Picture of EU flag. Credit: Dusan Cvetanovic via pexels.
Journal articles
A qualitative analysis of policy narratives in the public consultation on the European Commission’s Farm to Fork Strategy
The paper performs a content analysis of 164 public responses to the consultation of the European Commission’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy and finds 12 distinct narratives, mostly focusing on agricultural production. Ten of them showed clear connections to three established agricultural policy discourses linking them to key stakeholders; farmer’s associations, NGO’s and industry representatives. 
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Farmer and daughter walking a cow through a rice field
Journal articles
Bridging food systems and One Health
This review explores the potential of combining two significant conceptual frameworks, the food systems approach (FSA) and the One Health approach (OHA), in aiding the management of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19. Both FSA and OHA take holistic approaches to complex problems, but the authors note they also have blind spots. The researchers seek evidence as to whether the combination of these two approaches could better manage zoonotic disease outbreaks in the future. They conclude noting that the integration of One Health and food system approaches may help overcome challenges of operationalizing One Health and lack of inclusion of health issues and zoonotic diseases in food systems. 
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Two farm workers picking strawberries in a field. Photo by Tim Mossholder via Unsplash.
Journal articles
Prioritizing labor in food systems governance work
This study explores the observed lack of recognition of labour issues within Canadian food systems governance work (the various laws, policies, and regulations that shape food systems) and seeks to identify barriers to their inclusion in future work. The authors broadly find a lack of capacity within CSOs in Canada to address food and farm workers’ issues. The authors conclude by examining potential pathways to aid food system CSOs to consider the potential benefit of investing and participating in food systems governance work to foster stronger engagement in labour issues. 
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A map of Colombia with a green gradient filter on top.
Essay
Naturaleza, Ganadería y Alimentación: Reflexiones desde Colombia sobre los debates de los sistemas alimentarios
Este artículo de blog hace parte de la expansión de TABLE hacia América Latina (en donde se llama MESA) y tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre cómo los asuntos abordados por el tema Naturaleza de MESA están presentes o no en los debates sobre sistemas alimentarios en Colombia, qué diferencias existen, y que otros asuntos o ángulos están presentes en el país.Sobre el autor: Camilo se unió a MESA en Diciembre de 2023 como parte del equipo de la Universidad de Los Andes (Escuela de Gobierno) en Colombia. Cuenta con un pregrado en Economía, una Maestría en Estudios del Desarrollo y otra Maestría en Agroecología. 
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Image of graffiti on a wall in Almeria, written in Spanish, 'no hay mejor regalo que el futuro' - there is no better gift than the future
Essay
The hidden cost of Europe’s affordable food: a story of informality and resilience
Affordable food, particularly fresh produce, is a key feature of food system goals in the EU, but the provision of year-round fresh fruit and vegetables relies on a growing system that offers little stability to its workers. Researcher María Alonso Martínez asks what we can learn from the resilience of the workers in this community, and how to reconcile affordability with the precarity it seems to require. María Alonso Martínez is Junior Officer in Circular Development at the ICLEI World Secretariat. This research was carried out at Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands. 
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A flyer for the new TABLE blog "Nature, livestock & UPF: Reflections on food systems debates from Colombia" by Camilo Ardila Galvis.
Essay
Nature, Livestock & UPF: Reflections on food systems debates from Colombia
This blog entry is part of TABLE´s expansion to the Americas, and it aims to reflect on how the topics covered in TABLE´s Nature theme are present or not in the debate around food systems in Colombia, what the differences are, and what other topics or angles exist in the country.About the author: Camilo joined TABLE in December 2023 as part of the team at the University of Los Andes (School of Government) in Colombia. He holds a BA in Economics, MA in Development Studies and MSc in Agroecology. 
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Letterbox, is the UPF concept useful and for what goals
Letterbox
Series 5: Is the Ultra-processed Food (UPF) concept useful, and for what goals?
It is hard to open a newspaper or lifestyle magazine now without finding the concept of ‘ultra-processed food’ somewhere mentioned. Based on the idea that not only a product’s content but the processes involved in its manufacture determine its health value, UPF has captured public attention. How useful is the classification, and what can its use achieve? In this TABLE Letterbox Exchange, Rob Percival, Anthony Warner and Mike Rayner were asked to consider in their debate i) the multiple understandings of the UPF concept, ii) the context and conditions of its successful or unsuccessful use, and iii) the relative goals and outcomes of i) and ii). The Letterbox will feature a total of nine letters. Read more about the origins and terms of the concept in TABLE’s UPF Explainer. 
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Image of corporate logos from various food companies.
News and resources
Prisoner's labour in the US linked to hundreds of popular food brands
The Associated Press has recently reported on links between US prison force labour and major food brands such as Coca-Cola and Frosted Flakes, which are on the shelves of retailers such as Aldi, Target, and Whole Foods. The AP cites that Cargill, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Archer Daniels Midland and Consolidated Grain have all purchased millions of dollars worth of soy, corn, and wheat harvested by prisoners. This also directly competes with sales for local farmers.
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