.u s .o g
“peake ’s Co e
SPEAKER’S CORNER
What if food is considered a common good?
The essential narrative for the food and nutrition transition
Jose Luis Vi e o Pol , PhD esea h fello at the Ce t e of Philosoph of La , U i e sité atholi ue de Lou ai
Co ta t: Jose-luis. i e opol@u lou ai . e
This a i le p ese ts the aio ale de eloped
the autho i the o ki g pape Food as a o
the glo al food syste , a aila le o li e, hi h p o ides full efe e es.
o s: refra i g the arrai e of
Author state e t: The author de lared ot ha i g a y o li t of i terest.
. The pri aizaio of a asi hu a
eed
Ade uate a d ut iious food, f esh ai a d d i ka le ate a e the th ee esse ials ou hu a od e ui es to
fu io . The a e li ited ut e e a le esou es. Wild
food is o side ed a o
o good, ut uli ated food is
a pl ega ded as a p i ate o e. Wate is ei g e a ded f o a f ee-a ess o
o good to a fee- est i ted
p i ate good, a i st step to a ds a full p i aizaio p oess, follo i g a e si ila path to that of food. Ai is
sill o side ed a glo al o
o good a d it has a el
ee e losed although its o
odii aio has al ead
sta ted usi g eai e a ou i g ased o e o o i aluaio of e i o e tal p o esses.
The o
odii aio of food is a hu a -i du ed p o ess
that deals o e ith the p op ieta ights of atu al esou es tha
ith the i t i si atu e of the good. The
sta da d e o o i dei iio of pu li goods is a ho ed
o o - i al a d o -e luda ilit . “ta da d e a ples
of pu li goods i lude f esh ai , ate , k o ledge, aio al defe e, u i e sal pu li health a d pea e, ut
e e food. Pu li goods a e go e ed
oth pu li
a d p i ate p ope t s he es as e a see i the health
a d edu aio do ai s a d the featu es of goods a e
athe stai . I polii al te s, ho e e , e luda ilit a d
i al a e so ial o st u ts that a e odiied so ial
a a ge e ts. Goods ote e o e p i ate o pu li as a
esult of deli e ate poli
hoi es o te h i al p og esses.
P op ieta
ights a e a set of so ial a d legal o s,
hose atu e a d spe ii iies a e dete i ed
ea h
so iet . Pu li a d p i ate goods a e dei ed
e itlee ts, egulaio s a d sa io s that allo ed e tai a i iies a d p os i ed othe s fo spe ii g oups o people.
Food is a de fa to i pu e pu li good, ete te ed as
o
o good, go e ed
pu li i situio s i
a
aspe ts food safet egulaio s, ut iio , seed a kets,
fe ilize su sidies , p o ided
olle i e a io s i thousa ds of usto a a d post-i dust ial olle i e a a gee ts ooki g e ipes, fa e s’ seed e ha ges, o su e -p odu e s asso iaio s, oope ai es o o
u it -suppo ted ag i ultu e , ut la gel dist i uted
aket ules. Ma so ieies ha e o side ed, a d sill o side , food as a o
o good, as ell as fo ests, ishe ies, la d a d ate .
The o
odii aio a d elated p i aizaio of food is
athe o pleted o ada s. As su h, the e losu e
e ha is s, th ough legislaio , e essi e p i i g o pate ts, pla a ole i li ii g the a ess to food to illio s
a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40
.u s .o g
“peake ’s Co e
of people. Hu a ei gs a eat
ha e o e to u it o ea s to
odiizaio
oulded the do i a
te that feeds a g eat sha e of the
food as lo g as the
p odu e it. This o t i dust ial food s so ld populaio .
. The u sustai a le i dustrial food s ste
The i dust ial a d highl
e ha ized food s ste has
a hie ed e a ka le outputs du i g the se o d half of
the th e tu
i easi g food p odu io a d fa ilitai g food a ess to illio s of u a a d u al d elle s.
