15 - Epilogue

Summary

You see the tree, you see the mountain, you see the buildings, and so this is what you study. But the explanation of these things, these geographies, has its roots in economic questions, social structure, political relations.

Graciela Uribe Ortega, 2000 (as cited in Smith and Desbiens, 2000 : 550)

We envision radical food geographies (RFG) as more than a theoretical contribution. RFG is characterized by three interconnected elements: (1) theoretical engagement with power and structures of oppression both inside and outside the academy; (2) action through academic, social movement, and civil society collaborations; and (3) analysis through a broadly defined geographic lens. We see a political imperative to create more just and sustainable food systems, and we propose that by bringing together radical geographies, critical food systems scholarship, and action beyond and within academic settings, we may contribute to meaningful social change. RFG is a praxis, and we therefore embarked on this book as a process and a project.

The quote from Graciela Uribe Ortega that begins this concluding chapter reminds us that geographic thinking is not only about grand theories and codified description, but also about creativity and the situatedness of sociospatial relationships in political contexts. In this vein, RFG can help us collectively think about and act against the grain of inequitable power and knowledge dynamics in food systems that are pervasive at historical, contemporary, and global scales.

As we described in Reynolds et al (Introduction, this volume), and the RFG concept, have evolved out of several intersecting moments (including meetings, workshops, conferences, publication projects), ongoing conversations, and actions among the co- editors, contributors, colleagues, and community partners. Preparing this book, in particular, included opportunities for engagement between the authors and encouraged co- development of this evolving RFG praxis. Through the project- based approach, we sought to practise RFG in an engaged co- creation process and by navigating through (and unlearning) dominant perceptions of scholars/ scholarship (including in writing styles and differential access to academic resources) as not only a writing exercise, but also a practice in finding our voices and confronting hegemonic ways of working, knowing, and communicating.