What’s on Your Plate Comes from Policy: Food, Power and Decision-Making

The act of selecting a product from a supermarket shelf is often portrayed as the ultimate expression of consumer choice or personal agency. However, the options available on that shelf were determined long before the moment of purchase. In reality, such choices represent the final stage of a broader institutional process shaped by political priorities and economic governance. 

Food choices are also guided by culture. Eating is not just a necessity; it is also tied to tradition, identity and, often, pleasure or habit. Food has always been connected to wider social and political values.  

The contemporary food production system is not simply the result of individual preferences; it is also the outcome of policy frameworks, international trade regimes and agricultural subsidies structured by governments and multilateral institutions. These dynamics are reflected in global governance initiatives such as the food security frameworks developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the broader commitments of Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger (SDG 2), which call on the international community to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.  

Nevertheless, food insecurity persists. According to estimates included in The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 report, issued by FAO, approximately 673 million people experienced hunger in 2024. This figure suggests that access to food is not merely a matter of supply, but also of distribution, affordability and governance.  

This globalized model exists alongside the resilient, localized food systems of Indigenous Peoples, whose traditional diets, often developed under unique ecological conditions, including in such regions as the circumpolar North, offer valuable insights for nutritional well-being and sustainability, and reinforce the importance of protecting Indigenous Peoples’ right to food. Recognizing food systems as structural frameworks highlights how policy decisions fundamentally influence what ends up on the global plate. 

The governance of the global plate 

From production to distribution, institutional decisions determine which commodities are incentivized, how food moves through global markets and who can afford to consume it. According to the recent United Nations Environment Programme report, State of Finance for Nature 2026: Nature in the Red – Powering the Trillion Dollar Nature Transition Economy, finance flows that harm nature, including subsidies linked to agriculture and resource use, reached approximately $7.3 trillion globally in 2023, far exceeding investments in sustainability. 

Farmers, particularly smallholder producers, often bear significant risks while receiving only a limited share of the final retail value of food. Rising input costs, including fuel, fertilizers, equipment and labour, often place additional pressure on farmers whose incomes remain vulnerable to volatile market prices and increasingly unpredictable climate conditions. As highlighted in United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Policy Brief #120: Investing in the Future of Rural Non-farm Economies, investing in rural economies and improving farmers’ access to markets, technology and financial services can help support livelihoods and reduce poverty in rural communities, while at the same time improving food security. 

Food availability is also affected by global supply chains. Agricultural goods move across regions through interconnected systems of transport, processing, packaging and distribution, supported by international standards and regulations that ensure market safety and market access. 

The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Codex Alimentarius Commission standards establish requirements for food safety, quality and import and export conditions, ensuring that products meet internationally recognized benchmarks. The World Health Organization (WHO)  provides guidance on surveillance and response to detect and manage foodborne risks, and a 2020 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global trade and supply chains.  

Policy frameworks also extend beyond production and trade to include national dietary guidance, which affects consumption patterns and influences how food is understood. 

In times of conflict, food systems governance becomes more critical. United Nations Security Council resolution 2417 (2018), adopted on 24 May 2018, explicitly recognizes the link between armed conflict and food insecurity, and strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.  

These dynamics are further subject to environmental pressures, particularly those related to climate change. 

Food systems in a changing climate 

Food systems are both affected by and contribute to climate change. While variability is a natural phenomenon of the Earth’s climate system, current changes are occurring at an accelerated rate, placing increased pressure on food production and food security. 

Agrifood systems account for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that food systems are responsible for roughly one third of global emissions,¹ with agriculture and land use being major contributors. A 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on climate change and land highlights the vulnerability of food systems to climate impacts, with consequences across ecosystems, economies and human well-being.  

These impacts are not evenly distributed. Smallholder farmers are often the most exposed to climate-related risks, including reduced yields, income instability and rising food prices. FAO analysis highlights that smallholders face constraints in adapting to climate change, including limited access to resources, infrastructure and information, which can slow adoption of climate adaptive practices and technologies. 

As a result, the way food systems are structured today will influence not only current food availability, but also the ability of future generations to access sufficient, safe and sustainable food. Indigenous knowledge systems, which emphasize adaptation and resilience, offer important insights into responding to these changes, particularly through approaches aligned with local ecosystems and long-term sustainability. 

Addressing these interconnected challenges requires policy responses that consider both environmental and socioeconomic aspects of food systems.  

Policy recommendations 

The following recommendations can be drawn from the analysis set out above:    

• Reform environmentally harmful subsidies and redirect them towards more sustainable and diversified agricultural production, which could include reducing fertilizer use, supporting crop rotation and diversification, improving soil and water management practices, and establishing protected ecological corridors to reduce disruptions to wildlife and migratory patterns. Policy approaches can support a balance between agricultural activities and wildlife movement, particularly in areas where land-use expansion has altered natural habitats. 

• Strengthen support for smallholder farmers through improved access to markets, technology and financial services, enabling more stable incomes and the adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices.  

• Enhance the governance of food transport and trade systems to ensure food safety, efficiency and accessibility across regions, while encouraging more regionally balanced food systems that strengthen resilience without limiting the benefits of international trade. 

• Support responsible integration of digital tools and artificial intelligence to improve crop monitoring, yield forecasting and supply chain management, while ensuring that these technologies remain accessible to smallholder farmers through affordable and context-appropriate solutions. Their usage should complement, rather than replace, broader structural approaches to resilience. 

• Integrate nutritional considerations more directly into food system policy to ensure that food systems support healthy and balanced diets, rather than focusing solely on caloric availability. 

• Recognize Indigenous and culturally specific food systems within national dietary guidelines and support their integration into broader food system policy to promote more inclusive and sustainable approaches to nutrition while reinforcing the role of policy in shaping dietary patterns and food choices. 

Conclusion  

Ultimately, how food systems are governed will influence not only what is produced, but how societies respond to growing challenges related to sustainability, inequality and resilience. Viewing food through this lens shifts the focus from individual choice to collective responsibility, highlighting the role of policy in shaping more equitable and sustainable food futures. 

Note 

¹M. Crippa and others, “Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions”, Nature Food 2, 198–209 (2021). Available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00225-9.