T ipli g glo al op p odu io , i easi g ields a d lo e i g food p i es ha e e eited ost o su e s i the
o ld. P odu i it gai s, ho e e , ha e ee u e e
a oss egio s a d li ited to so e e eal ops i e,
aize a d heat . The o ld p odu es e ough alo ies to
feed a glo al populaio of
illio a d et e aste
o e thi d of that food si pl e ause of its lo p i e i
the a ket a d ou fail to app e iate its o -e o o i
alues. This i dust ial food s ste is also hea il su sidized a d a pl fa ou ed
ta e e pio s. It is ot
si pl a p i ate good i a u fete ed a ket. The o o e io al, alte ai e o ag oe ologi al s ste s a e
ot e uall su sidized though.
The o
odii aio of the i dust ial food s ste also
ought a u desi a le o se ue es. Just to a e a
fe , o e a e i d o eself that % of hu g people
a e the sel es food p odu e s o ag i ultu al la ou e s.
Ag i ultu e akes poo use of othe o
o goods su h
as ate , lo g-te
sto age di i ishes the ut iious
p ope ies of so e foods, p odu io of e pt a d heap
alo ies e de s o esit a g o i g glo al pa de i . Food
p odu io is ote highl e e g i ei ie t, ith lo g
suppl hai s o t i ui g to li ate ha ge. “oil deg adaio is the o
i
o o ultu e s ste s, ith added
loss of iodi e sit , hi h othe ise ould o t i ute to
the edu io of p odu io isk, help to p ese e ultu e,
a d e ou age di e se diets. We eat adl a d p odu e
food i a athe u sustai a le a e a d ith this do i a t o o e , o food aio alit , hu ge sill p e ails
i a o ld of a u da e. Mo eo e , i the last de ade
this o
odii aio see s to ha e go e too fa as food
a e spe ulated ith, di e ted f o hu a o su pio to iofuel p odu io a d used as a jusii aio fo
u ethi al la d g a i g.
Although la gel let to the a ket, so iet at la ge e e theless ag ees that all people should ha e ea s to se-
u e e ough a d ade uate food. Fo
a
ea s, e
e e told that loosel egulated a ket fo es ould lead
the aio al a d i te aio al food s ste s to e adi ate
hu ge a d a hie e food a d ut iio se u it , as lo g as
the o ld’s a e age ealth i eased. The food arket
k o s est" as the e
a t a. Ho e e , ealit has
p o e othe ise: u egulated a kets do ot dist i ute
food ade uatel , as it is losel ied to pu hasi g po e .
Mo eo e , despite the o
o elia e o i dust selfegulaio a d pu li -p i ate pa t e ships PPPs to i p o e pu li health a d ut iio , the e is o e ide e to
suppo t thei efe i e ess i a hie i g this goal o i
gua a teei g food safet . T a s aio al food o po aio s a e a o g the ajo d i e s of o esit due to thei
p o oio of i eased o su pio of ult ap o essed
food a d d i ks. The o l
e ha is that see s a le to
p e e t the ha
aused
the g o i g do i aio of
these i dust ies a d thei i lue e o diets is pu li i te e io i the a ket. “o fa , PPPs see si pl to e eit p i ate a to s as plafo s to eake the “tate egulato po e a d e e t p oit-d i e lo
i pu li poli
- aki g.
A food s ste a ho ed i the o side aio of food as a
o
odit to e dist i uted a o di g to the de a d
a d suppl a ket ules ill e e a hie e food a d ut iio se u it fo all. The p i ate se to is ot i te ested i
people ho do ot ha e the o e to pa fo thei se i es o goods, hethe ideoga es o staple food.
Mo eo e , a kets, go e ed
p i ate, i di idual selfi te est, ill ot p o ide a ade uate ua it of pu li
goods ith e o ous although o - o eized e eits
to hu a ei gs, as the e ei ial e te aliies a ot e
aptu ed those p i ate a kets.
