Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the Possibilities

Although food has been designated a human right, most countries do not provide the means for their citizens to exercise that right. As a result, food is treated as a commodity and sold for a profit to those who can afford it, leaving millions of people undernourished as food prices rise. One soluti...

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Main Author: Jennifer Sumner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing 2025-02-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://anserj.ca/index.php/cjnser/article/view/719
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author Jennifer Sumner
author_facet Jennifer Sumner
author_sort Jennifer Sumner
collection DOAJ
description Although food has been designated a human right, most countries do not provide the means for their citizens to exercise that right. As a result, food is treated as a commodity and sold for a profit to those who can afford it, leaving millions of people undernourished as food prices rise. One solution to this problem is the establishment of a nonprofit food system. A daunting prospect—how could this be carried out? One potentially useful approach that is increasingly being applied in social economy scholarship involves an ecosystem perspective, which takes account of not only social economy organizations but also the wider environments in which they operate. Could such a perspective support the creation of a nonprofit food system? This article explores the possibilities offered by applying an ecosystem perspective to a nonprofit food system. After providing some preliminary background information on food systems, it introduces the ecosystem perspective and affirms that it can indeed support the creation of a nonprofit food system.
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spelling doaj-art-e045697947ca4be4a1af1bbc8483abf12025-08-20T02:14:54ZengCanadian Centre for Studies in PublishingCanadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research1920-93552025-02-0116110.29173/cjnser719Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the PossibilitiesJennifer Sumner0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0157-6020University of Toronto Although food has been designated a human right, most countries do not provide the means for their citizens to exercise that right. As a result, food is treated as a commodity and sold for a profit to those who can afford it, leaving millions of people undernourished as food prices rise. One solution to this problem is the establishment of a nonprofit food system. A daunting prospect—how could this be carried out? One potentially useful approach that is increasingly being applied in social economy scholarship involves an ecosystem perspective, which takes account of not only social economy organizations but also the wider environments in which they operate. Could such a perspective support the creation of a nonprofit food system? This article explores the possibilities offered by applying an ecosystem perspective to a nonprofit food system. After providing some preliminary background information on food systems, it introduces the ecosystem perspective and affirms that it can indeed support the creation of a nonprofit food system. https://anserj.ca/index.php/cjnser/article/view/719non-profit food systemfor-profit food systemsystemsecosystem perspective
spellingShingle Jennifer Sumner
Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the Possibilities
Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research
non-profit food system
for-profit food system
systems
ecosystem perspective
title Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the Possibilities
title_full Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the Possibilities
title_fullStr Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the Possibilities
title_full_unstemmed Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the Possibilities
title_short Could an Ecosystem Perspective Support the Creation of a Nonprofit Food System? A Theoretical Exploration of the Possibilities
title_sort could an ecosystem perspective support the creation of a nonprofit food system a theoretical exploration of the possibilities
topic non-profit food system
for-profit food system
systems
ecosystem perspective
url https://anserj.ca/index.php/cjnser/article/view/719
work_keys_str_mv AT jennifersumner couldanecosystemperspectivesupportthecreationofanonprofitfoodsystematheoreticalexplorationofthepossibilities