Steven Speed

Small-scale farming communities in Scotland engaged in a combination of food sovereignty, agroecology, or land sovereignty are, to some extent, offering an alternative to capitalism. These strategies have not only made them more resilient to the recent crises of capitalism but have done so by reducing their dependency upon it. During these crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, they were not only more able to sustain themselves when long food supply chains collapsed but they also increased their autonomy and sustainability through an increased demand for local food networks. What is more, in certain areas, these strategies have transformed social relations and, at times, revealed unalienated practices such as gift economies. This research was conducted over a 15-month period and primarily consisted of seasonal interviews with 14 small-scale food producers in Scotland. This paper will examine the manner in which the agricultural practices of these communities offer a glimpse of what an alternative to capitalism might look like through an analysis that draws on the work of James C. Scott, Marcell Mauss and John Holloway.