ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some of the unfolding dynamics arising from rural social movements' engagement in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) through the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM), as they seek to participate in and simultaneously shape and contest this innovative arena, despite the many challenges. It presents examples from participant observation conducted during the negotiations of the CFS Principles on Responsible Agricultural Investments and Food Systems, and the preceding preparatory meetings, in 2014. The chapter argues that La Vía Campesina's (LVC's) engagement in the CFS goes beyond just winning support for advancing policy proposals. It discusses on how strategic engagement plays out from within the CSM space and how participation of those most affected by food insecurity in the CFS injects new life into the debate about legitimacy, representativeness and the democratisation of transnational policy-making.
