494
18.2.3 Civil Society and Cities
Except in totalitarian societies, civil society exerts important influences on collective social good at the FEW Nexus, both overall and specifically in urban areas. In
civil society organizations, we include many of what have been called nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations. We choose the interchangeable use of the terms Social Impact Organization or Civil Society Organization
for several reasons, detailed here because they exemplify terminology challenges
posed by interdisciplinary work:
1. To avoid ambiguity in the negative definition of the term “nongovernmental
organizations”; each organization that is not governmental—business, social
media, and 501(c)(3) designated “non-profit” organization—exists for a particular purpose, not for an unspecified “non” purpose.
2. Civil Society Organization has a problematic abbreviation (CSO) that also stands
for Combined Sewer Overflow in the field of wastewater treatment, which would
be difficult to use in a publication relating to water; the abbreviation for Civil
Society Actor or CSA also stands for Community Supported Agriculture (a
membership farm common in urban markets).
18.2.3.1 Food Systems
Civil society or social impact organizations have been leaders in creating alternative
forms of food security for persons who are food-challenged (the criticality and
affordability criteria). These organizations provide soup kitchens, food banks, civic
food networks, and double-up bucks (a program in which government assistance to
low-income individuals for food purchase is doubled by farmers when used for
fresh produce). They may advocate for local food in general—and for policies that
support and foster urban agriculture, such as favorable regulation, public food markets, and vacant land reuse. At the facility scale, civil society organizations have
created and supported incubators for new small-scale food processing and manufacturing firms and vendors, and organized food waste recycling from grocery stores
and food service establishments to deliver it to soup kitchens and food banks for
consumption (i.e., new infrastructure). At the meso-scale, civil society or social
impact organizations have provided new and existing farmers and food processors/
manufacturers with information on how to accomplish their objectives with less
water and less energy.
18.2.3.2 Water Systems
At the macro-scale, social impact organizations have been strong advocates for
water availability and water quality, in some cases attempting to advance policies
that recognize a right to water. They have advocated with water and wastewater
C. Harris et al.
18.2.3 Civil Society and Cities
Except in totalitarian societies, civil society exerts important influences on collective social good at the FEW Nexus, both overall and specifically in urban areas. In
civil society organizations, we include many of what have been called nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations. We choose the interchangeable use of the terms Social Impact Organization or Civil Society Organization
for several reasons, detailed here because they exemplify terminology challenges
posed by interdisciplinary work:
1. To avoid ambiguity in the negative definition of the term “nongovernmental
organizations”; each organization that is not governmental—business, social
media, and 501(c)(3) designated “non-profit” organization—exists for a particular purpose, not for an unspecified “non” purpose.
2. Civil Society Organization has a problematic abbreviation (CSO) that also stands
for Combined Sewer Overflow in the field of wastewater treatment, which would
be difficult to use in a publication relating to water; the abbreviation for Civil
Society Actor or CSA also stands for Community Supported Agriculture (a
membership farm common in urban markets).
18.2.3.1 Food Systems
Civil society or social impact organizations have been leaders in creating alternative
forms of food security for persons who are food-challenged (the criticality and
affordability criteria). These organizations provide soup kitchens, food banks, civic
food networks, and double-up bucks (a program in which government assistance to
low-income individuals for food purchase is doubled by farmers when used for
fresh produce). They may advocate for local food in general—and for policies that
support and foster urban agriculture, such as favorable regulation, public food markets, and vacant land reuse. At the facility scale, civil society organizations have
created and supported incubators for new small-scale food processing and manufacturing firms and vendors, and organized food waste recycling from grocery stores
and food service establishments to deliver it to soup kitchens and food banks for
consumption (i.e., new infrastructure). At the meso-scale, civil society or social
impact organizations have provided new and existing farmers and food processors/
manufacturers with information on how to accomplish their objectives with less
water and less energy.
18.2.3.2 Water Systems
At the macro-scale, social impact organizations have been strong advocates for
water availability and water quality, in some cases attempting to advance policies
that recognize a right to water. They have advocated with water and wastewater
C. Harris et al.