Upscaling collaborative food allocation : The cases of Olio, Foodsharing, and Reko in Stockholm

Abstract: Food has a crucial role in our lives as a way of shaping identities, societies, and because it enables possibilities of bringing people together. Access to food has complex social, ecological, and economic implications that deserve to be examined through a new approach. Natural disasters and nutrition concerns can be taken as an opportunity to reflect on alternative ways of getting accessing food, especially in urban contexts. In case of a similar outbreak or emergency of unknown repercussions, will mainstream food supply function sufficiently and be affordable? The aim of this study is to contribute with increased knowledge and understanding on alternative ways of allocating food in an urban context, to contribute with a discussion on their current spatial arrangements and possible ways of planning for them. As opposed to the mainstream ways of allocating food, alternative organizations specialized in food do not have a permanent space that makes them visible to outsiders, hence hindering access to them. The study shows that urban dwellers can have fluid roles regarding how food is allocated in urban contexts. They can be makers and producers, not only consumers. Alternative food allocation is a phenomenon that entails assorted aspects such as trust, spatiality, and safety and availability of the redistributed food.