Food System Transformation Research Articles

Transforming the food system in ‘unprotected space’: the case of diverse grain networks in England

Transitioning to food systems that are equitable, resilient, healthy and environmentally sustainable will require the cultivation and diffusion of transformational sociotechnical innovations—and grassroots movements are an essential source of such innovations. Within the literature on strategic niche management, government-provided ‘protected spaces’ where niche innovations can develop without facing the pressures of the market is an essential part of sustainability transitions. However, because of their desire to transform rather than transition food systems, grassroots movements often struggle to acquire such protected spaces and so must determine how and where to generate change whilst being marginalised and exposed to unprotected spaces. The aim of this research is to gain a precise view of the multiple touchpoints of marginalisation that exist across the grassroots-government interface and to apply a new framework for conceptual analysis of these touchpoints that can help to identify where and how grassroots movements might be able to push against this marginalisation. The study finds that, by applying a ‘who, what, where’ framework of analysis to policies across this interface, it is possible to find pathways forward for achieving small wins towards food systems transformation.

The roles and dynamics of transition intermediaries in enabling sustainable public food procurement: insights from Spain

Abstract Sustainable Public Food Procurement (SPFP) is gaining recognition for its potential to improve the sustainability of food systems and promote healthier diets. However, SPFP faces various challenges, including coordination issues, actor dynamics, infrastructure limitations, unsustainable habits, and institutional resistance, among others. Drawing upon insights from the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) on socio-technical transitions and the X-curve model on transition dynamics, this study investigates the role of transition intermediaries in facilitating SPFP-induced transformations in food systems. Focusing on four case studies in Spain, we identify common barriers encountered in SPFP and analyse how distinct types of transition intermediaries contribute individually and collectively to address these challenges. Additionally, we explore how intermediary networks evolve throughout different phases of the transition process. Our findings reveal that SPFP barriers are systemic and interconnected, emphasizing the necessity of collective intermediation to overcome these obstacles. Furthermore, our results reveal how collective intermediation is orchestrated by pivotal intermediaries who mobilize diverse transition intermediaries, shaping multiple transition pathways. These intermediaries operate at both food system regimes and niches, challenging the conventional notion that transformative change can only originate from niche efforts. Lastly, we highlight the dynamic and flexible nature of intermediation in SPFP transitions, underscoring the importance of adaptability in strategies as these transitions evolve over time. Practical implications include the need for context-specific, adaptive approaches and strategies that leverage intermediary diversity. This research offers insights for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars into SPFP and broader transitions towards food systems transformation, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of these transition processes.

Integrating land and food policy to transform territorial food systems in the context of coexisting agri-food models: Case studies in France

Making the shift from global to territorial food systems is critical for sustainability and demands transformative, coherent, and integrated land and food policies. However, how policy integration may be achieved or hindered remains unclear, particularly in the case of coexisting agri-food models. The coexistence of conflicting models, such as specialization versus diversification and agro-industrial versus ecological practices, entails power relations that significantly influence the political agenda. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and document analysis, we focus on land-use planning and local food policies to examine how policy integration is shaped by, and reshapes, power relations in the context of coexisting agri-food models in a sample of case studies in France. Our findings show that policy integration occurs with innovative initiatives at the stage where territorial agriculture is assessed, strategies are determined, and policy instruments designed. Integration is, however, constrained by unbalanced power relations, which restrict land-based policy interventions that seek to transform food systems. Local authorities exercise caution when applying these interventions, seeking to involve major farmers’ organizations while mitigating contentions. The policy integration process reshapes power relations, empowering alternative minority agri-food professionals through greater influence in the political arena. This process also helps local authorities to acquire legitimacy in agri-food matters. As one of the first studies to offer empirical evidence about land and food policy integration, this article provides insights for policymaking in terms of the crafting of enabling institutional contexts for the transformation of territorial food systems. Future research is suggested to explore contextual influences and power dynamics in policy implementation.

