ABSTRACT

In the realm of food systems, governance spans from the internal decision-making structures of companies, non-profit organizations, and informal associations, to the more formalized policies and procedures of state governments and Indigenous authorities, and then to multilateral trade and environmental agreements. Since the 1970s, neoliberalism has had a major impact on food systems governance across the globe. Neoliberalism is a political and economic ideology rooted in the belief that well-being is best advanced by entrepreneurial freedom, limited government intervention, and the primacy of economic rationalities and the free market. Food movements put forward concrete, positive, and practical ideas about how better food systems can function. Growing engagement of food movement actors in governance is demonstrated through, for example, the emergence of a range of local or regional food policy councils. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.