Industry and the Governance of the Food System: An Exploratory Paper

Throughout the twentieth century, the food system has not only been transformed in structure and in process (Lang, 2003), but has shown a growing transformation in food system governance. Often this transformation involves private actors engaging in the policymaking and governance arena. This paper draws on corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a private governance mechanism that is very often used by corporate food actors. By drawing on changing governance structures in the food system, this paper explores the rise of industry’s participation in non-traditional corporate food interests (NTCFIs). These are interests that move beyond traditional interests of corporate actors such as trade, economic regulation, and competitiveness. Examples of NTCFIs can be initiatives around healthy food, food security, animal welfare, and environmental issues. This paper presents two general analytical approaches that can be used to better understand this food governance shift. The first considers this interest taken on by industry as a way to maintain the current hegemonic food system through the role of ideas in the creation of moral legitimacy. The second analytical approach draws on changes in the state, the rise in private governance, and the concept of corporate citizenship as a form of CSR. When looking at industry’s participation in NTCFIs, through corporate citizenship, industry can be identified as an additional citizenship guarantor that maintains the social rights of citizens through different CSR initiatives.