Food Sovereignty in the city?: A methodological proposal for evaluating food sovereignty in urban settings

Abstract

Although the possibility of achieving food sovereignty in urban environments is controversial, we believe that food sovereignty is attainable. In this work we propose a methodology for evaluating it, then test that proposal using San Cristóbal de Las Casas as a case study. For this purpose, we used a participatory methodology to construct a system of food-sovereignty indicators for urban settings. After review and validation by participants and a group of experts, that system consisted of 30 indicators. We tested it by using it to survey households in San Cristóbal. We found that the set of 30 indicators is coherent with the principles of food sovereignty, and that it enabled us to reveal the alimentary vulnerability of the city’s families. We hope that the principles that form the basis for the proposed methodology will be applicable when designing instruments for assessing other cities’ levels of food sovereignty.