Governing towards sustainable food systems: new connections for more diversity

Abstract

Food systems need to be transformed in order to effectively deal with huge challenges related to biodiversity loss, climate change, health, and food security. More diversity in food system components and interconnections offers a valuable approach to food system sustainability. More diversity relates, among other things, to diversity in crops at field and farm level, to contribute to biodiversity and resilience; diversity in diets for enhanced human health; and diversity in actors and actor connections to enable food system transformation. Governing towards more sustainable food systems through more diversity, however, is challenging, because regimes that regulate food systems are highly resistant to change. More scientific research is needed to better understand (a) the roles that key actors play and under which conditions they can be stimulated to more actively contribute to food system transformation; (b) the formation (or absence) of actor coalitions for food system transformation; (c) how current governance arrangements for food system sustainability work and can be enhanced; and (d) resistance to change in food system regimes and how to overcome it.