Drivers of consumer food choices of multinational corporations’ products over local foods in Ghana: a maximum difference scaling study

IntroductionThe fundamental transformation of food systems and retail environments in low-income countries is influencing consumers' food choices and dietary habits in unfavourable directions through the consumption of highly processed, energy-dense foods, predominantly manufactured by multinational food corporations. This study aims to identify the principal factors driving consumers' preference for multinational foods over local foods in the urban Accra region of Ghana.MethodThis cross-sectional survey involving a random sample of 200 consumers conducted in March/April 2023 using interviewer-administered questionnaires employed a maximum difference scaling approach to investigate the drivers of urban Ghanaian consumer food choices for multinational food corporations' products over local foods. The maximum difference scaling modelling analysis utilized in this study identifies the primary drivers of multinational food corporations' product preferences and the associated trade-offs.ResultThe study discovered that food quality and safe packaging, perceived healthiness, taste and flavour, and nutritional value were the most significant factors driving consumer preference for multinational food corporations' products over local foods in Ghana. The criterion food quality and safe packaging had the significantly highest utility than all other attributes in terms of consumer preference for products/meals from multinational food corporations over local foods.ConclusionThe results of this study provide significant contributions to the existing body of research, as previous studies have not identified these factors as primary drivers of multinational food products. Public health authorities and nutritionists can use the study's findings to implement targeted quality assurance measures in local markets and to address the drivers in health education campaigns.

Moving beyond awareness to action and food system transformation: prioritizing labor in food systems governance work

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare many of societies’ existing social and economic inequalities, one of which is illustrated in the challenges facing food and farm workers across the food chain. Despite this upsurge in public recognition, the circumstances facing food and farm workers remain unchanged, and this lack of action is reflected within the work of food systems-focused civil society organizations (CSO) in Canada. Several authors have noted the lack of recognition of labor issues within food systems work. This paper further explores the nature of this disengagement, particularly in food systems governance work, and identifies barriers to more meaningful engagement and possible avenues to overcome these challenges. Findings draw from a set of 57 interviews conducted from 2020 to 2023 with a range of food system CSO representatives across Canada, examining their understanding of, and engagement in, food systems governance work and their involvement in labor issues (or lack thereof). The paper concludes that though there exists widespread awareness of the challenges facing food and farm workers, and a desire to engage in a more sustained fashion, many food system CSOs have not yet found the tools or pathways to do so on an organizational level. Several discursive openings are identified that offer an opportunity to leverage the heightened awareness of food and farm workers during the pandemic into concrete collective action.

Transforming food systems in Maritime Southeast Asia and Pacific Small Island Developing States to support food security and sustainable healthy diets

Food is one of the basic necessities for human life. Nutritious food is essential for human health and helps oneself live up to our best potential as productive members of society. In spite of this, 3 billion people are estimated to have limited access to nutrient-rich food, and there are 768 million undernourished people in the globe today. There are still concerns with food systems and food security, despite the fast economic transformation of low-and middle-income nations in Maritime Southeast Asia and Oceania over the past 10 years. These issues include dwindling agricultural land, deforestation, ineffective food supply networks, environmental degradation, changing and unhealthy diets, non-communicable diseases, disappearing cultural legacy, and ineffective policies. These problems are exacerbated by climate change, natural hazards, and pandemic shocks. This review explores the perspectives of food systems that relates to all the elements and activities in transforming agri-food industry. In this paper, we discuss the challenges and solutions to transforming food systems in this region to achieve a sustainable and healthy diet for all, with the perspective of bringing the region closer toward the UN sustainable development goals. This paper is an outcome of the deliberations that took place during the Food Security in Small Islands and Developing States workshop in 2020. It also includes insights from subsequent expert group sessions that focused on the following topics: Agriculture and Food Systems; Nutrition, Health, and Culture; Innovations and Digitalization in Food Systems; as well as Policies Coordination and Future Shocks.

Opportunities for Consistent and Holistic Metrics to Support Food Systems Transformation: A Summary of a Symposium Presented at Nutrition 2023

There is an urgent need for global food systems transformation to realize a future where planetary health reaches its full potential. Paramount to this vision is the ability of stakeholders across sectors to understand how foods and dietary patterns impact food systems inclusive of all domains of sustainability—environmental, nutrition/health, economic and social. This article is a synopsis of presentations by 3 food systems experts to share the latest science in a session entitled “How do you measure sustainability? Opportunities for consistent and holistic metrics to support food systems transformation” at the American Society for Nutrition’s 2023 annual conference. As summarized here, global population data showing widespread malnutrition underscore the important role of dietary diversity through a balance of plant- and animal-source foods to achieve nutritionally adequate diets and reduce risk of noncommunicable diseases. Yet, recent international audits of countries, companies, and organizations and their sustainability targets largely demonstrate an underrepresentation of robust nutrition/health metrics to support public nutrition and health progress. Addressing limitations in diet-sustainability modeling systems provides a viable opportunity to accurately reflect the important contributions and trade-offs of diets across all domains of sustainability to ultimately support evidence-based decision making in advancing healthy food systems.

