Agriculture (re)-territorialisation: visions, tensions, and transition pathways in European food systems
摘要
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of supply chains, bringing the possibility of disruptions to the forefront as a major concern (UN in The impact of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition. https://in.one.un.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SG-Policy-Brief-on-COVID-Impact-on-Food-Security.pdf, 2020). The blockage of the Suez Canal by the Evergreen ship in 2021 and the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 further intensified issues in food markets and increased food insecurity. These incidents underscore the fragility of our global food systems. Moreover, a paradigm shift is crucial to address the unprecedented loss of biodiversity (IPBES in Communiqué de presse: Le dangereux déclin de la nature: Un taux d’extinction des espèces « sans précédent » et qui s’accélère. https://ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment-Fr, 2019) and climate change (IPCC in AR6 climate change 2021: the physical science basis. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/, 2021). Additionally the well-established link between obesity, undernutrition, and climate change (Swinburn et al. in Lancet, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32822-8) underscores the necessity for a fundamental transformation in our food production systems. To address this, we need food systems that are both robust and adaptable, capable of enduring health crises, geopolitical tensions, and the challenges posed by climate change, declining biodiversity, soil depletion, and the difficulties faced by farmers. This special feature presents a collection of research papers that investigate re-territorialisation and alternative food networks in Europe. The contributions stemming from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, such as sociology, anthropology, geography, and economic sciences, highlight not only the complexity of changes in food systems, but also their multifaceted nature. While re-territorialisation is already in progress, it would greatly benefit from proactive policies that support both the desire and the necessity for change.