As o pa ai e ases, o e ould a al se othe pu li
goods su h as health a d edu aio . Both ha e ee o side ed as pu li espo si iliies si e the I dust ial Re oluio a d the efo e p ote ted state egulaio s, su sidies a d legal e itle e ts. A d et, it is idel a epted
that p i ate s hools, u i e siies a d hospitals ha e also a
ole to pla i p o idi g those e itle e ts to so iet .
U like the o po ate food se to , the ai goal of the
p i ate edu aio a d health se to s is ot a i izi g
p oit ut deli e i g good ualit edu aio a d health
a d thus o t i ui g to the pu li good. O the o t a ,
food as a o
odit is t aded he e the p oit a e
a i ized, ho e e i po ta t it a e fo hu a su a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40
.u s .o g
i al a d dis ega di g the ut iio al a d so ial o seue es of p odu i g food u sustai a l a d dist i ui g
food u fai l .
The highl - eeded a ai e to stee a t a siio to a ds
fai e a d o e sustai a le food s ste s should e o e
a out alui g the uliple di e sio s of food othe tha
its a ii iall -lo p i e i the a ket tha oosi g sustai a le i te sii aio of food p odu io o s ali g up
te h olog - ased pate ted sil e - ullets i fo
of geei all
odiied o ga is s GMOs , a ote h olog o
e ha ized o o oppi g ag i ultu e.
. Li itaio s of the state– arket duopol for a fairer
food go er a e
Fo e tu ies, the state a d the lo al uli g po e s e e ted a ota le i lue e o food-p odu i g s ste s, eithe
o t olli g ea s of p odu io la d, ate , seeds,
o kfo e , ta i g food p odu io o e a i g egulai g
f a e o ks. Food as egula l t aded i the a ket as
ell as ha ested o hu ted fo f ee i atu e. Late o ,
du i g the th a d th e tu ies, food e ol ed f o a
o
o lo al esou e to a p i ate t a s aio al o odit , e o i g a i dust a d a a ket of ass o su pio . The i dust ial food s ste seeks to a u ulate
u de p i ed food esou es a d a i izes the p oit of
food e te p ises i stead of a i izi g the ut iio a d
health e eits of food to all.
The p o ess as ot pa allel i all ou t ies e.g. the o u ist pe iod of the fo e “o iet U io a d its allies o
the a ied pe et aio of a ket-led pa adig s i usto a
ai e so ieies of de elopi g ou t ies , ut it
e a e the do i a t i dust ial s ste that full o t ols
i te aio al food t ade, feeds a g eat sha e of the glo al
populaio a d has gi e ise to the o po ate o t ol of
life-suppo i g i dust ies, f o la d a d ate g a i g
to ag i ultu al fuel- ased i puts. Mea hile, although
the state has sh u k d asi all , espe iall ate the st u tu al adjust e t p og a
es a d the ise of the Washi gto Co se sus of the
sa d
s, it e ai s a
i po ta t fo e i glo al a d aio al food go e a e
ia food a d ag i ultu al su sidies, food safet egulaio s, health a d ut iio o e age a d ag i ultu al esea h a d e te sio . A d e e as the e has ee a ise
i i siste e of lei g the a ket ule a d o the i po ta e of f ee p i es, the state, espo di g to polii al
a d so ei es so ial i pe ai es, o i ues to i se t
“peake ’s Co e
p i e edges – ta es o su sidies – i to the
a ket.
Ho e e , this state– a ket duopol i food go e a e
p odu io , dist i uio a d safet has ot ee a le to
a hie e a fai o sustai a le food s ste i
hi h s all
fa e s a ea a li i g out of thei la d plots, e e od a eat ade uatel th ee i es pe da , ea s of
p odu io a e ot depleted, ish sto ks a e ot o e ished, a a le la ds a e take a e of o ate is adeuatel used.
