Growing the Insurgent Commons: Counter-mapping Alternative, Subversive, and Insurgent Food Networks in Seattle

Abstract

This thesis builds upon the contemporary growth of radical commoning and alternative food network (AFN) praxis to analyze the prefigurative potentials of Seattle’s food-based commoning networks. Historical analysis demonstrates that enclosing the commons from the 15th century onwards – specifically the privatization of food resources – is fundamental in the economic and military expansion of capitalism throughout the world. Additionally, scholars emphasize the importance of commoning – the development of communal relations – in combatting land privatization through the present. However, AFN literature does not often engage with commoning studies, despite the clear tactical and theoretical overlaps. Furthermore, both fields systemically lack a political and materially based framework for analyzing the effectiveness of their tactics. Using militant research and countermapping methods, I mend these disconnections in AFN and commoning literature by applying lessons from past radical commoning practices to contemporary food-based projects in Seattle. By mapping all above-ground groups involved in free food circulation, I visualize the collective capacity of Seattle’s free food networks and provide Seattle residents with updated information about these services. To promote deeper engagement with revolutionary theories – such as the shadow state and dual power – I argue for the distinguishment of insurgent praxis from the predominant neoliberal frameworks. This thesis argues that insurgent commoning is the primary tool through which we can fortify our communities against climate and capitalist collapse. Access the interactive "Seattle Free Food Networks" map at: https://clausa.app.carto.com/map/9b203d3b-cf1f-40b9-9327-42708442e5fa