Articulating Organic Agriculture and Sustainable Development Goals: Serbia Case Study

With the greening of agriculture, there is a need to better link the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and organic agriculture in developing countries. However, in Serbia, there is a huge gap between the potential of their implementation and the actual situation. This paper assessed the strengths and weaknesses of SDGs and organic agriculture in Serbia and how their relationship can contribute in the development of sustainable agriculture. Key data and indicators of the economic, agricultural and social development of Serbia from international and national databases, as well as recent publications related to the selected topic, were assesed. The results showed that the restricted development of organic agriculture in Serbia stems from the undeveloped awareness of consumers, slower acceptance of alternative agricultural systems and the volatility of mainstream conventional agricultural production. The integration of organic agriculture into the largest conceptual and strategic frameworks, such as the SDGs, can offer a true transformation of local food systems and could result in positive feedback to the environment and society. In the long term, the SDGs framework can help connect various dimensions of sustainable agriculture, stakeholders and policymakers. The future focus should be on how to create entry points for agricultural transformation based on certified organic methodologies and how to integrate agricultural heritage into the realisation of SDGs.

Corporate interest groups and their implications for global food governance: mapping and analysing the global corporate influence network of the transnational ultra-processed food industry.

A major challenge to transforming food systems to promote human health and sustainable development is the global rise in the manufacture and consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). A key driver of this dietary transition is the globalization of UPF corporations, and their organized corporate political activity (CPA) intended to counter opposition and block government regulation. UPF industry CPA and the corporate interest groups who lobby on their behalf have been well described at the national level, however, at the global level, this network has not been systematically characterized. This study aims to map, analyse, and describe this network, and discuss the implications for global food policy action on UPFs, global food governance (GFG), and food systems transformation. We conducted a network analysis of the declared interest group memberships of the world's leading UPF corporations, extracted from web sources, company reports, and relevant academic and grey literature. Data on the characteristics of these interest groups were further extracted for analysis, including year founded, level, type, and headquarter location. We identified 268 interest groups affiliated with the UPF industry. The UPF manufacturers Nestlé (n = 171), The Coca-Cola Company (n = 147), Unilever (n = 142), PepsiCo (n = 138), and Danone (n = 113) had the greatest number of memberships, indicating strong centrality in coordinating the network. We found that this network operates at all levels, yet key actors now predominantly coordinate globally through multistakeholder channels in GFG. The most common interest group types were sustainability/corporate social responsibility/multistakeholder initiatives, followed by branding and advertising, and food manufacturing and retail. Most corporate interest groups are headquartered where they can access powerful government and GFG decision-makers, nearly one-third in Washington DC and Brussels, and the rest in capital cities of major national markets for UPFs. The UPF industry, and especially its leading corporations, coordinate a global network of interest groups spanning multiple levels, jurisdictions, and governance spaces. This represents a major structural feature of global food and health governance systems, which arguably poses major challenges for actions to attenuate the harms of UPFs, and to realising of healthy and sustainable food systems.

A Scoping Review of Food Systems Governance Frameworks and Models to Develop a Typology for Social Change Movements to Transform Food Systems for People and Planetary Health

Effective governance is essential to transform food systems and achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Different political ideologies and paradigms inhibit or drive social change movements. This study examined how food systems governance has been described. Thereafter, we reviewed graphic frameworks and models to develop a typology for civil society actors to catalyze social change movements to transform food systems for people and the planet. The scoping review involved (1) formulating research questions; (2) developing a search strategy to identify evidence from four English-language electronic databases and reports, 2010–2023; and (3–4) selecting, analyzing, and synthesizing evidence into a narrative review. Results yielded 5715 records, and 36 sources were selected that described and depicted graphic frameworks and models examined for purpose, scale, political ideology, paradigm, discourse, principles, governance, and democracy. Evidence was used to develop a graphic food systems governance typology with distinct political ideologies (i.e., neoliberal, reformist, progressive, radical); paradigms (i.e., maintain, reform, transition, transform); discourses (i.e., food enterprise, food security, food justice, food sovereignty); types of governance (i.e., multistakeholder, shared, self); and democracy (i.e., representative, participatory, deliberative). This proof-of-concept typology could be applied to examine how change agents use advocacy and activism to strengthen governance for sustainable diets, regenerative food systems, and planetary health.

