Translating Food Sovereignty: Cultivating Justice in an Age of Transnational Governance

The global food system is unsustainable, contributing to climate change and food insecurity. Growing global food sovereignty movements are challenging this model by demanding local and democratic control over food systems. Translating Food Sovereignty explores how activists in the Pacific Northwest are mobilizing the claim of food sovereignty within the neoliberal transnational order of networked governance to make more expansive social justice claims.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

The current global food system is plagued by social and ecological issues, with nearly two billion people facing food insecurity and food systems being the primary driver of climate change. Despite the promotion of agro-industrial production as a solution, growing global food sovereignty movements are challenging this model by advocating for local and democratic control over food systems.

Translating Food Sovereignty delves into the lives of activists in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, who are tirelessly mobilizing the claim of food sovereignty across local, regional, and global governance arenas. These activists stand apart from social movements that frame their claims through the language of human rights, as they have explicitly articulated their concerns within the neoliberal transnational order of networked governance. While this global regulatory framework was initially designed to reinforce market logics, Matthew C. Canfield's research reveals how activists are harnessing this order to make more expansive social justice claims.

Through a nuanced and deeply engaged ethnography, Translating Food Sovereignty showcases how food sovereignty activists are cultivating new forms of transnational governance from the ground up. The book provides a valuable insight into the strategies and tactics employed by these activists, as they work to reclaim control over food systems and promote sustainable and equitable food practices. It also highlights the challenges and barriers they face in their pursuit of food sovereignty, including the dominance of corporate interests, the erosion of public policies, and the resistance of entrenched power structures.

In conclusion, Translating Food Sovereignty is a crucial contribution to the study of food politics and governance. It offers a nuanced and empathetic portrayal of food sovereignty activists and their struggles, providing valuable insights into the potential for transformative change in the global food system. By advocating for local and democratic control over food systems, these activists are building a more sustainable and just future for all.

Weight: 564g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503613447