Putting food sovereignty at the center of agricultural research

“Food is becoming a powerful symbol of social change: a transdisciplinary arena where science, economy, society, technology and politics influence one another.” – Francesca Grazioli, Alliance Researcher on biodiversity for food and agriculture

Demands for food systems transformation and greater social justice are increasing at all levels, ranging from popular protests to international negotiations. Policies are emerging; however, have we considered to what extent social and environmental challenges are interconnected, and whether integrating our efforts to build more sustainable food systems and fairer social structures could increase our impact? Integration may accelerate success, but to do so, we need a new framework. ‘Food sovereignty’ – a concept that has existed in food systems dialogue for almost four decades – may support the development of new strategies. To understand the potential of food sovereignty for transformative change, explore how its principles are integrated into the Alliance’s agricultural research for development.