ABSTRACT
Transnational civil society has risen to decrease the gap between citizens’ concerns and global policy-making. Yet, in many governance areas international NGOs (INGOs) have played preponderant roles. According to a common critique, these INGOs have often been too distant from affected populations. In global food security governance, however, we observe that members of affected populations themselves have been at the centre of transnational advocacy networks. This follows in large part from the struggle of agrarian movements, foremost La Vía Campesina, who have promoted the affectedness principle. This principle holds that advocacy should be conducted by affected persons themselves, usually through affected persons’ organisations (APOs). We argue that APOs and INGOs who have internalised this principle have formed ‘affectedness alliances’. Within these coalitions, APOs represent the concerns of affected populations while INGOs act as supporters. We demonstrate these coalitions at the global level with a particular focus on the UN’s Committee on World Food Security (CFS), and in the transnationalisation of a ‘land grabbing’ case from Sierra Leone. This shows how APOs can overcome participation obstacles, take a central role in advocacy networks and make their voices heard, thereby fostering their agency.