Even low levels of tree cover improve dietary quality in West Africa.

Forests are attracting attention as a promising avenue to provide nutritious and "free" food without damaging the environment. Yet, we lack knowledge on the extent to which this holds in areas with sparse tree cover, such as in West Africa. This is largely due to the fact that existing methods are poorly designed to quantify tree cover in drylands. In this study, we estimate how various levels of tree cover across West Africa affect children's (aged 12-59 months) consumption of vitamin A-rich foods. We do so by combining detailed tree cover estimates based on PlanetScope imagery (3 m resolution) with Demographic Health Survey data from >15,000 households. We find that the probability of consuming vitamin A-rich foods increases from 0.45 to 0.53 with an increase in tree cover from the median value of 8.8 to 16.8% (which is the tree cover level at which the predicted probability of consuming vitamin A-rich foods is the highest). Moreover, we observe that the effects of tree cover vary across poverty levels and ecoregions. The poor are more likely than the non-poor to consume vitamin A-rich foods at low levels of tree cover in the lowland forest-savanna ecoregions, whereas the difference between poor and non-poor is less pronounced in the Sahel-Sudan. These results highlight the importance of trees and forests in sustainable food system transformation, even in areas with sparse tree cover.

Global Food Security and Sustainability Issues: The Road to 2030 from Nutrition and Sustainable Healthy Diets to Food Systems Change.

The accomplishment of food/nutrition security for all across sustainable food systems (SFS) is tied to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SFS is connected to all SDGs via the traditional framework of social inclusion, economic development, environmental safety, inclusivity, and the development of sustainable food systems. We suggest that, for the world to achieve sustainable development, a shift to SFS is necessary to guarantee food/nutrition security for all, while operating within planetary boundaries to protect ecosystems and adapt to and mitigate climate change. Therefore, there is a requirement for original approaches that implement systemic and more participatory methods to engage with a wider range of food system stakeholders. However, the lack of skills and tools regarding novel methodologies for food system transformation is a key obstacle to the deployment of such approaches in practice. In the first part of this review, a summary of some challenges that occur in the governance of food system transformation is given. Through a case study of plant-based proteins and their biological and chemical modification as diets shift towards alternative proteins, we demonstrate that resource-efficient food systems and food waste, through system transformation, are useful in understanding both (i) how food system transformation has ensued and (ii) how the required transformation is prohibited. Finally, we discuss the implications of food system transformation in terms of nutrition and sustainable healthy diets, which are needed to achieve changes in food safety systems in the future. The linkage of food and the environment is evident, focusing on nutrition and sustainable healthy diets. This cannot be accomplished without system change and research towards new foods and, more specifically, new proteins such as plant-based ones and their biological and chemical modification.

Expert opinion survey on Israel’s food system: implications for food and health policies

BackgroundWhile there has been increasing global recognition and impetus for action to transform food systems towards greater food security, sustainability and better health outcomes, Israel has only recently begun to focus on the diverse challenges of its food system and its potential for transformation.MethodsAn expert opinion survey (n = 50) on Israel’s food system was conducted as part of a larger study on the systemic features of Israel’s food system transition to understand its policy gaps and find strategies towards a healthy and sustainable food system. The survey ranks the relevance and importance of food system challenges and policy preferences. Policy implications are then examined by identifying potential priorities, gaps and dissensus.ResultsThe survey finds that there is a majority agreement (76%) that Israel’s food policies are lacking or severely lacking. Respondents relate strongly to both concepts of nutritional security (90% think that access to nutritious food is relevant or highly relevant) and national food security (more than 80% perceive food security as part of national security). Respondents overwhelmingly recognize the benefits of Israeli agriculture with 60–90% agreeing or strongly agreeing that it benefits food security, economic value and national identity. Top-ranked problems include overall systemic problems such as the lack of national goals, strategic planning, and integrated policymaking across ministries, and specific ones such as food waste, costly farming inputs, and food affordability. The most preferred policy actions include establishing a national strategy for food and agriculture, making food affordable for vulnerable households, and incentivising sustainable farming methods. The key policy gaps include the lack of resilience in agriculture and the food system, insufficient data and knowledge for policy action, inadequate attention to the regulation of the food industry for better health and inadequate food policy attention for minority groups.ConclusionsBuilding on this study's findings, further policy research and implementation areas to be covered include government responsibility for universal food security, strategic systemic policies for food systems, prevention and preparedness for future crises, and promoting resilience. The way forward may best be through an inter-ministerial committee with the responsibility, budgets, mandate and executive authority to plan data-driven policies for a sustainable food system for Israel’s future.

