The Political Economy of Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems: An Introduction to a Special Issue

Abstract

Today’s food systems are contributing to multiple intersecting health and ecological crises. Many are now calling for transformative, or even radical, food systems change. Our starting assumption in this Special Issue is the broad claim that the transformative changes being called for in a global food system in crisis cannot – and ultimately will not – be achieved without intense scrutiny of and changes in the underlying political economies that drive today’s food systems. The aim is to draw from diverse disciplinary perspectives to critically evaluate the political economy of food systems, understand key challenges, and inform new thinking and action. We received 19 contributions covering a diversity of country contexts and perspectives, and revealing inter-connected challenges and opportunities for realising the transformation agenda. We find that a number of important changes in food governance and power relations have occurred in recent decades, with a displacement of power in four directions. First, upwards as globalization has given rise to more complex and globally integrated food systems governed increasingly by transnational food corporations (TFCs) and international financial actors. Second, downwards as urbanization and decentralization of authority in many countries gives cities and sub-national actors more prominence in food governance. Third, outwards with a greater role for corporate and civil society actors facilitated by an expansion of food industry power, and increasing preferences for market-orientated and multi-stakeholder forms of governance. Finally, power has also shifted inwards as markets have become increasingly concentrated through corporate strategies to gain market power within and across food supply chain segments. The transformation of food systems will ultimately require greater scrutiny of these challenges. Technical ‘problem-solving’ and overly-circumscribed policy approaches that depoliticise food systems challenges, are insufficient to generate the change we need, within the narrow time-frame we have. While there will be many paths to transformation, rights-based and commoning approaches hold great promise, based on principles of participation, accountability and non-discrimination, alongside coalition building and social mobilization, including social movements grounded in food sovereignty and agroecology.

How commercial actors used different types of power to influence policy on restricting food marketing: a qualitative study with policy actors in Thailand

“…31 This finding in the Thai context corresponds with the international literature which has Open access shown that food industry structural power has restricted the power of governments to shape food system activities within and outside the country. 32 This is similar to that observed in Australia, where food policy placed strong emphasis on export-led industry growth and minimal consideration for nutrition and public health objectives; this lends legitimacy to commercial actors to engage in rule-setting activities, and results in nutrition having limited salience in Australian trade policy. 33 The industry was also perceived to use their instrumental power, through sponsorship, campaign and lobbying, to shape the food marketing policy agenda through formal (by invitation) and informal (personal communication) interactions with bureaucrats.…”

Citizens Views on Policy Instruments for Sustainable Food Consumption From Spatial Perspective

“…Relevant to sustainability could thus be the support of institution building by enabling collective action to support the creation of local agency toward sustainable food consumption options (see also Garnett et al, 2015;Baker et al, 2021). This research has shown that especially rural residents value locally produced vegetables and other food stuff.…”

“…Previous research has also recognized a need to further investigate the effects of social, temporal, and situational factors of meat eating (Horgan et al, 2019;Biermann and Rau, 2020). Baker et al (2021) note that urbanization has given cities and sub-national actors more prominence in food governance in many countries, which calls for attention to spatiality issues of policy governance.…”

“…There is thus clearly a need for more understanding on perceived impacts of policy instruments and options for citizens. Studies have also started to highlight the growing role of cities in governance toward sustainability and a reform in the food system (e.g., Baker and de Zeeuw, 2015;Baker et al, 2021).…”

“…This article analyses the survey data from the spatial perspective and focuses on examining demand-side policies targeting sustainable food consumption from the point of views of residents in rural, urban and peri-urban areas, because lifestyles and options viable to citizens in how to adapt their behavior can differ based on context. In addition, local authorities are given a larger role in guiding toward sustainability reforms (Baker et al, 2021). It is thus important to know, whether the impact of policies also differs in various spatial contexts.…”