"It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?

In this article I place into dialogue the challenges of the circular economy (CE) with political ecology by using the notion of autonomy. I examine two circular food initiatives in the capital city region of Brussels, Belgium, a cooperative supermarket and a surplus food redistribution project, with...

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Main Author: deborah lambert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Arizona Libraries 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of Political Ecology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/5200/
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author deborah lambert
author_facet deborah lambert
author_sort deborah lambert
collection DOAJ
description In this article I place into dialogue the challenges of the circular economy (CE) with political ecology by using the notion of autonomy. I examine two circular food initiatives in the capital city region of Brussels, Belgium, a cooperative supermarket and a surplus food redistribution project, with a framework of autonomous food spaces. Inspired by post-capitalist debates on the economy I argue that these spaces are cases of the diverse economy mobilizing autonomous practices and imaginaries. My analysis shows the heterogeneity and complexity of these spaces. It illustrates how urban circular food projects offer examples of possible economic activities that rely on cooperation, solidarity and conviviality instead of profit. It explores the diversity of practices and imaginaries that prefigure a viable and alternative future, and sheds light on our understanding of diverse and circular economies by focusing on the social and political dimensions of CE.
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record_format Article
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spelling doaj-art-18d8caf7efe443f9b3cbf8f0eec47f682025-08-20T02:10:07ZengUniversity of Arizona LibrariesJournal of Political Ecology1073-04512025-04-0132110.2458/jpe.5200"It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?deborah lambert0Geography, VUBIn this article I place into dialogue the challenges of the circular economy (CE) with political ecology by using the notion of autonomy. I examine two circular food initiatives in the capital city region of Brussels, Belgium, a cooperative supermarket and a surplus food redistribution project, with a framework of autonomous food spaces. Inspired by post-capitalist debates on the economy I argue that these spaces are cases of the diverse economy mobilizing autonomous practices and imaginaries. My analysis shows the heterogeneity and complexity of these spaces. It illustrates how urban circular food projects offer examples of possible economic activities that rely on cooperation, solidarity and conviviality instead of profit. It explores the diversity of practices and imaginaries that prefigure a viable and alternative future, and sheds light on our understanding of diverse and circular economies by focusing on the social and political dimensions of CE.http://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/5200/circular economyautonomous food spacespolitical ecologyBrusselsdiverse economiesimaginaries
spellingShingle deborah lambert
"It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?
Journal of Political Ecology
circular economy
autonomous food spaces
political ecology
Brussels
diverse economies
imaginaries
title "It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?
title_full "It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?
title_fullStr "It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?
title_full_unstemmed "It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?
title_short "It's all about sharing": Can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces?
title_sort it s all about sharing can circular initiatives be autonomous food spaces
topic circular economy
autonomous food spaces
political ecology
Brussels
diverse economies
imaginaries
url http://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/5200/
work_keys_str_mv AT deborahlambert itsallaboutsharingcancircularinitiativesbeautonomousfoodspaces