Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2026·Germany

Whose alternative? Challenges and potential for diversity, equity, and inclusion in German alternative food networks

Anton Parisi, Felix Zoll, Faiza Darkhani

Agriculture and Human Values

Urban Farm DB summary

Aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in German alternative food networks (AFNs) were explored through literature, interviews, and one stakeholder workshop. The inquiry found that while women are better represented in AFNs compared to conventional food systems, groups may be disproportionately white and higher-class. Flatter hierarchies and general openness to participation, though supposed prerequisites for food justice, do not guarantee that traditional gender roles, passive exclusion, or social barriers are averted.