The Failures of Neoliberal Food Security and the Food Sovereignty Alternative

Abstract

Nearly one billion people suffer from hunger worldwide. This issue has been a central concern for the international community, with national governments, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations seeking solutions. The dominant response to the issue of hunger has largely centered around the concept of food security which emerged within a context dominated by neoliberal ideology. This Neoliberal Food Security approach has focused on expanding global food production and incorporating farmers into global food markets. Yet, despite decades of programs and initiatives, hunger remains a daunting problem. Food Sovereignty has been offered as an alternative approach, challenging the assumptions and conceptualizations which underpin Neoliberal Food Security and seeking to alter thestructures and unequal power relations inherent in the current global food system. This paper asserts that because Neoliberal Food Security fails to challenge the structures and inequalities which perpetuate hunger, it is an insufficient method for addressing the problem. In contrast, Food Sovereignty objects to the theories and practices of neoliberalism, thereby offering a radical alternative approach.