Bishop’s University

Mélodie Anderson (23’): From Law to Transforming Food Systems

Mélodie Anderson studied International Relations and Law for two years at Université du Québec until they realized they didn’t want to treat symptoms of crises; they wanted to be the behind-the-scenes changemaker that stopped them. As they worked for a community-based environmental and urban agriculture organization in Montreal, Mélodie discovered that food could be the lens through which they could rebuild the world from the ground up. Since Bishop’s University uniquely offers a program focusing on both the practical aspects of food production and the entire food system in all its complexity, the choice was clear. In September 2021, they joined the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) Major. 

Through their SAFS studies, Mélodie learned to use the food sovereignty framework to envision food system transformation. The power dynamics in current global food systems are the source of many issues, such as agrichemical industry-related environmental degradation, malnutrition caused by the proliferation of fast-food chains around the world, and land spectators blocking fair access to farmland. However, Mélodie realized that discussing food sovereignty without considering the Indigenous peoples was contradictory as the Indigenous populace was food sovereign before colonizers settled on their lands. Settler colonialism has long deprived Indigenous peoples of their food and agricultural systems through forced displacement, land cessions, confinement on less fertile reservations, cultural assimilation, and environmental degradation. Hence, Indigenous food sovereignty became a precondition for global food sovereignty.

Mélodie dedicated their Honours project to supporting an Indigenous-led food sovereignty initiative. Through the research collective Research for the Frontlines, they became involved in “Exploration & Rematriation of Culturally Significant Potatoes of Salishan, Eyak-Tlingit, and Na-Dene Peoples.” This project was led by Tiffany Traverse, a Secwepemc seed and land steward from Fourth Sister Farm, and aims to strengthen knowledge about and rematriate heirloom potato varieties significant to these Indigenous communities. Mélodie’s role involved research support, primarily writing grants and seeking new funding sources. Viewing their Honours project as an initiation to graduate research, Mélodie also reflected on academia’s legacy of extractive and harmful research practices towards Indigenous peoples, aiming to avoid perpetuating these issues. Their project thus focused on the question: How can and should non-Indigenous scholars support Indigenous food sovereignty in practical and decolonial ways? They intended to validate their experiences by interviewing scholars who have written about research supporting Indigenous food sovereignty. 

Mélodie’s thesis explores decolonial research frameworks, successful research projects, the importance of relationship building, self-reflexivity, positionality, and the systemic barriers to community-led research. Emerging questions include whether research supporting Indigenous food sovereignty should be conducted through universities, and if academic research can truly be decolonial.  

During their Honours project, Mélodie often joked that their thesis could be titled “Should I do a master’s degree or not?” While they are likely to continue exploring food sovereignty and decolonization in a master’s thesis, it will not be their only means of engagement. As they write their thesis, they look forward to a full growing season on a non-profit farm dedicated to making local, ecologically grown produce accessible to people in socioeconomic precarity. Regardless of their academic pursuits, Mélodie wants to remain active in transforming food systems.  

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