Who Governs the Food System? A Review of Different Governance Arrangements in Southern Africa

Much of the food security debate used to centre on single aspects of food production and uni-sectoral policies. More recently scholars and policymakers embrace a broader and more integrated approach. This broader perspective enhances new governance challenges. By its nature, food governance systems are fragmented and cut across the usual boundaries between sectors, administrative levels, temporal and spatial scales, public and private spheres, science and policy, and diverse normative frameworks. Fragmentation may increase the innovativeness and adaptability of the system, whereas too much fragmentation can result in bad performances. Top down integration and mandatory coordination may also result in bad performances. This paper presents principles for assessing and designing smart food system governance arrangements: 1) system based problem framing; 2) connectivity across boundaries; 3) reflexivity and adaptability; and 4) transformative capacity to overcome deadlocks. These principles are used to analyse several food governance arrangements in Southern Africa.