Convenient solutions, inconvenient truths – Why supermarkets will not drive food system transformation

Supermarkets play an important role in industrialized food systems, which is why many in academia, politics, industry, and civil society view them as key players in transforming the food system toward greater sustainability. We analyse narratives and proposed solutions in this context, as well as the role of supermarkets in Germany, home to some of the largest retailers worldwide. We show that many actors in the German food system, including supermarkets themselves, perceive the structural problems of overproduction and dysfunctional markets as major obstacles to achieving food system transformation. Despite this, they tend to propose solutions focused on optimization and efficiency in supermarket logistics and retail management or greater consumer awareness. These solutions show little transformative potential. Regarding the structural problem of dysfunctional markets, supermarkets are perceived to be in a quandary due to the drive for profits, competitive markets, and consumer demand. Thus, supermarkets are not likely to drive a transformation of the food system. However, a broadly shared understanding of the core problems of overproduction and dysfunctional markets presents an opportunity for ‘discourse coalitions’ to push for more systemic solutions. The findings may enhance food system stakeholders' understanding of the need for more holistic approaches to addressing sustainability.

Progress towards a more sustainable and equitable food system in Brazil?

Introduction: Brazil’s agri-food sector, traditionally being a low productivity sector, has evolved towards significant investment in technology-driven large-scale agribusiness, making Brazil a major food exporter. An increase in intensive large-scale agriculture production, while benefiting Brazil’s economy and export revenues, has also resulted in significant social and environmental externalities. With the aim to improve food security and more equitable access to food, Brazil’s federal government has intervened with a range of policies and initiatives to eliminate hunger and incentivize more sustainable practices for improved environmental outcomes. Objective: The paper provides an overview of the agri-food policy landscape, and policy innovations since the early 2000s intending to drive a transition towards a more sustainable and equitable agri-food system. Results and Discussion: It also highlights the challenges in implementing policies and programmes in the context of Brazil’s agrarian structures, vested interests and political conflicts surrounding the allocation of public assets. Successful implementation will require further innovation, collaboration and inclusive partnerships to foster food system transformation pathways towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Food systems transformation in Zimbabwe

The usefulness of participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) in food systems transformation in Africa remains poorly explored. JOSEPH TINARWO, VAIN JARBANDHAN and AARAM GWIZA explain how PM&E is designed to measure programme effectiveness and is geared towards promoting programme ownership, empowering beneficiaries, enhancing transparency and accountability, and improving the projects and programmes. However, they caution that the effectiveness of PM&E in food system transformation requires adequate budgetary support, rolling capacity-building initiatives, multistakeholder partnerships, policy integration, and indigenous knowledge-sharing and learning practices.

How can governance mechanisms, policies and legislation effectively support the implementation of a One Health approach to managing complex health threats (including the health of the environment) at the global, regional and national levels?

This research question seeks to explore the role of governance and legislation in fostering an enabling environment for the effective implementation of a One Health approach to complex challenges at the human–animal–environment interface. It calls for the identification of legal entry points for integrating One Health into international, regional and national legal frameworks and governance mechanisms governing global sustainability and complex health challenges (including pandemic preparedness and response, food system transformation and climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental protection and pollution control). Additionally, it invites to analyse the alignment of international, regional and national legal instruments with the demand for One Health implementation.