Rathe , the a solute o
odii aio spu ed
o poaio s a d states has deta hed food f o its uliple
di e sio s just to etai
its t adea le featu es
du a ilit , e te al eaut , sta da dizaio . The ut iio al p ope ies of food a d food’s i po ta e as a good
ea t to ou ish people ha e also pe ished o the a .
The o side aio of food as a pu e o
odit , hi h e
ust e e e is a so ial o st u t, is adi all opposed
to its o side aio as a hu a ight that should e gua a teed to all a aspe t that sill eso ates i u e ous
ou t ies o as a o
o good that should e a aila le
to e e hu a ei g to gua a tee su i al.
. What eeds to ha ge: shiti g i dsets a d e plori ga o
o s- ased food a d utriio tra siio
With illio s of people eedlessl d i g p e atu el
ea h ea f o hu ge a d o esit , o od a dispute
the eed fo a ha ge. A e- o
o ii aio of food is a
esse ial pa adig shit i light of the glo al ight agai st
hu ge a d al ut iio . Ho e e , al ost o e of the
ost ele a t a al ses p odu ed i the last de ades o
the fault li es of the glo al food s ste a d the e iste e
of hu ge has e e uesio ed the atu e of food as a
p i ate good. The e is a o
o u de sta di g that the
ai p o le
o ada s is the la k of food a ess, a d
a ket ules a d the pu hasi g po e a e the ai fo es to at h food de a d a d suppl .
I te esi gl , this i siste e o u de sta di g food as a
p i ate good o e looks se e al food di e sio s a d
ea s of food p odu io that a e sill lea l u de stood
as o
o goods see Bo . Mo eo e , the e is a g o i g o se sus that health should e o side ed a pu li
good a d he e good ut iio should also ha e a si ila
o side aio . While ut iious foods a d health diets
ould e i al a d e lusi e, thei i sui ie
a
eate
sig ii a t o se ue es fo pu li health, th ough i a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40
.u s .o g
“peake ’s Co e
eased so ial a d e o o i osts of al ut iio a d
diet- elated ill esses. The efo e, e p opose he e that
food a d ut iio se u it should e u de stood as a
glo al pu li good, as it is eithe i al o e luda le i
theo , a d all i di iduals li i g i a food-se u e so iet
e eit f o that o diio e e if the do ot o t i ute
o pa a thi g fo its p o isio .
. The tri e tri approa h to the re- o
food
o ii aio of
The soluio s to the faili g i dust ial food s ste
ill ot
a i e i a a ket-d i e sil e - ullet pa a ea o i a
e t alized state-led s he e, ut ill e ui e e pe i e taio at uliple le els pe so al, lo al, aio al, i te aio al a d di e se app oa hes to go e a e
a ketled, state-led a d olle i e a io -led . We eed to elai
a
e
a ai e to u de take this eo
o ii aio of food, i easi g the p opo io of
goods a d se i es o su ed outside the egulated fo al a ket, eithe a ui ed i the pu li sphe e o i the
self- egulated sphe e. Nu e ous e a ples of food sha i g, food glea i g, food s ap s he es, fai t ade, p odu e s– o su e s asso iaio s, o
u it -suppo ted ag iultu e, u a o ha ds o the
iad of di e se alte ai e food et o ks e.g. food t usts i the U ited “tates
a d food s aps i Aust alia a e p o i g
doi g that
the e is a g o i g o e e t that is p odu i g, t adi g
a d alui g food outside the t adiio al a ket–state
ules a d egulaio s. Those alte ai e food o e e ts
a e uildi g a e pol e t i go e a e of the food
s ste f o the g ass oots, as Eli o Ost o
i el depi ted fo othe o
o -pool esou es. A d these selfegulated i situio al a a ge e ts ased o olle i e
a io s shall also e gi e due o side aio , app op iate
legal e itle e ts, ade uate fu di g a d polii al suppo t, just as the i dust ial food s ste has e jo ed fo
de ades.
