State of the world food system

Abstract

The world food system has seen enormous change across a range of issue areas in recent years, as witnessed by the 2007–08 food crisis and subsequent period of volatility and uncertainty in a context of shifting ecological conditions. Closer examination of the specifics of those myriad changes first requires a step back to take stock of the broader shifts that have taken place over the past two decades. The papers in this section set this “big picture” backdrop, situating the global food system within wider contexts and developments and drawing important insights for understanding recent developments on the global food landscape. The papers remind us of the ways in which the food system connects to and also reflects broader economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological settings.