Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability - The political economy of food security and sustainability

Food security and sustainability have been at the heart of agricultural policy-making through much of history. This article considers some of the processes and motivations that have led to the conception, the implementation and the persistence of such policies (or, in short, their political economy). Four topics are discussed in detail: the ‘Development Paradox’ in agricultural policy-making; the nexus between price shocks, political economy and sustainability; the (changing) political coalitions in food policy; and the political economy of food sustainability standards.