The 2007-08 food crisis gave new impetus to a neoliberal approach to food production. The intensification of production through bio-technology and other techno-fixes, global market
integration, and financial mechanisms were promoted as answers to price volatility and climate change.
But, as the issues of food availability and access caught the world’s attention, interest grew in the role of those who produce and provide the food we eat. It emerged that traditional and peasant approaches to food production, and local markets as a means of food distribution, provide a viable and more sustainable approach to designing a fairer and more resilient food system. This recognition has led to calls for more support and greater
representation for smallholders in the global food debate.
The last decade has seen global crises in finance, energy and the economy. But only the prolonged food crisis resulted in riots, reminding us of the historic link between the struggles
for food and economic justice. This book focuses on the root causes and power games behind the global food crisis and what this means for reforming the global food system.
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Available at https://www.iied.org/14626iied