FFS - Financialization in the food system

Abstract

There is growing concern about financialization in the food sector, which refers to the increasingly important role played by financial actors, markets, and motives in decisions along agrifood supply chains. Financial actors have long been intertwined in the agriculture and food sector, but their activities have intensified and have become more complex in recent decades. Seeking financial returns, these investors are engaged across entire agricultural value chains, from production to retail. As their engagement in the sector expands, their presence has shaped and reshaped the agrifood system from production to retail and all activities in between. The papers in this section provide important angles on the implications of greater financial activity within the agricultural sector.