Food sharing through ICT (Information and Communication Technology) or better food accessibility and preventing food waste as basic for drafting food sovereignty's strategy

Abstract

The idea of food sovereignty is rooted in efforts to protect the food economy from external pressures and promote domestic food stability including ensuring agricultural actor's welfare. While, the social community called Gifood is struggling based on concerns that low public access to food and food waste may seem far from these issues, but the authors believe that the ideas associated with food sovereignty will lead to the construction of comprehensive food sovereignty's strategy. This paper aimed to show 1) how ICT mediated initiatives for food sharing can support better food access and reduce food waste by Gifood, and 2) the potential of Gifood as a medium of distribution of agricultural products from local farmers in Yogyakarta. This qualitative study used virtual ethnography for a year of observation and in-depth interviews with eight informants. This research founded that through Gifood ICT program could prevent paradox among hunger and food waste through food sharing platforms, increasing food respect through the creative campaign, and having strong potential for the distribution of local products. Based on the results, the authors suggested considering the issue of food waste as a strategy in reframing food sovereignty and collaborating with Gifood and other social communities