Constraint and autonomy in the Swiss “local contract farming” movement

In Switzerland, Local Contract Farming (LCF) initiatives regroup food producers and consumers in networks very similar to what is called elsewhere, for instance, Community Supported Agriculture. Drawing on an ethnography of three examples of LCF networks, we focus on two elements: the contract that translates and formalizes their “promise of difference” (Le Velly 2017) by reinforcing the producers’ autonomy from market-based dependencies, through a long-term commitment on the part of the consumers; and the food, whose quality and value are redefined and that acts as a mediator in the redefinition of the producer-consumer relationship. By means of these empirical investigations we look at these ventures as particular collections of human and non-human actors that “open up spaces in which to enact a politics of possibility” (Harris 2009: 58). We will pay particular attention to the process of autonomisation, as a form of empowerment, that is brought about by participation in LCF. By acknowledging both the potential for transformation of LCF ventures and their clear limitations, this chapter aims to nurture academic and public discussions that develop beyond statements of success or failure, where limitations and imperfections do not make hope of positive transformation of food systems impossible.