Food in their Hands: How Policymakers Shape the Food Supply
Edgar V. Coll and Diana Salgado
The relationship between politics and food has historically been complex and multi-faceted. Governments have played a crucial role in determining how food is produced, distributed and consumed, from agricultural production regulations to food security policies. Here we briefly show how politicians and their ideologies have shaped the food system.
Food insecurity is on the rise. Hopma and Woods[1] suggest that the concept of food security has evolved from a national to a global focus, where international organizations like the FAO address this issue with an emphasis on technological and market solutions to tackle food scarcity. However, this approach often ignores the social and political dimensions of hunger, reducing it to merely a technical problem. Investments in biotechnology can increase food production and improve food security. However, political and ethical tensions are evident in concerns about resistance to, for example, genetically modified organisms.
Failure to establish adequate policies directly affects food security. In the United Kingdom, government policies have been blamed for leaving British farmers too vulnerable to competition from lower-quality imports, a problem Brexit promised to solve. Interestingly, on the other side of the world, Mexico has struggled with similar policies that favour imports over local farmers’ produce. So, why then is it a surprise when people vote for candidates that express nationalism? Although international commerce improves economies, certain limits need to be established to avoid ruining local farmers, particularly farmers whose techniques involve a worldview based on respecting the land, water sources and biodiversity, that have local and millenary know-how, biocultural diversity, etc.
Sin affects institutions, not only persons. Ideologies such as the neoliberal discourse, for example, have played a key role in shaping the contemporary food system. This economic approach, promoting privatization, supposedly free markets, deregulation and reduced public spending, has had profound implications for food policy. Guthman[2] notes that neoliberalism has driven the expansion of agribusiness corporations, promoting the production and consumption of processed foods. These policies often prioritize corporate interests over public welfare, leading to overproduction. This increases obesity, food inequality, food waste, and many other social and ecological problems.
In conclusion, to meet future challenges, it is essential to recognize and address the political dimension of food, promoting policies that not only increase food production but also ensure equitable and sustainable access.
Diana Salgado works on research projects to decrease food waste and improve food safety in circular economy projects in the UK. Edgar V. Coll is a food engineering student from Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico. He was Diana’s student in her Sustainable Development and Food course.
[1] J. Hopma and M. Woods, “Political Geographies of Food Security and Food Sovereignty,” Geography Compass 8 (11) (2014): 773–784.
[2] J. Guthman, “Neoliberalism and the Making of Food Politics in California,” Geoforum 39 (3) (2006): 1171–1183.