征稿期刊

Food Policy

期刊级别

IF 6 (JCR 2024)

SSCI

Q1 (ECONOMICS 37/617)

征稿主题

Rebuilding Global Food Governance amidst a Crisis of Multilateralism

细分领域

Global initiatives and institutions: There have been many efforts in recent years to elevate food system and food security objectives, ranging from the UN Food System Summit to the COP27 Summit to the launch of a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty during Brazil’s G20 presidency. Similarly, there have been reforms to key international bodies to allow for more inclusive engagement in food systems. What has been the impact of global initiatives and multilateral reforms on shifting national policies toward healthier, sustainable, and more inclusive food systems? What types of support would they need to remain viable and more effective at delivering on expected outcomes?

International law: International legal frameworks historically provided a basis for citizens to demand their right to food, prohibit weaponization of food in wartime, and ensure adherence to a rules-based trading system. However, the rulings of global legal institutions and bodies are increasingly being ignored. What are the continued prospects for leveraging international law and enforcement mechanisms to uphold food system objectives? And in what ways could international law be utilized in novel ways, such as through binding UN treaties on business practices or a global competition commission to address corporate concentration in the food system?

Financing and financialization: Rising debt distress combined with the massive decline in foreign assistance represent a collectively burden for food system investments. At the same time, much more could be done by global organizations to balance power asymmetries between private financing, including pension funds, insurance, and commodity futures markets, and LMIC governments. Where and how can resources be effectively repurposed for equitable food system investments and what are the prospects for a renewed financial architecture to provide low-income countries with needed resources that are transparently managed?

Multistakeholderism, corporate power and accountability: Multilateralism increasingly operates in parallel to multistakeholderism, elevating the role of private actors in governance, including through corporate partnerships and initiatives. Scorecards, indices, dashboards, and certification schemes have gained growing traction as a way of ensuring accountability of donors, national governments, and corporate actors to various food system objectives. What are the implications of multistakeholderism for performance and process legitimacy? Have these different types of accountability efforts succeeded in their objectives?

Nutrition: As the UN Decade on Nutrition extends to 2030, it is critical to identify if, where, and how collaboration between international bodies, global convenings (e.g. Nutrition for Growth), and nutrition movements (e.g. Scaling Up Nutrition) have resulted in clear action towards reducing undernutrition and obesity. How is the efficacy of meeting commitments on health and nutrition impacted by the internal decision-making structures of global bodies, contested views by public health professionals, and the role of corporate actors in the food industry? Are there opportunities to reimagine global nutrition governance?

Non-state actors: Non-state actors (NSAs), ranging from peaceful transnational advocacy communities and service delivery networks to violent cartel, paramilitary, or terrorist groups, are becoming more prominent in food systems. Both types of NSAs are likely to become even more prominent if multilateralism further deteriorates. To what degree have peaceful NSAs strengthened the process legitimacy of meeting global food system objectives or generated fragmentation in policy objectives and resources? How can global structures be reinforced to prevent violent non-state actors from distorting food systems while simultaneously harnessing the strengths of other types of NSAs?

重要时间

Submission Deadline: 1 February 2026