The role of climate movement organizations and consciousness raising in a plant-based food system transition

Feld, Kiley Paige (2023) The role of climate movement organizations and consciousness raising in a plant-based food system transition. Masters thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

The climate crisis is a global emergency that demands drastic and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society. Thus far, transformations in the energy and transportation sectors and related industries have received the most focus, time, and resources, but the global food system is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Without addressing GHG emissions from the food system, it is unlikely that mitigation goals can be met. One of the most impactful changes that can be made within this system is a global transition to a plant-based food system. The current animal-based food system accounts for up to 16.5% of global GHG emissions. A plant-based food system transition could reduce food sector emissions by up to 56%. Climate movement organizations are well-positioned to advocate for a plant-based food system transition at the levels of both society and governance. However, a framing analysis of climate movement organization platforms reveals that most do not promote such a transition on their platforms. Climate movement organizations can and should promote a plant-based food system transition as a way to meet their own goals and global GHG emissions reduction targets. The first paper in this thesis explores this tension. The second explores how, in attempting to promote a food system transition, climate movement organizations may find the feminist consciousness-raising (CR) group model useful. This movement tool has shown to be effective for catalyzing a vast social movement for social transformation in the past within second wave feminist movement. Positioning the normativity of animal-based diets as political ecological phenomena and the result of extensive human thought subjugation and social control, CR strategies like the CR group can be implemented by climate movement organizations to promote broad adoption of plant-based eating and mobilize society for a food system transition.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	plant-based food systems, climate change, greenhouse gases, GHG
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Social and Behavioral Science > Sustainable Communities
Date Deposited:	02 May 2025 17:21
Last Modified:	02 May 2025 17:21
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6111

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