H
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectanthropologyen_US
dc.subjectsocio-cultural anthropologyen_US
dc.subjectvisual Anthropologyen_US
dc.subjectvisual ethnographyen_US
dc.subjectalternative agricultureen_US
dc.subjectregenerative agricultureen_US
dc.subjectregenerative farmingen_US
dc.subjectalternative farmingen_US
dc.subjectethnographyen_US
dc.subjectAlbertaen_US
dc.subjectCanadaen_US
dc.subjectpolitical ecologyen_US
dc.subjectagricultural policyen_US
dc.subject.classificationAnthropologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationAgricultureen_US
dc.titleAlternative Albertan Agricultureen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineAnthropologyen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts (MA)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
ucalgary_2022_cannon_nathaneal.pdf
Size:
674.83 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Written Thesis
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
ucalgary_2022_cannon_nathaneal_visualethnography.mp4
Size:
268.84 MB
Format:
MP4
Description:
Visual Ethnography
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.62 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Open Theses and Dissertations