Food ould e p odu ed, dist i uted a d o su ed
th ee-p o ged i situio al a a ge e ts o pou ded of
a i i olle i e a io s fo food o Alte ai e Food
Net o ks u de take i iiall at lo al le el;
go e e ts hose ai goal is to a i ize the ell- ei g of
thei iize s a d p o ide a e a li g f a e o k fo
the to e jo food a d ut iio se u it ; a d
a p iate se to that a p ospe f o the esou es it o s
o e ts u de state egulaio s a d i e i es. The e is a
Bo . Food-related di e sio s idel
a epted as o
o goods
a. T adiio al ag i ultu al k o ledge a uulated ate thousa ds of ea s of
p a i es
. Mode s ie e- ased ag i ultu al
k o ledge p odu ed
aio al i situio s
. Cuisi es, e ipes a d aio al gast o od. Edi le pla ts a d a i als p odu ed
atu e ish sto ks a d ild f uits a d
a i als
e. Ge ei esou es fo food a d ag i ultu e
f. Food safet o side aio s e.g. Code
Ali e ta ius
g. Nut iio i ludi g hu ge a d o esit
i ala es as pu li ads
h. Food p i e sta ilit i glo al a d aio al
a kets
eed to e-a o
odate this ou i g fo e of iize s´
a io s to e lai food as a o
o good. Food a a d
should e sha ed ithi a pol e t i go e a e st u tu e, gi e fo f ee, gua a teed the state, uli ated
a a d also t aded i the a ket. The t a siio toa ds a sustai a le food s ste should e alue the o o eta di e sio s of food, a d he e the glo al a d
lo al food p odu io a d dist i uio s ste s shall ot
e e lusi el go e ed
suppl –de a d a ket ules.
Pu hasi g po e a ot e lusi el dete i e ou a ess to su h esse ial.
Ci i olle i e a io s fo food a e uilt upo the so ioe ologi al p a i es of i i e gage e t, o
u it a d
the ele aio of lo al food a d the a e ke u its fo
the t a siio to a ds a o e ut iio -se sii e, sustai a le a d fai e food a d ag i ultu e s ste
apa le of
feedi g us all
5 a d e o d. Thei fou daio s la
o the uliple o side aio of food as a a asi hu a
eed to e a aila le to all;
a fu da e tal hu a ight
to e gua a teed to e e
iize of e e
ou t ;
a
ultu al pilla eithe as p odu e s o o su e s; d a
a keta le p odu t su je t to fai t ade a d sustai a le
p odu io ; a d e a glo al o
o good to e e jo ed
a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40
.u s .o g
hu a ki d. Both usto a a d post-i dust ial
i e a io s fo food sha e this ulidi e sio al o
aio of food that di e ges f o the u idi e sio
p oa h of food as a o
odit
the ai st ea
t ial food s ste .
“peake ’s Co e
olle side al api dus-
. What this ea s for the food s ste : legal a d poliial i pli aio s of treai g food as a o
o good
If food is o side ed a o
o good, the legal, e o o i
a d polii al i pli aio s ould e huge, e taili g o seue es fa e o d the hu g a d the ou t ies ha ou i g hu g people. To date, ad o ai g fo a ihu ge a d a io esit
easu es has ee e
u h depe di g o de o st ai g the e o o i a d polii al
losses that hu ge a d o esit i poses to hu a so ieies a d e o o ies
i easi g health e pe ditu e, dete i g i o aio a d p odu i it o t igge i g so ial
u est a d polii al tu oil. Co e sel , alte ai e o e o o i a gu e ts a d st ategies to ight hu ge a d
o esit ha e ee la gel egle ted, ith e a ples a gi g f o ethi al i pe ai es, pu li health o side aio s,
so ial ohesio o hu a ights app oa hes to a e just
a fe . Co side i g food as a o
o good ould p o ide
the ade uate aio ale to suppo t these o -e o o i
a gu e ts.