A systematic review of the definitions, narratives and paths forwards for a protein transition in high-income countries

The protein transition, aiming to rebalance protein intake between animal and alternative proteins, is gaining momentum in scientific and policy discussions on food system transformation. Here, using a systematic review approach, we identified 33 articles that address challenges in reducing the environmental impacts of protein production and consumption, providing healthy diets for a growing population and preventing adverse effects of industrial livestock production systems. We found unclear definitions of the protein transition, conflicting views on reduction or replacement of dietary protein and a lack of attention to systemic change by reducing protein to its macronutrient function. Three narratives were identified, namely, the consumer narrative focusing on consumption-based solutions targeting dietary changes; the techno-centred narrative developing new, more resource-efficient protein production systems; and the socio-technological narrative that intends to transition the agri-food system from an animal-dominated regime to an alternative protein regime. We conclude that solutions should consider factors such as scale, initiating actors and expected impact to support complementary protein transition approaches.

Agroecology Policy Recommendations for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems in Vihiga County, Kenya.

Vihiga is a densely populated county in western Kenya (1047 persons/sq.km) with a peri-urban agriculture landscape and limited land carrying capacity. Sustainable agriculture and Agri-food systems using agroecology principles, is hence critical for reducing pressure on land and natural resources especially soil, while curbing loss of biodiversity. Due to lack of policy guidelines on intersectoral linkages between regenerative agriculture, food systems and the environment, both biodiversity and livelihood of people within the county and the entire region is compromised. The objective of this study is therefore to contribute towards transformation of local food systems through an Agroecology policy action, for enabling small-scale producers to strengthen their practices of regenerative agriculture. Deployment of context-specific technologies is hereby proposed for Agroecology principles (FAO, 2018) to be mainstreamed in line-departments and sector work plans for food systems, because of their holistic approach to sustainable agriculture, while emphasizing on soil health, social inclusion (equity), better access to knowledge and support services. Using interdependent processes of evidence-based policy (EBP) multi-stakeholder engagement according to Weiss’s typology and review of similar policies in existence, ten (10) broad policy strategies on Agroecology were identified for local adaptation. The resulting policy initiative provides a roadmap for sustainable agriculture, using Agroecology approaches in both crop and livestock production, that was traditionally practiced through default by farmers. Further, with co-creation of existing knowledge, agroecological production systems are promoted by use of digital technology to attract youth and women with limited access to arable land, for a wider community and multi-sectoral participation.

Концепция “захвата земли”: глобальный и национальный аспекты

The correct understanding of the current world political agenda associated with changes in the global agrifood system is accompanied by the development of new analytical models. The present work is also devoted to the study of the “Land Grabbing” concept as one of innovative tools of the theoretical apparatus of political science. Using the method of historical and logical unity, the author evaluates the role of the “Land Grabbing” strategy, in comparison with “Double Movement” theory and the typology of international food regimes. In particular, the article is devoted to the study of the stages of emergence and evolution of this concept, unfamiliar to the Russian academic community. Based on a comparative analysis, all theories used to describe the expropriation of ecosystem resources are compared. As a result of the procedure, the compilation feature of all related concepts is diagnosed, and the hidden discursive disagreement is eliminated. Using the method of critical analysis, the author develops a “Two-phase model of the occupation of control”, which emphasizes the dominant position of the Conflict paradigm – the semantic module of the idea of “Land Grabbing”. In the experimental part of the article, the effectiveness of the “Land Grabbing” concept is verified on a specific example – the agricultural sector of the Russian Federation. Via the method of statistical observation, the author analyzes the dynamics of property rights and systematizes the register of commercial contracts concluded with agricultural land in the period from 2000 to 2023. It is proved that foreign corporations are the ultimate beneficiaries in more than 90% of cases of all land transactions. Relying on the method of secondary data analysis, the author identifies the largest commercial owners of agricultural land and the leading countries in offshore exploitation of the general domestic ecosystem resource. By the visualization method, a “Tree-factor model of Land Grabbing” is constructed, the indicators of which are the processes of Corporatization, Foreignization and Catastrophization. In the final part of the work, the author simulates a predictive scenario for the transformation of the global food system based on a retrospective analysis of international food regimes. At the same time, a legal examination of the strategy for national security of the Russian Federation is conducted. Drawing on the analysis performed, the author formulates recommendations relevant to the current geopolitical situation.