In response to concerns about global hunger and malnutrition, climate and environmental crises, and corporate consolidation in agri-food value chains, increasing numbers of stakeholders are arguing for agroecology as a way of providing healthy nutritious food in an equitable and sustainable manner. This explainer provides an overview of the historical development and various definitions of agroecology and explores some of the major debates related to its use. https://www.doi.org/10.56661/96cf1b98

Food sovereignty, “the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems,” is often discussed as an alternative political framework and approach to food security (Nyéléni, 2007). Food sovereignty has grown as a countermovement to the growing dominance of industrial agricultural practices, the increasing power of corporations in the global food system, and the convergence of diets towards more imported and processed foods. This explainer explores food sovereignty as a concept and movement, how it differs from the concept of food security, criticisms of the movement, and evolving definitions. https://www.doi.org/10.56661/f07b52cc

The environmental sustainability of our food production methods, and what kinds of agricultural systems might be compatible with keeping global warming below internationally agreed upon limits, are key topics for sustainable food systems research and policy. Since the food system is an important emitter of three different greenhouse gases; carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide; greater clarity as to their warming impacts and their consequent contribution to climate change is needed. https://www.doi.org/10.56661/25320192

The global growth in the production of soy and its use for different types of foods has been, and continues to be, a major contributor to land use change in the Amazon and other regions in South America. This building block explores the connections between soy, land use change, and discussions on animal- versus plant-based protein sources. https://www.doi.org/10.56661/47e58c32

This building block explores key statistics about competing uses for food system resources, focusing on the use of land, crops and wild fish for feeding humans or feeding livestock – a trade-off known as feed-food competition. It also outlines different ways in which people interpret these figures and sets out how these differing perspectives link to broader debates about what we should eat and how we should produce food, particularly concerning what role (if any) livestock should play in the global food system. https://www.doi.org/10.56661/dde79ca0 A shorter written version of this summary is available here.