Food should e kept out f o t ade ag ee e ts deali g
ith pu e p i ate goods a d the e ould e a eed to
esta lish a pa i ula i te aio al legal a d go e a e
s ste fo p odu io , dist i uio a d a ess to food at
glo al le el. That ould pa e the a fo
o e i di g
legal f a e o ks, os opolita glo al poli ies o f ate al ethi s fo the hole hu a a e.
U i e sal food o e age s he es o food se u it loo s
ould e eated, he e the state should gua a tee a
i i u a ou t of food fo all fo e a ple, o e loaf of
ead, te torillas o t o i jeras , pa alleli g the so ial
p ote io loo s that a e ei g i ple e ted i
a
high-i o e ou t ies. That ould also e do e
e ualli g the i i u sala to the aio al food asket.
Mo eo e , the e ould e a legal a d ethi al g ou d to
a i a ial spe ulaio o food, as this spe ulaio does
ot e eit eithe the p odu e s o the o su e s of su h
a esse ial esou e. A d food ould e p io iized fo
hu a o su pio , li ii g the o - o su pio uses
su h as iofuels o li esto k feed.
I
o aio i ag i ultu al a d ut iio esea h a d loall -adapted te h ologies ould highl e eit f o this
o side aio , foste i g o dsou i g i o aio s a d
eai e o
o s li e si g s ste s to i p o e the ut iio -se sii e food s ste . Millio s of people i o ai g
ha e fa o e apa it to i d adapi e a d app op iate
soluio s tha a fe thousa d s ie ists. The op ighted
ag i ultu al se to , ith its e essi e pate ts of life a d
iopi a , is dete i g the s ali g up of food a d ut iio
se u it i o aio s. The f eedo to op a tuall p ootes eai it a d i o aio athe tha dete it, as it
a e see i the fashio i dust , the ooki g a d gast o o a eas o the f ee sot a e do ai .
. The food o
o s tra siio
The e- o
o ii aio of food ill take se e al de ades
so the t a siio phase should it ess the oe iste e of
a dual o side aio of food: as a o
o good, he e
a i i u a ou t should e a aila le a d a essi le to
e e hu a
ei g; a d as a p i ate good su je t to
t ade. I a
ase, self-go e i g olle i e a io s a ot
do the t a siio
the sel es, as food p o isio a d
food a d ut iio se u it shall i ol e g eate le els of
pu li se to i ol e e t a d a ket-d i e dist i uio s. He e, the e should e e a li g spa es fo lo al
go e
e ts, p i ate e t ep e eu s a d self-o ga ized
o
u iies to oe ist, ith the “tate taki g a leadi g
ole at the i iial stage of the t a siio pe iod, ot o l
as a egulato
e ha is
ut also as a fu di g a d ope aio al i st u e t to a hie e so iall desi ed olle i e
goods that is, the food a d ut iio se u it of the populaio .
Fi di g the ade uate e uili iu
et ee this t i e t i
i situio al setup ill e o e of the ajo halle ges hua ki d ill ha e to add ess i the st e tu , as lo g
as the populaio g o s a d Ea th’s a i g apa it
see s to e su passed
hu a g eed fo esou es, as
Gha di o e e io ed.
Fi all , i a o da e ith the o
o atu e of food, I
ould el o e o
e ts to fu the ela o ate this aio ale a d its p a i al i pli aio s, ideall p odu ed i a
o
o s a e . A fai e a d o e sustai a le ut iio -se sii e food a d ag i ultu e s ste is possi le, ut
e eed to e o side the food a ai e to guide that
t a siio . I do ot e pe t to see this ha ge o pleted
du i g
lifei e, ut I hope ou hild e
a .
a k to o te ts SCN NEWS #40