Towards Just Food System Transformations? The Politics of Smaller-Scale Farming in the Global South

It is increasingly clear that the way we currently produce our food contributes to the transgression of multiple planetary boundaries, driving biodiversity loss and aggravating climate change. At the same time, the distribution of the burdens and benefits of food systems is highly unequal. Globally the diets of the richest third of the population contribute to over 70% of the environmental pressures. Moreover, the environmental footprint of industrialised food systems is generally higher and food systems that are industrialised or close to industrialised occupy a larger share of global land area, yet account for a smaller share of the global population. It is thus clear that there is an urgent need for a just transformation of food systems. In the search for pathways to just food systems transformations, greater diversity is often put forward as an important part of the solution. This includes more diverse agricultural production methods and crops, but also a greater diversity of actors and actor connections or more diverse food systems generally with greater support for small- and medium-sized enterprises and more diverse consumption, trade and political measures. Significantly, a look at food systems around the world shows that despite the trend of industrialisation over the last century, there is in fact still a great diversity of food systems globally, ranging from rural to highly industrialised. In many parts of the global South, smaller-scale production methods are still widespread and there is a great wealth of knowledge and experience of diverse production methods. Yet, smallholders in the global South are often amongst the most severely affected by the injustices of current food systems. Economically, their resources are dwarfed by those available to agribusiness and politically, their proposals and demands are frequently sidelined. Strengthening smaller-scale producers in the global South politically, so that their visions and demands are reflected on political agendas is therefore a central aspect for just food systems transformations. This paper discusses a theoretical framework to examine the possibilities for strengthening smaller-scale producers in the global South politically as agents of change for just food systems transformations, looking at two dimensions; possibilities for strengthening the internal cohesion of networks, and possibilities for strengthening external agency in agenda-setting processes.