Abstract
Networking on a Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP) can foster collaboration between stakeholders through the sharing of real-time information and establishing a sustainable value chain on a digital platform. Digital platforms facilitate market access for urban farmers and stakeholders engaged in sustainable agriculture, creating opportunities for information and communication technology to turn agricultural value chains into sustainable food systems. This article describes how this takes place on Facebook. Izindaba Zokudla (IZ) was established as a face-to-face action research project to facilitate engagement among stakeholders in the urban farming community. A Facebook page (and further digital platforms) were created to accelerate the exchange of information and knowledge sharing between members and stakeholders. iZindaba Zokudla aims to create communities of practice with emerging entrepreneurs in urban agriculture, across multiple platforms on the internet. However, the Facebook page anchors the digital presence of iZindaba Zokudla, and this paper investigates how it may be utilised to foster communities of practice on the internet that aim for a sustainable food system. From the iZindaba Zokudla Facebook page, quantitative data on engagement with videos, pictures, updates generated or uploaded by the iZindaba Zokudla platform administrator and by the members/non-members were extracted. This data reflects the use of the iZindaba Zokudla Facebook page from the 11th of July 2019 to the 11th of July 2020 and includes data on specific postings, a course on circular enterprises, a “tea party” to showcase student projects, and a request for self-made mini-documentaries on farmer enterprises. These basic statistics are presented and interpreted in this paper, to illustrate how the Facebook page’s usage reflects efforts to build communities of practice. We supplement the quantitative data with limited qualitative insights as administrators and activists engaged in this project. The iZindaba Zokudla Page content such as videos and generated texts are related to agricultural topics. Analysing demographic or engagement data, such as gender and place, likes and views, however, have bearing on how we, and participants in these activities themselves, create communities of practice amongst ourselves. We gather and then interpret the quantitative data available on Facebook in order to show how actors construct communities of practice amongst themselves using the affordances available on Facebook. From the extent of page engagement, page likes, video views, received post, post discussed, post types and messaging, insight was gained into the following features of communities of practice: The complexities of knowledge sharing and learning, and networking within the iZindaba Zokudla Facebook Page, identity creation, and reflection are illustrated in our analysis. Facebook affords limited albeit functional educational benefits, and the affordances on Facebook can stimulate the learning, networking and identity formation of actors in the food system and wider economy. We are also able to govern them in a limited sense through such engagement, and this indicates that communities of practice can be created through social media engagement, although there are many unanswer4ed questions on using third party platforms for educational and economic aims.