Convened by Oane Visser, Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam, Ina Lehmann, VU, Amsterdam, Joseph Awetori Yaro, University of Ghana, Dominic Glover, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK, and Marijn Faling, Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam

The past years have acutely demonstrated the need for an overhaul of our food systems. While global hunger and undernourishment showed a downward trend for several decades, in the past years, food insecurity has markedly increased. Crises such as the corona pandemic, Ukraine war and drought, caused major disruptions, yet there is growing recognition that they constitute merely triggers that expose increasingly acute structural problems of current food systems. The increasingly apparent, yet fundamental, challenges of current food systems, are characterized as ‘severe and persistent problems' , and call for ‘transformative’ or ‘deep change’.

While there is no shortage of studies and visions on how to transform food systems, finding structural solutions is hampered by engrained positions and dichotomous thinking. Such dichotomies exist for instance regarding whether food systems should be market-led or rights-based, whether they should follow land-sharing or land-sparing approaches, or whether innovation should be tech-driven or be steered based on (local) knowledge. This panel will examine concepts, approaches and methodological tools, to bridge such dichotomous thinking, seeking to inform strategies for ‘deep’ food system transformation.

We seek papers that go beyond examining slight modifications of current policies and practices, and instead explore new avenues for food systems change, especially when informed by approaches that transcend long-existing deadlocks and dichotomous thinking.