TY - RPRT

T1 - Geostrategic aspects of policies on food security in the light of recent global tensions

T2 - Insights from seven countries

AU - Rudloff, Bettina

AU - Mensah, Kristina

AU - Wieck, Christine

AU - Kareem, Olayinka

AU - Montesclaros, Jose Ma Luis

AU - Orden, David

AU - Søndergaard, Niels

AU - Yu, Wusheng

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - This study contributes to the recent literature on geostrategic aspects of economic policy andthe objective of economic security by addressing food security as a subcategory withineconomic security. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis and the Russian invasion ofUkraine, this study analyses whether and how the relevance of food security as a national policygoal has changed. It focuses on the questions of whether countries’ policy choices towards thisobjective have initiated longer-term strategic shifts, rather than just acute reactions, andanalyses the extent to which these adjustments are influenced by underlying geopoliticalconsiderations. To answer these questions, developments in food security policies areidentified, focusing primarily on the perspective of security of supply. This perspective fits withthe recent political focus and current initiatives by many countries aiming at national economicand supply security in general.The approach of this paper is to observe the evolution of policy arrangements over time in sevenselected national country cases, one of which is the supranational entity, the European Union(EU). This paper does not seek to identify the effectiveness of different approaches concerningfood security. Instead, it focuses on describing changes within three categories of food securitypolicy approaches: domestic food policy (including both agricultural support measures toproducers and domestic food aid programs for consumers); trade which can include marketliberalization measures (e.g. reduction of tariffs) and measures that lean toward nationalautonomy and sovereignty (e.g. by setting standards); and crisis and emergency approaches(e.g. monitoring and alert systems). The selected country cases – Brazil, China, the EU, Nigeria,the Philippines, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) – present a diverse setof conditions in terms of their status of domestic food security and agricultural production,economic strength, and food trade balance. Figure 1 provides an overview of the studyframework.

AB - This study contributes to the recent literature on geostrategic aspects of economic policy andthe objective of economic security by addressing food security as a subcategory withineconomic security. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis and the Russian invasion ofUkraine, this study analyses whether and how the relevance of food security as a national policygoal has changed. It focuses on the questions of whether countries’ policy choices towards thisobjective have initiated longer-term strategic shifts, rather than just acute reactions, andanalyses the extent to which these adjustments are influenced by underlying geopoliticalconsiderations. To answer these questions, developments in food security policies areidentified, focusing primarily on the perspective of security of supply. This perspective fits withthe recent political focus and current initiatives by many countries aiming at national economicand supply security in general.The approach of this paper is to observe the evolution of policy arrangements over time in sevenselected national country cases, one of which is the supranational entity, the European Union(EU). This paper does not seek to identify the effectiveness of different approaches concerningfood security. Instead, it focuses on describing changes within three categories of food securitypolicy approaches: domestic food policy (including both agricultural support measures toproducers and domestic food aid programs for consumers); trade which can include marketliberalization measures (e.g. reduction of tariffs) and measures that lean toward nationalautonomy and sovereignty (e.g. by setting standards); and crisis and emergency approaches(e.g. monitoring and alert systems). The selected country cases – Brazil, China, the EU, Nigeria,the Philippines, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) – present a diverse setof conditions in terms of their status of domestic food security and agricultural production,economic strength, and food trade balance. Figure 1 provides an overview of the studyframework.

M3 - Report

T3 - IATRC Commissioned Paper

BT - Geostrategic aspects of policies on food security in the light of recent global tensions

PB - International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium

ER -