Prefiguring sustainable food enterprises for sustainability education

This project will explore how prefiguring sustainable food enterprises can accelerate food system transformations towards sustainability. Prefiguration is the practice of attempting to construct alternative or utopian social relations in the present.

It is a necessary precursor to the radical transformations we need to address the inequalities, power differentials, and environmental degradation present in our food system.

Prefiguration is also contributor to sustainable futures because it a highly pedagogical practice, and education is a key leverage point for sustainability transformations.

Drawing on scientific literature and empirical case studies of sustainable food enterprises using interviews and participant observation in Malmö, Sweden, and Calgary, Canada this study will contribute to understanding: (1) how do and/or could different types of sustainable food enterprises prefigure sustainable food futures, (2) what the social, economic, and political factors that influence these prefigurative ambitions, (3) how entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of prefiguring sustainable food enterprises and (4) the extent to which prefiguration of sustainable food enterprise promotes sustainability education.

These findings will guide policymakers and planners in how to create environments where prefiguration can thrive, while also helping sustainable food enterprises better understand how to innovate for more sustainable futures.